causes

Tells the story of the approach of the Civil War from the viewpoints of thirteen historical figures, drawing from the letters, speeches, interviews, and memoirs of each featured speaker to form the dramatic monologues as they might have been delivered by Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Nat Turner, Mary Chesnut, and others.

Discusses slavery as the cause of the Civil War in the United States, and looks at how the conflict affected people in the North and in the South.

Examines primary documents from domestic and foreign observers to determine whether the American South was Constitutionally justified in seceding, and digs past conventional history to debunk myths about the Civil War's causes and nationwide attitudes toward blacks and slavery.

Tells the story of the movement that led to Confederate independence from the perspectives of five Southern men who came to their own individual decisions to abandon the Union.

Chronicles the reactions of people from all walks of life to the news that the American Revolution had begun, from jubilant rebel leaders to farmers, shopkeepers, and Europeans.

Offers an alternative history of the American Revolution, portraying the colonists as conquerors and their revolution as a rebellion over control of conquests.

A Boston merchant describes the American colonists' act of protest against British taxation and the tea monopoly of the East India Company.

Examines the events that precipitated the American Revolution, describing British laws such as the Stamp Act and the Coercive Acts and the actions of such figures as Sam Adams and Patrick Henry, and discussing the reasons why the country went to war despite the majority's desire for compromise. Includes discussion questions and activities.