The Civil War and the Legacy of American Democracy

Catalog description

The Civil War and Reconstruction fundamentally transformed the nature of American democracy, including who could participate in it, what its processes were, and what legislation was possible. This course will explore the legacy of that change in American history and culture. Through primary and scholarly secondary sources we will trace the meaning and practice of democracy from the establishment of the United States of America through the Gilded Age and Progressive Era, and their continued echoes to the present day. We will examine how historical actors defined terms we often take for granted, like citizen, franchise, and representation, but we will also delve into the nitty gritty history of voter intimidation methods, coercion, fraud, and demagoguery that marked democracy at many points in this era.