A House Divided: Sectionalism and Civil War, 1848-1865

by Richard H. Sewell

What caused the Civil War? Perhaps no question in American history has attracted more interest or sparked more debate. A House Divided presents a fresh and balanced interpretation that challenges the view of slavery as a largely artificial or symbolic issue in the conflict between two incompatible societies. While recognizing the impact of other political disputes and of such concerns as temperance and nativism, Richard Sewell refocuses attention on slavery as the root of sectionalism and, ultimately, the war. A House Divided traces the growth of bitter cetional discord in the years after 1848, when the acquisition of new American territories rekindled old controversies over the expansion of slavery. A series of compromises forestalled the crisis of secession but increasingly divided the country along slavery's lines. Attitudes toward slavery also influenced the conduct and consequences of the war that followed. The union army rapidly accepted the enlistment of emancipated slaves, while the Confederacy faced both subtle subversion from its black labor firce and sagging morale from the alveless Southern whites who felt disproportionately burdened by the war effort. Sewell's rich account of the war covers both military and home fronts and traces the birth of plans to reconstruct the Union and deal with the legacy of slavery.

Genres: History, American History, Civil War, American Civil War, Nonfiction

240 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1988

About the author

Richard Herbert Sewell was professor of history emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he taught form 1965 until his retirement in 1995. Sewell earned a B.A. with honors in history from the University of Michigan in 1953 and a PhD from Harvard University. Before accepting his position at the University of Wisconsin Sewell taught for three years at Northern Illinois University.