Status
Available
Call number
Publication
New York : Alfred A. Knopf, c2011.
Description
As the United States marks the 150th anniversary of our defining national drama, historian Adam Goodheart presents an original account of how the Civil War began. 1861 is an epic of courage and heroism beyond the battlefields. Early in that fateful year, a second American revolution unfolded, inspiring a new generation to reject their parents' faith in compromise and appeasement, to do the unthinkable in the name of an ideal. It set Abraham Lincoln on the path to greatness and millions of slaves on the road to freedom. Goodheart takes us from the corridors of the White House to the slums of Manhattan, from the mouth of the Chesapeake to the deserts of Nevada, from Boston Common to Alcatraz Island, vividly evoking the Union at this moment of ultimate crisis and decision.--From publisher description.… (more)
Media reviews
150 years after the surrender of Fort Sumter, the journalist, travel writer and historian Adam Goodheart has let loose his own salvo in what will be a four-year firestorm of books commemorating the Civil War. Many good studies about the struggle will be published, but few will be as exhilarating as
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“1861: The Civil War Awakening.” Show Less
"Slated for release in conjunction with the sesquicentennial of the Battle of Fort Sumter, 1861 is essential reading for those who wish to learn more about the Civil War’s crucial first months."
User reviews
LibraryThing member wildbill
The title is very appropriate for the story told by the author. The time period covered is from late 1860 to July of '61. In hindsight we can see that this is the time when the country ripped apart. This author doesn't tell the reader that is happening, he shows them. The author has a fresh look on
It seemed there were facts on every page that I was not familiar with. I learned a lot about the volunteer firemen in N.Y.C. which is not what you usually associate with Civil War history. But, the Civil War is going on all around throughout the book. Charleston Harbor is brought to life as General P. G. T. Beauregard sends some brandy to Major Anderson, who sends it back and Senator Wigfall sticks his head into the casemate to solicit the surrender of Fort Sumter.
The author weaves his history with many events that are not the usual stock in trade of Civil War history.
This book is very well written. Portions of it could come from a very good novel. The author's skill is to communicate the tension and excitement of the times through dialog and events that occurred. The life of Elmer E. Ellsworth is a fascinating story that ends with the beginning of the tragedy of the Civil War. Reading about the Wide Awakes march, march, march helped me to understand where all those soldiers came from.
Ben Butler and the contrabands reads like a practical joke. The whole story is told in great detail and the punchline is the conversation between Ben Butler and the owner of one of the slaves. "I want my property. It's the law." "You're a rebel the law doesn't apply" and more of the same. I had the image of red-faced, frustrated and somewhat poorer man walking away. On a more serious note this event was the first time slaves were freed by action of the Union government. That is the beginning of the real Civil War.
Reading this book I was entertained and learned many facts about a very significant event from a point of view I had never seen before. One of the reasons I enjoy reading history is because of good books like this. This is a book that is for anyone who wants to read a good book and informative enough for a Civil War specialist.
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well known times. The events of this time are portrayed through the lives of a group of people that are not the usual suspects. Abraham Lincoln only has a bit part in this version of the beginning of the Civil War.It seemed there were facts on every page that I was not familiar with. I learned a lot about the volunteer firemen in N.Y.C. which is not what you usually associate with Civil War history. But, the Civil War is going on all around throughout the book. Charleston Harbor is brought to life as General P. G. T. Beauregard sends some brandy to Major Anderson, who sends it back and Senator Wigfall sticks his head into the casemate to solicit the surrender of Fort Sumter.
The author weaves his history with many events that are not the usual stock in trade of Civil War history.
This book is very well written. Portions of it could come from a very good novel. The author's skill is to communicate the tension and excitement of the times through dialog and events that occurred. The life of Elmer E. Ellsworth is a fascinating story that ends with the beginning of the tragedy of the Civil War. Reading about the Wide Awakes march, march, march helped me to understand where all those soldiers came from.
Ben Butler and the contrabands reads like a practical joke. The whole story is told in great detail and the punchline is the conversation between Ben Butler and the owner of one of the slaves. "I want my property. It's the law." "You're a rebel the law doesn't apply" and more of the same. I had the image of red-faced, frustrated and somewhat poorer man walking away. On a more serious note this event was the first time slaves were freed by action of the Union government. That is the beginning of the real Civil War.
