Review for final exam.

Bring Final Exam Review Sheet (here under Readings and Handouts)

written participation due for Civil War debate. Details under Assignments

KKK Hearings sources (12 pgs) under Readings and Handouts

To guide your reading:

Compare and contrast the different witnesses in their interactions with the Ku Klux Klan. How the the Klan treat different people differently? How did the witnesses’ description or understanding of the Klan differ from one another?

In what ways did African American men and women act on their freedom? What specific behaviors did the Klan target, and what techniques did they use?

Consider the majority and minority reports (Sources 6 and 7). In what ways were these reports influenced or shaped by the testimonies of witnesses, or could they have been written before the committee heard any witnesses? Consider which members signed which report.

Taking Sides excerpts (12 pgs)

Note: The chapter title is confusing: “Are Historians Wrong to Consider the War Between the States a Total War?”—this is the opposite of “Was the Civil War a Total War?” So Neely, who is the “Yes” position is arguing that the war was not a total war.

In class, we will debate the question, “Was the Civil War a Total War”? In moving beyond “yes” or “no”, we will consider the following dimensions:

What is the definition of “total war” as described by both of the authors? What are multiple traits that might be part of the definition? Which do or do not apply to the Civil War?

In some places, the authors concede a point—what definitions or aspects of the war do they agree about?

Was the war more or less total at different places and different times?

McPherson partially concedes that the Civil War was not a total war (at least by some definitions). However, he says that it remains a useful concept—what does he argue is useful about it as a way of thinking about the war?  

Slave Narratives sources here under Readings and Handouts

To guide your reading:

How much does each narrative convey a sense of its author as an individual? How would you describe the personality of each?

Each excerpt describes a confrontation of a slave with his or her master. How do they compare to or differ from one another? What strategies of resistance (that is, slaves resisting the control of their masters) are visible in these passages?

How much does each narrative attempt to generalize beyond individual experience to general experiences of Southern society? What do the narratives describe about the nature of slave work, family and culture? About white southern culture?

Consider that the narratives were each written by an African-American former slave with the help of a white editor or scribe and directed at an audience of Northern whites, usually in direct support of the abolitionist movement. Which passages address the audience directly? Throughout the excerpts, what core ideas or impressions of slavery were the authors trying to convey, and what kinds of appeals did they use? You might also try to monitor your own thoughts and emotions as you read. What passages cause a particular reaction in you?