A House Divided：The Civil War and Nineteenth-Century America

The Civil War is one of the most defining eras of American history, and much has been written on every aspect of the war. The volume of material available is daunting, especially when a student is trying to grasp the overall themes of the period.

Jonathan Wells has distilled the war down into understandable, easy-to-read sections, with plenty of maps and illustrations, to help make sense of the battles and social, political, and cultural changes of the era. Presented here is information on:


the home front


the battles, both in the East and the West


the status of slaves


women’s role in the war and its aftermath


literature and public life


international aspects of the war


and much more!


Students will also find helpful study aids on the companion website for the book. A House Divided provides a short, readable survey of the Civil War and the Reconstruction period afterward, focusing not only on the battles, but on how Americans lived during a time of great upheaval in the country’s history, and what that legacy has meant to the country today.

Jonathan Daniel Wells is Associate Professor of History and History Department Chair at Temple University.

Chapter One: Sectionalism in the Early Republic
Chapter Two: America in the 1850s
Chapter Three: Secession
Chapter Four: Early Battles of the War
Chapter Five: Lincoln and Northern Politics
Chapter Six: Battles, 1862-1863
Chapter Seven: Literary and Intellectual Life during the War
Chapter Eight: Life in the South during the War
Chapter Nine: Western Perspectives
Chapter Ten: Battles, 1863-1864
Chapter Eleven: Home fronts
Chapter Twelve: The War Ends, 1864-1865
Chapter Thirteen: Congressional Reconstruction
Chapter Fourteen: Legacies