Reading this book I was entertained and learned many facts about a very significant event from a point of view I had never seen before. One of the reasons I enjoy reading history is because of good books like this. This is a book that is for anyone who wants to read a good book and informative enough for a Civil War specialist.
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LibraryThing member annbury
Terrific new book on the events of the earliest phase of the Civil War (the last few months before it began, and the first few months thereafter) which deserves the critical praise that's been heaped upon it. It takes an unusual slant on Civil War history, focusing on popular movements and popular
The book is vividly written, full of color and emotion, in strong contrast to many other valuable works of history. But it is also meticulously footnoted: I'm not a scholar, but it seems eminently scholarly to me. It also has a compelling narrative drive. In his first chapter, the author says that "I wanted to learn more about how Americans -- both ordinary citizens and national leaders -- experienced and responded to a moment of sudden crisis and change as it unfolded". He communicates those experiences and responses as they happened, not as they look through the backward looking lens of history. But the reader does know what will happen -- a tension that produces narrative drive.
I very much enjoyed reading this book, and I learned a lot from it. Most important, it underlined for me the fact that the war really was about slavery, on both sides of the battlefronts. In the North, that became clearer as the war raged on, but the roots of an anti-slavery commitment were there in 1861, as Goodheart makes clear. As we enter the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, however, it's important to remember what happened after it ended, as well as how it began. A sad counterpoint to "1861" is provided by Nicholas Lemann's "Redemption", which shows how the whites took back power in Mississippi in 1875, an event which was shortly repeated across the South. The war did end slavery, but the other two grand promises that it achieved -- 14th and 15th amendments -- were still unfulfilled 100 years after the War ended. Indeed, many would question whether or not they have been fulfilled today.
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heroes of the day, not on the usual parade of generals and battles. This doesn't preclude a lot of attention to key figures, most notably Abraham Lincoln, whose development in the months in question is central to the book. (Goodheart also focusses on other lesser know actors on the Civil War stage whose deeds and words make fascinating reading -- particularly the irrepressible Ben Butler, a.k.a "Beast".)The book is vividly written, full of color and emotion, in strong contrast to many other valuable works of history. But it is also meticulously footnoted: I'm not a scholar, but it seems eminently scholarly to me. It also has a compelling narrative drive. In his first chapter, the author says that "I wanted to learn more about how Americans -- both ordinary citizens and national leaders -- experienced and responded to a moment of sudden crisis and change as it unfolded". He communicates those experiences and responses as they happened, not as they look through the backward looking lens of history. But the reader does know what will happen -- a tension that produces narrative drive.
I very much enjoyed reading this book, and I learned a lot from it. Most important, it underlined for me the fact that the war really was about slavery, on both sides of the battlefronts. In the North, that became clearer as the war raged on, but the roots of an anti-slavery commitment were there in 1861, as Goodheart makes clear. As we enter the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, however, it's important to remember what happened after it ended, as well as how it began. A sad counterpoint to "1861" is provided by Nicholas Lemann's "Redemption", which shows how the whites took back power in Mississippi in 1875, an event which was shortly repeated across the South. The war did end slavery, but the other two grand promises that it achieved -- 14th and 15th amendments -- were still unfulfilled 100 years after the War ended. Indeed, many would question whether or not they have been fulfilled today.
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LibraryThing member nmele
This history actually covers the latter part of 1860 and events up to July 4, 1861. It is a fascinating description of public attitudes and social undercurrents in the run up to the Civil War which enlighten the conflict and round out our understanding of the early months of the conflict. I finally
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understand as much as I want about the New York Zouaves, their origins and their charismatic founder and leader. Goodheart also tells the story of how German immigrants kept Missouri in the Union. Show Less
LibraryThing member rsubber
Excellent appealing treatment of social and political issues in North and South prior to the outbreak of hostilities in Charleston Harbor in April 1861. This is a genuinely detailed summary, with anecdotes and personalities. It illuminates the content of public discourse in the immediate run-up to
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war, and it articulates the fears and expectations of political and civilian leaders, as well as of the people of the North and South. Show Less
LibraryThing member koalamom
A good introduction to the Civil War. Gives information on what happened leading up to Fort Sumter and just beyond to the Fourth of July of 1861.
