Slavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction in the United States

Module code:HS2346

This module explores US history from the final years of slavery through the Civil War and Reconstruction in the mid-19th century. You’ll be introduced to the turbulent and still controversial national politics of the period, including debates over the abolition of slavery, the secession of the southern slave states from the Union, and the constitutional changes of the 1860s and 1870s.

The module also focuses on African American history, including topics such as slave resistance, the involvement of black troops in the Civil War, the experiences of black families and the development of black politics in the aftermath of emancipation. Finally, the module looks at the changing ways in which this controversial period in U.S. history has been interpreted, remembered, and memorialised since the late 19th century.