hist901

[hist901]

A brief 7:00 minute video examining the evolution of historiography of the American Civil War from 1866 to the present.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Pollard, Edward A. The Lost Cause: A New Southern History of the War of the Confederates. New York: E.B. Treat & Co., 1866.

Beard, Charles A., and Mary R. Beard. The Rise of American Civilization. New York: Macmillan, 1927.

Potter, David M. The Impending Crisis: America Before the Civil War, 1848-1861. New York: Harper & Row, 1976.

Foner, Eric. Reconstruction: America’s Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877. New York: Harper & Row, 1988.

Baptist, Edward E. The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism. New York: Basic Books, 2014.

McCurry, Stephanie. Confederate Reckoning: Power and Politics in the Civil War South. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2010.

Gleeson, David T., and Simon Lewis, eds. The Civil War as a Global Conflict: Transnational Meanings of the American Civil War. Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 2014.

[hist901]

"The Gettysburg Campaign: Unveiling the Strategic and Tactical Decisions Leading to a Turning Point in the American Civil War"

The Battle of Gettysburg is often hailed as a turning point in the American Civil War, a decisive clash that determined the fate of the Union. However, the events that led to this monumental battle are equally significant, revealing a complex web of strategic decisions, leadership challenges, and human experiences that shaped the course of the war. While much has been written about the battle itself, the preliminary stages leading up to it—the Confederate invasion of the North, the reorganization of the Army of Northern Virginia, and the strategic maneuvers that set the stage for Gettysburg—remain underexplored. This research seeks to fill that gap, offering a detailed examination of these crucial events. By delving into the motivations and challenges faced by both the Confederate and Union forces, this study not only enhances our understanding of the Gettysburg Campaign but also sheds light on the broader implications of military strategy and leadership during one of the most critical periods in American history.

This research aims to fill a notable gap in existing scholarship by providing a detailed examination of the preliminary stages leading up to the Battle of Gettysburg, a critical phase of the Civil War that followed Confederate victories at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. General Robert E. Lee’s decision to carry the war into Northern territory, seeking to alleviate pressure on Virginia, secure much-needed supplies, and potentially sway Northern public opinion towards peace, marked the Confederacy's furthest advance into Union territory and symbolized the “high tide” of Confederate fortunes.

In response, the Union Army, first under General Joseph Hooker and later General George G. Meade, was tasked with countering this significant threat. By analyzing the interconnectedness of early strategic decisions and their far-reaching consequences, this dissertation will illuminate the complexities of military strategy and leadership during this critical period. The study will not only enhance our knowledge of the Gettysburg Campaign but also provide new insights into the leadership, decision-making, and human experiences that shaped this pivotal moment in American history.

To explore this topic comprehensively, several historically significant questions arise:

What were the key motivations behind General Robert E. Lee's decision to invade the North, and how did resource depletion in Northern Virginia influence this strategy?

How did the reorganization of the Army of Northern Virginia following General Jackson’s death affect Confederate leadership and subsequent military actions?

What were the strategic decisions and tactical movements of the Confederate and Federal forces during the preliminary stages of the Gettysburg Campaign?

How did these actions influence the subsequent Battle of Gettysburg?

What challenges did the Union Army face in interpreting Lee’s intentions, and how did internal dynamics within the Army of the Potomac complicate their response?

In what ways did the strategic and tactical movements of both armies, and the experiences of individual soldiers, civilians, and politicians, shape the outcome of the Gettysburg Campaign?

With a strong academic background in Civil War history and extensive experience in archival research, I am uniquely qualified to undertake this study. My previous work has focused on military strategy and the socio-political impacts of the Civil War, providing me with the tools and knowledge necessary to analyze the complex events leading up to the Battle of Gettysburg. This project represents the culmination of years of dedicated research and a deep personal interest in the subject.

This research will employ a combination of primary and secondary sources, including military records, correspondence, diaries, and memoirs, to analyze the strategic and tactical decisions of both Confederate and Union forces during the Gettysburg Campaign. By examining primary sources such as letters, diaries, and official military reports, alongside secondary analyses like Allen C. Guelzo's Gettysburg: The Last Invasion, the study aims to uncover early indicators of Confederate intentions, suggesting that the invasion of Pennsylvania was anticipated long before it occurred.

Beginning chronologically in the winter of 1862-63, when General Stonewall Jackson tasked Jedediah Hotchkiss with producing a topographical map of the Cumberland Valley, this research will explore the motivations behind the invasion, focusing on the hardships faced by the Confederate Army and the strategic foresight of General Lee. The methodology will also incorporate a comparative analysis of existing historiographical debates, particularly those surrounding the effectiveness of Lee’s aggressive strategy and the Union's defensive tactics. This approach not only adheres to the standards of historical scholarship but also pushes the boundaries by integrating diverse types of sources to provide a more nuanced understanding of the campaign.

The potential contributions of this research to the field are multifaceted. By focusing on the preliminary stages of the Gettysburg Campaign, this study will offer new insights into Civil War military strategy, emphasizing how early decisions can have far-reaching consequences. Furthermore, this research will fill a gap in the existing scholarship, providing a more comprehensive analysis of the campaign and its broader implications for Civil War studies.

As we reflect on the Battle of Gettysburg, it becomes clear that the outcome was shaped long before the first shots were fired. The decisions made by Confederate and Union leaders, the strategic movements of their armies, and the experiences of the soldiers and civilians caught in the conflict all played pivotal roles in determining the course of the battle. This research has aimed to unravel the complexities of these preliminary stages, offering new insights into the motivations and strategies that drove the Confederate invasion of the North. By filling a significant gap in Civil War scholarship, this study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of the Gettysburg Campaign and underscores the importance of early decision-making in military history. Ultimately, it is a reminder that the road to Gettysburg was not just a march of armies, but a journey shaped by human choices, fraught with uncertainty, and marked by moments of profound consequence.