LibraryThing member rivkat
What were Americans—Southern, Northern, Western, white, black—thinking at the outset of the Civil War? What made large numbers of Northerners willing to fight to keep the South in the Union, and eventually to get rid of slavery (as patchy and incomplete as that willingness was)? Goodheart
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argues that, while there is no doubt as to the right and wrong sides in the war, the standard narrative in which the South triggered the war downplays the agency of those in the North. He packs his account of that year with lots of physical details, from the sound of gunfire to the smell of shit in the Capitol where early troops were housed before better accommodations were found. It was hard not to read this history of the growth of apocalyptic thinking and the abandonment of compromise in the face of a Southern intransigience that seemingly wouldn’t be appeased by anything short of begging for forgiveness for electing Lincoln and letting slavery become universal as saying something about the Tea Party/the current role of the white South in our national war of all against all. Show Less
LibraryThing member davevanl
Adam Goodheart brings attention to the aspects of the early Civil War era that get bypassed in most history books. He brings out the human and personal aspects unlike most history books. A masterpiece.
LibraryThing member Disquiet
The battle for the union may have been paid for with blood, but it is generally written in perfume. I found it difficult to locate a book about the Civil War that doesn't drown in its own magnolia-scented prose. I started reading a half dozen different books about the Civil War before selecting and
I came away wanting to read more about the norms of antebellum life (I'll probably start with Mary Chesnut's diary) and the history of the cotton trade.
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managing to get all the way through Adam Goodheart's 1861: The Civil War Awakening. It's a solid overview of the way North and South perceived and dealt with the crisis that had lingered since the union's founding, and does a good job of focusing on both systemic pressure (slavery, international trade, the legal system) and individual action (Lincoln's perspective, a given soldier's decision-making, a slave's journey. The depiction of slavery is gut-wrenching. I came away wanting to read more about the norms of antebellum life (I'll probably start with Mary Chesnut's diary) and the history of the cotton trade.
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LibraryThing member rnsulentic
Starting in 1860, and only really going until just before the battle of Bull Run in July, this feels like an unfinished book-Goodheart does however, manage to cover different people in different parts of the country, and how their actions had important effects at the time, but are forgotten mostly
But by stopping where he does, Goodheart misses, in my opinion, the opportunity to more fully explore the 'Civil War Awakening' and what that meant for the country and the war.
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now: Thomas Starr King's speeches in California, Captain Nathaniel Lyon's defense of the US Arsenal in St. Louis, Lucy Bagby and her trial in Ohio, Elmer Ellsworth and his Fire Zouaves (although the latter is more well known than most)--Also, it feels as if Goodheart concentrates on "Northern" reaction to events, much more than Southern, (not that there is any thing wrong with that). His chapter on the importance of, and events at, Ft. Monroe is excellent. But by stopping where he does, Goodheart misses, in my opinion, the opportunity to more fully explore the 'Civil War Awakening' and what that meant for the country and the war.
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LibraryThing member billiecat
An interesting book about the first year of the Civil War. Actually covers much of the Election of 1860 and ends about mid-way through 1861. A lot of detail on Fort Sumter, much of it interesting and revealing of the motivations of the various parties involved. Not an in-depth analysis, but a good
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feel for the era, nevertheless. Show Less
LibraryThing member Mr.Durick
1861 by Adam Goodheart describes America in the year that saw Abraham Lincoln elected President of the United States and the beginning of the Civil War. There is a lot of colorful detail about the people involved; I was particularly interested in Thomas Starr King. And there is a lot of colorful
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detail about what was going on at the same time; an easily seen comet came by, for example. The writing gets a little turgid when the author seems to reach for poetry. He keeps himself out of the narrative for the most part, but occasionally there is the jarring impact of the entrance of the observer. I learned stuff from this book; it was okay. Show Less
LibraryThing member bontley
Well written and interesting history of lesser remembered figures; only wish there was more of those lesser remembered figures from the Southern side as balance.
LibraryThing member RobynELee
Excellent book filled with details about historical figures that, even as a history teacher, I had not heard before. Garfield's early years are heralded. What an interesting early career he had. I also learned details and anecdotes about several lesser known persons who were fascinating. One
Very well written book that kept my attention throughout.
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example was Elmer Ellsworth, mentioned briefly in Doris Kerns Goodwin's excellent Team of Rivals. One newspaper compared his relationship to Lincoln like that of Jonathan to David. Very well written book that kept my attention throughout.
