Civil War, The

by Steven Otfinoski

Overview

A Step into History, Take a step into some of the most important moments in history and discover how they helped shape the world we live in today. Each book in this series: describes key events in 30 short chapters, illustrates history with amazing and iconic photos, is accessible and engaging for all audiences, The issue of slavery had long divided the United States. In 1860 the nation split into two when Southern states began seceding from the Union. As President Abraham Lincoln struggled to hold the country together, war broke out between the North and the South. America would never be the same.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780531243633
Publisher:	C. Press/F. Watts Trade
Publication date:	02/01/2017
Series:	A Step into History
Pages:	144
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

Table of Contents

Prologue 6

The Two Sides in the Civil War 10

Maps 12

Chapter 1 Slavery in America 14

Chapter 2 A Nation Divided 18

Chapter 3 Abraham Lincoln for President 22

Chapter 4 Secession 26

Chapter 5 Fort Sumter 30

Chapter 6 Raw Recruits 34

Chapter 7 The First Battle of the War 38

Chapter 8 Confederate Generals 42

Chapter 9 Union Generals 46

Chapter 10 The Monitor And The Merrimack 50

Chapter 11 The Emancipation Proclamation 54

Chapter 12 Black Soldiers 58

Chapter 13 The Battle of Chancellorsville 62

Chapter 14 The War In Literature 66

Chapter 15 The Battle of Gettysburg 70

Chapter 16 The Draft Riots 74

Chapter 17 General Ulysses S. Grant 78

Chapter 18 Lincoln's Gettysburg Address 82

Chapter 19 Angels of the Battlefield 86

Chapter 20 Staying in Touch 90

Chapter 21 The Home Front-North and South 94

Chapter 22 Damn the Torpedoes! Full Speed Ahead!" 98

Chapter 23 The Election of 1864 102

Chapter 24 Sherman's March to the Sea 106

Chapter 25 Battles in the Backyard 110

Chapter 26 Surrender at Appomattox 114

Chapter 27 The President has been Shot! 118

Chapter 28 The Ashes of War 122

Chapter 29 Reconstruction 126

Chapter 30 Civil Rights and Wrongs 130

Key Players 134

Civil War Timeline 136

Glossary 140

Find Out More 142

Index 143

About the Author 144

Editorial Reviews

04/01/2017
Gr 4–8—Lengthy overviews of key United States—involved conflicts, though the format is odd. With each volume made up of about 30 chapters, information is often needlessly divided up. For instance, each chapter consists of four pages. The first has a small picture, a famous quote, or a tiny map in the middle of an otherwise blank page; the second describes the chapter's intent; the third contains a few blocks of text; and the fourth includes a full-page photo. These illustrations are puzzling at times; in Civil War, a photo of soldier's supplies on display features a blanket, boots, shoes, officer's gloves, two guns, a tool kit, a hammer, a hat, and a hook. Based on this, it would be easy to assume soldiers were well equipped when oftentimes they were not. Readers might wonder, too, why the hook? Its purpose is not addressed. VERDICT Interesting, important topics, but a flawed presentation.

School Library Journal

Author Otfinoski has demonstrated over the years that he has a keen eye for writing history in a way that combines the facts at hand with the human interest stories that are embedded in the saga of humankind. The Civil War is part of the four-book A Step Into History series geared toward offering a review of some of the most significant conflicts that the United States has been involved in. The American Civil War, as the author of this well written and carefully researched history book relates, was a turning point in the nation’s pathway. Before the Civil War the United States was a rather insular and divided nation. After four bloody years of internecine fighting, the United States emerged reunited, heavily industrialized, and a world power. In this book readers will meet not only the great men and women who cast a shadow over the land during the Civil War, but also the common folk who did the fighting and kept the nation running while armies clashed on distant fields of battle. In telling this tale Otfinoski uses a chronological approach that addresses some of the critical battles, military leaders, political movements, and social causes that were part and parcel of the Civil War. Each topic is well handled and presented in a way that should whet the appetite of readers. In The Civil War, readers should come away with a better understanding of a pivotal period in American history, while also gaining a deeper appreciation of what our forefathers and mothers experienced during those fiery days of war. Reviewer: Greg M. Romaneck; Ages 10 to 14.

Children's Literature - Greg M. Romaneck