Living Through the Rebellion: The Experience and History of the American Civil War

News item published on: 2013-09-11 14:53:00

Living Through the Rebellion: The Experience and History of the American Civil War, explores the opinions and experiences of soldiers, women, children, and of-the-day historians from 1860-1867. Life in both the North and South was heavily influenced by political pamphlet culture and the personal experiences of soldiers and their families who sacrificed both on the battlefield and at home.

The first section of the exhibit covers soldier life in army camps and on the battlefield, women’s roles during wartime, and the education of Confederate children throughout the “rebellion.” On display are personal letter collections from Confederate and Union soldiers, published soldier and spy memoirs, and other documents which express the hardships of life on the northern and southern home fronts.

The second section of the exhibit gives a history of the Civil War as it was being written during the 1860-1867 period. These books, pamphlets, and political memoirs cover the history of the Civil War from its conception, with authors and historians arguing the importance of “the Southern Rebellion” or “The Second American Revolution” to world history. On display are arguments for the Union and the Confederacy as written by both southern and northern authors and European presses.

The exhibit is on display in the Cleanth Brooks Reading Room (Room 305) in McCain Library & Archives Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., through January 15, 2014. If you have questions about the exhibit, contact Jennifer Brannock at Jennifer.Brannock@usm.edu or 601.266.4347.