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LibraryThing member turtlesleap
Goodheart has given us an excellent snapshot of the values, beliefs and norms of a society teetering on the edge of civil war. His thorough research has explored some of the lesser known peculiarities and incidents that affected our society on the eve of secession and has explored little known
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details about key players such as Garfield, Anderson (the commander at Fort Sumpter) and others. Even his depiction of Lincoln as an inexperienced and beleaguered man, learning politics on the fly as it were, and not widely regarded with respect or admiration immediately after his election, is fresh. The book is beautifully documented, and will provide the interested reader with a bibliography to take them many steps further in learning about this fascinating era in American history. Show Less
LibraryThing member turtlesleap
A first class examination of one crucial year in the escalating events that led to the Civil War, and of some of the key players in the conflict. A good selection for those who have a casual, or more than casual interest in this historical period.
LibraryThing member buffalogr
Good discussion of the year 1861. Wrapped around the incident at Fort Sumpter, some little known vignettes told.
LibraryThing member citizencane
Adam Goodheart's series of vignettes covering various stories of mostly "supporting" actors in the drama of 1861 from the aftermath of Lincoln's election up to the Battle of Bull Run is well executed and was a pleasure to read. Each chapter could stand on its own but covers every section of the
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country, blacks as well as whites, women as well men, and of course Northerners of various political opinions and Southerners including some notorious fire-eaters. Without going into detail about each chapter I will only call out the fact that the first people who were "woke" in our history were apparently the self-described "Wide Awakes", a collection of white males who originated in Hartford, CT and spread throughout the North to advocate for resistance the "slave power". When you read this book and you should read it, don't skip the PostScript. Show Less
LibraryThing member statmonkey
Recommendation: If you have already read Bruce Catton, Shelby Foote or any of the other major chroniclers of the Civil War and are looking for a different perspective this is the book for you. If you are just starting out it will have less resonance, read Catton first and come back to this later to
Quick Take: Really solid in-depth exposure the causes and perspectives of the American Civil War. Presents some interesting perspectives for anyone interested in the emotional aspects of why Northerners ardently accepted war against their own fellow citizens.
I was really not that interested in this book to begin with as I had just finished the Bruce Catton trilogy and a book on reconstruction. Also having already read a multitude of books on the Civil War over the years - including the Shelby Foote trilogy, Shaara's "The Killer Angels", several Catton volumes and biographies on each of the major participants, I really didn't want another rehash of the causes of the war and especially not another rehash of why Lincoln was unsure or how Buchanan's cabinet was corrupt.
I need not have worried. Goodheart's excellently researched book asks interesting questions, adds a great deal of nuance and even manages to shed some light on things that Catton and others have passed over. The exposure of all this is done by asking relatively simple questions. "How does a nation of real people go from a relatively peaceful state to a willingness to engage in bloody civil war in just a short matter of time? What changed within the minds of individuals, never mind the political and military figures, that allowed for this to happen?"
In answering his questions the author exposes in greater detail than I have seen elsewhere the responses, motivations and actions of several lesser known characters in the drama that unfolded. His delineations of the character and outlook of Elmer Ellsworth, Benjamin Butler and Major Robert Anderson are insightful and well researched. They add the color that turns the historical work into something with the feel of a novel. While not a page turner the revelations make for interesting reading and the work moves along at a brisk pace. His somewhat sympathetic portrayal of Butler is particularly interesting, a controversial character that played a much larger role (both good and bad) in how the war played out.
Another aspect that is well dealt with is the overall impact and role of emancipation, while not an original argument the author does accept that slavery was the major motivation for the war and that despite both sides denials in the end it explains a good portion of why the war had to happen. Overall an excellent overview of the opening of the Civil War, albeit primarily from a Northern perspective and yes despite my misgivings he does explain that Buchanan's Cabinet was corrupt. This, in the end, is particularly relevant since there currently seems to be a push to re-invent Buchanan as a less inept figure in the contemporary perspective. Also recommended for anyone who is interested in this pivotal time in American History that wants to understand some of the sideshow aspects of the war's opening. I doubt there is anyone who can read the Elmer Ellsworth story and not shake their head in wonder at how it all played out.
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get the most out of it.Quick Take: Really solid in-depth exposure the causes and perspectives of the American Civil War. Presents some interesting perspectives for anyone interested in the emotional aspects of why Northerners ardently accepted war against their own fellow citizens.
