War Matters: Material Culture in the Civil War Era

by Joan E. Cashin (Editor)

Material objects lie at the crux of understanding individual and social relationships in history, and the Civil War era is no exception. Before, during, and after the war, Americans from all walks of life created, used, revered, exploited, discarded, mocked, and destroyed objects for countless reasons. These objects had symbolic significance for millions of people. The essays in this volume consider a wide range of material objects, including weapons, Revolutionary artifacts, landscapes, books, vaccine matter, human bodies, houses, clothing, and documents. Together, the contributors argue that an examination of the meaning of material objects can shed new light on the social, economic, and cultural history of the conflict. This book will fundamentally reshape our understanding of the war.

In addition to the editor, contributors include Lisa M. Brady, Peter S. Carmichael, Earl J. Hess, Robert D. Hicks, Victoria E. Ott, Jason Phillips, Timothy Silver, Yael A. Sternhell, Sarah Jones Weicksel, Mary Saracino Zboray, and Ronald J. Zboray.

Genres: Civil War, History

278 pages, Hardcover

Published October 8, 2018

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of essays covers a wide range of material objects involved in the historiography of the Civil War era. The essays are all very pert and succinct; not a ton of fluff to be found among them. The one essay that stuck out, at least to me, was the final instalment about Jefferson Davis's quest to recover his personal possessions after the war's conclusion. Overall, a fine collection and well worth the time spent perusing it.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are very readable, very interesting essays about material culture during the Civil War. The essays range in quality, but all of them are interesting in some regard. I felt that the chapters on Jefferson Davis, and Confederate Vaccination were the most interesting and well-argued. The chapters on Books as Shields, and Trophies of Victory were both fun to read but had arguments I felt fell flat (sorry, Pete). The chapter on Antietam doesn't fully connect with me as a material culture study, but is a really great environmental history. Overall, a good book I would recommend to those with a moderate-to-high interest in the Civil War, or to students looking to advance their material interpretation.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book presents 10 chapters, each written by a different author. The book aims to show how physical tokens both large and small added meaning to the Civil War for both radicals, soldiers, politicians, and those at home awaiting a loved one’s return. Some chapters are more engaging than others. This book is worth reading if you are a Civil War buff, if not, I would skip over this one.

[Sandra Oldfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good collection of essays about civil war artifacts. Some chapters were better than others but overall I like the last one best about Jefferson Davis.