The American Civil War & Reconstruction
Whistlestop Bookshop’s first store opened in Gettysburg in 1985. Eventually, over 19 years there, our Civil War section grew to be three large wall cases. A disproportionate percentage of it, naturally, was about the battle of Gettysburg and biographies of those who fought there. In addition to this book selling experience, my southern upbringing and Army family life created a lifelong interest in the War Between the States and all of its complexities. It is an understandable national obsession, considering how the first half of our nation’s history contributed to its ferocity, and the second half of our history has been the struggle to live with and understand the consequences.
A Short History of the Confederate States of America
A Short History of the Confederate States of America
One of the most interesting and historical documents to emerge from the American Civil War, this account of that mighty and historical conflict was penned by none other than the leader of the Confederate States of America.
Written in the first person, this work tells not only of the major events of the war-as experienced by the president of one of the warring sides-but also spells out the background, as seen by the South, of the origins of the conflict.
Along the way it addresses the constitutional issues which lay at the heart of the war: slavery, states’ rights, and the usurpation of the U.S. Constitution. Jefferson proves beyond question that the Confederacy was in fact adhering to the letter of the law of the U.S. Constitution.
Most of the book however concentrates on the events which raged from 1861 to 1865, and the desperate attempts by the South to prepare for war against a far superior North.
This new edition has been completely reset and contains hundreds of new footnotes to explain events, personalities, and issues, to the present-day reader. Illustrated.
556 pages