I was really not that interested in this book to begin with as I had just finished the Bruce Catton trilogy and a book on reconstruction. Also having already read a multitude of books on the Civil War over the years - including the Shelby Foote trilogy, Shaara's "The Killer Angels", several Catton volumes and biographies on each of the major participants, I really didn't want another rehash of the causes of the war and especially not another rehash of why Lincoln was unsure or how Buchanan's cabinet was corrupt.
I need not have worried. Goodheart's excellently researched book asks interesting questions, adds a great deal of nuance and even manages to shed some light on things that Catton and others have passed over. The exposure of all this is done by asking relatively simple questions. "How does a nation of real people go from a relatively peaceful state to a willingness to engage in bloody civil war in just a short matter of time? What changed within the minds of individuals, never mind the political and military figures, that allowed for this to happen?"
In answering his questions the author exposes in greater detail than I have seen elsewhere the responses, motivations and actions of several lesser known characters in the drama that unfolded. His delineations of the character and outlook of Elmer Ellsworth, Benjamin Butler and Major Robert Anderson are insightful and well researched. They add the color that turns the historical work into something with the feel of a novel. While not a page turner the revelations make for interesting reading and the work moves along at a brisk pace. His somewhat sympathetic portrayal of Butler is particularly interesting, a controversial character that played a much larger role (both good and bad) in how the war played out.
Another aspect that is well dealt with is the overall impact and role of emancipation, while not an original argument the author does accept that slavery was the major motivation for the war and that despite both sides denials in the end it explains a good portion of why the war had to happen. Overall an excellent overview of the opening of the Civil War, albeit primarily from a Northern perspective and yes despite my misgivings he does explain that Buchanan's Cabinet was corrupt. This, in the end, is particularly relevant since there currently seems to be a push to re-invent Buchanan as a less inept figure in the contemporary perspective. Also recommended for anyone who is interested in this pivotal time in American History that wants to understand some of the sideshow aspects of the war's opening. I doubt there is anyone who can read the Elmer Ellsworth story and not shake their head in wonder at how it all played out.
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LibraryThing member Big_Bang_Gorilla
Being a very interesting choice of vignettes illustrating how a variety of Americans were caught up in the events between Sumter and Bull Run. The author is an erudite man who chooses his stories well and is capable of some marvellous turns of phrase.
LibraryThing member emilymcmc
Last month I started reading "Storm Over the Land," by Carl Sandburg, and realized I didn't remember enough about the actual events of the Civil War -- not the general gist but the specific timeline -- to enjoy Sandburg's lyrical, poetic account, billed as "a profile of the Civil War." It glances
So I took some advice from Lisa Bu's TED Talk, and found a second book to pair with it.
And so far, "1861" is everything I wanted. It contains lots of facts, a good plain explanation of events, but it's also beautifully written and surprising on every page.
What I can't get enough of, what just continually blows my mind, is how desperate the South was (and some of the North) to keep slavery alive. In the book, I'm just to the point of the Crittenden Compromise and the proposed Corwin amendment to the constitution. It's astonishing to think as a country how close we were to not only preserving but encouraging human slavery, and what "1861" does well is help you see how truly not-that-long-ago that happened, and how very like us the people were who almost pulled it off. It's amazing to think we have photographs, not woodcuts or paintings but photos, of people who advocated for human slavery on the floor of the US Congress.
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at many events, or makes quick references to people, and I knew I was missing out because I didn't really know what those events and people were, aside from generally knowing they were Civil War-y. (It's like reading Thomas Carlisle on the French Revolution, which he wrote while events were still so fresh in everyone's minds that he could namedrop.) So I took some advice from Lisa Bu's TED Talk, and found a second book to pair with it.
And so far, "1861" is everything I wanted. It contains lots of facts, a good plain explanation of events, but it's also beautifully written and surprising on every page.
What I can't get enough of, what just continually blows my mind, is how desperate the South was (and some of the North) to keep slavery alive. In the book, I'm just to the point of the Crittenden Compromise and the proposed Corwin amendment to the constitution. It's astonishing to think as a country how close we were to not only preserving but encouraging human slavery, and what "1861" does well is help you see how truly not-that-long-ago that happened, and how very like us the people were who almost pulled it off. It's amazing to think we have photographs, not woodcuts or paintings but photos, of people who advocated for human slavery on the floor of the US Congress.
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Subjects
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — History — 2012)
LA Times Book Prize (Finalist — History — 2011)
Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year (History — 2011)
Language
Original publication date
2011-04-05
ISBN
0307596664 / 9780307596666