American Civil War Courses and Certifications

American History: From Emancipation to the Present - Lecture 2 - Dawn of Freedom

Explores Civil War era events, focusing on the Emancipation Proclamation, draft riots, and tensions surrounding citizenship, freedom, and race in America. Examines key historical moments and their impact on societal dynamics.

• YouTube
• 41 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Retreat from Reconstruction - The Grant Era and Paths to Southern Redemption

Explore the complexities of post-Civil War Reconstruction, debunking myths, examining African-American rights progress, and analyzing the rise of white political terrorism in the South.

• YouTube
• 50 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

The Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Birth of the Republican Party, 1854-55

Explore pivotal 1850s political crises: Compromise of 1850, Fugitive Slave Act opposition, Uncle Tom's Cabin impact, Kansas-Nebraska Act, and Republican Party formation. Gain insights into pre-Civil War tensions.

• YouTube
• 48 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Wartime Reconstruction - Imagining the Aftermath and a Second American Republic

Explore Lincoln's re-election, the Civil War's end, and the challenges of Reconstruction in this insightful lecture on a pivotal period in American history.

• YouTube
• 49 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

The End of Reconstruction - Disputed Election of 1876 and the Compromise of 1877

Explore the violent end of Reconstruction, examining key events like the Colfax Massacre, Supreme Court decisions, economic panic, and political scandals that led to the retreat from radical reforms.

• YouTube
• 52 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Expansion and Slavery: Legacies of the Mexican War and the Compromise of 1850

Explore conflicts and compromises leading to the Civil War, including Douglass's speech, Mexican War impacts, and the Compromise of 1850, highlighting slavery's expansion and its political consequences.

• YouTube
• 53 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Dred Scott, Bleeding Kansas, and the Impending Crisis of the Union, 1855-58 - The Civil War and Reconstruction

Explore key events of 1855-58: Kansas conflict, Sumner's caning, Republican Party's rise, Fremont's campaign, and the Dred Scott decision's impact on pre-Civil War America.

• YouTube
• 52 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

The Election of 1860 and the Secession Crisis - Civil War and Reconstruction

Explore the 1860 election, John Brown's impact, and Southern secession in this Yale lecture on the Civil War's origins, examining key events and rationales behind the conflict.

• YouTube
• 51 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Homefronts and Battlefronts - The Social Impact of the Civil War

Explore the Civil War's profound impact on society, economics, and government, examining personal experiences and broader changes in both Union and Confederate territories.

• YouTube
• 51 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

The Sumter Crisis and the Outbreak of the Civil War - 1861

Explore the pivotal Fort Sumter crisis, its impact on secession, and the motivations driving Americans to war in this in-depth examination of the Civil War's outbreak.

• YouTube
• 47 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

The End of the Civil War and Its Aftermath - To Appomattox and Beyond

Explore the final stages of the Civil War, including Grant's strategies, Lee's resistance, Sherman's March, and the war's profound impact on American society and memory.

• YouTube
• 51 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Southern Society: Slavery, King Cotton, and Antebellum America's Peculiar Region - Lecture 2

Explore the unique aspects of antebellum Southern society, including its anti-modernism, emphasis on honor, and slave-based cotton economy, shaping the region's distinctiveness from the North.

• YouTube
• 52 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Terrible Swift Sword: The Period of Confederate Ascendency, 1861-1862 - Civil War and Reconstruction

Explore the early Civil War: expectations, advantages, and the Battle of Bull Run. Gain insights into military strategies and the conflict's initial phase.

• YouTube
• 53 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Introductions - Why Does the Civil War Era Have a Hold on American History?

Explore the enduring fascination with the Civil War era, its impact on American history, and its relevance to modern society in this thought-provoking lecture.

• YouTube
• 43 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video

Black Reconstruction in the South - The Freedpeople and the Economics of Land and Labor

Explore the pivotal events of 1868 in American Reconstruction, including the Reconstruction Acts, Johnson's impeachment, Grant's election, and the struggles of freed African Americans amid political upheaval and violence.

• YouTube
• 51 minutes
• On-Demand
• Free Video