The Divided Family in Civil War America

The Civil War has long been described as a war pitting 'brother against brother'. The divided family is an enduring metaphor for the divided nation, but it also accurately reflects the reality of America's bloodiest war. This title provides a social and cultural history of the divided family in Civil War America.

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This title discusses the crisis of the 'house divided'. The Civil War has long been described as a war pitting 'brother against brother'. The divided family is an enduring metaphor for the divided nation, but it also accurately reflects the reality of America's bloodiest war. Connecting the metaphor to the real experiences of families whose households were split by conflicting opinions about the war, Amy Murrell Taylor provides a social and cultural history of the divided family in Civil War America. She studies letters and diaries to understand how families coped with division between husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, fathers and sons, and she traces the image of the 'house divided' as it emerged in newspapers and popular fiction to describe the war-torn nation.