Causes of the Civil War: Institutional Failure or Human Blunder

by Hans L. Trefousse (Editor)

The Civil War has always held particular fascination for Americans. Its impact on the United States was so immense and its results so far-reaching that every generation since 1861 has sought to reinterpret it. What were the causes that led to the catastrophe? Why did the American system break down in the 1850s and 1860s? Who was responsible for the war and how could the holocaust have been prevented? These questions have been examined from the viewpoint of writers of that period through present-day historians of differing perspectives.

129 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971