research on the web | blogs

Blogs offer an excellent venue for scholars and students of the Civil War to share their perspectives, engage in formal discussion, and organize research. Bloggers have used the Civil War as an avenue through which to analyze diverse aspects of American society, culture, and politics. Many blogs address the ongoing struggle to remember and understand the Civil War, which present particular interest to scholars of memory.

The blogs listed below cover a wide range of topics, but are connected through their passion for the Civil War era. Please feel free to let us know about any other Civil War blogs you enjoy.

21st Century Abe- Active during 2009. This website presents the many ways Americans have remembered, pictured, or depicted Abraham Lincoln since his death in 1865.

901 Stories from Gettysburg- Maintained by undergraduates of the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College. Postings are about the archives and artifacts at the battlefield and college.

A House Divided- Daily blog through the Washington Post on various aspects of the Civil War and its sesquicentennial commemoration.

African American Civil War Memorial- Blogs are posted by the staff of the African American Civil War Museum in Washington D.C. Postings contain observations on African American participation in the Civil War, as well as current discussions in African American Civil War scholarship.

Cenantua's Blog- Musings on the Civil War-era South, specifically about the Shenandoah Valley.

Civil War Books and Authors- Focusing on academic and smaller publications, this website offers suggestions and reviews on recent and upcoming Civil War books.

Civil War Emancipation- Postings are on emanicpation, slavery, and African American participation in the Civil War.

Civil War Memory - Kevin Levin's blog on Civil War memory. Contains his observations on several aspects of the Civil War, including his own research about the memory of Black Confederates.

Civil War Navy- Focusing primarily on the Civil War navies of the Union and the Confederacy, this blog also covers living history and other aspects of maritime history.

Civil Warriors- Dr. Mark Grimsley and Dr. Ethan S. Rafuse contribute to this blog. Their posts reflect their current scholarship, as well as their experiences in researching, teaching, and writing Civil War history. Dr. Brooks D. Simpson also contributes to this blog.

Cosmic America - Kevin Harris' blog seeks to combine digital history with a focus on the Civil War and Memory. A self-proclaimed "Internet Historian," Harris uses many aspects of social media to discuss the study of Civil War Memory.

Crossroads - Dr. Brooks D. Simpson's blog on Civil War history and scholarship.

Dead Confederates- Andy Hall comments on Civil War history and memory in this blog, with an emphasis on the role of Black Confederates within Civil War Memory.

Disunion- Published in the NY Times, these op-ed posts are guest written by a variety of scholars, politicians, and Civil War enthusiasts.

Draw the Sword - Home of the Gettysburg Monument Project. Contains posts about the memorialization of Gettysburg battelfield and current topics in memorialization studies

Emerging Civil War- "Giving a voice to the next generation of Civil War historians." This blog features rising Civil War scholars still in graduate school and young professionals. Postings are on many different aspects of the Civil War.

Jubilo!- Highlights the aspects of African American nineteenth century history, including slavery, emancipation, abolition, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the Nadir.

My Old Confederate Home- Rusty Williams maintains this site as a repository for information about Confederate Veteran Homes during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.

Mysteries and Conundrums- John Hennessy, Chief Historian at Fredericksburg-Spotsylvania National Battlefield, heads up this blog that examines interpretation of the four battlefields covered in the park (Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania). Photographs, sources, artifacts, and ideas are shared weekly on the blog.

Now and Then- This blog is run by the ASHP (American Social History Project). The ASHP is "dedicated to renewing interest in history by challenging traditional ways that people learn about the past." Althought not solely dedicated to Civil War topics, the Civil War is a regular topic of discussion among the numerous authors who post on this blog.

Renegade South - Dr. Vikki Bynum posts about the Southern Unionist experience during the Civil War.

Seven Score and Ten Years Ago -Presents the history of the Civil War on a Day by Day basis through news articles, written as if the events have just occurred. The site offers "current" reports on Civil War events through a Union, Confederate, Western, Eastern, and International perspective.

Southern Unionist Chronicles- Reflections on the lives and experiences of Southern Unionists during and after the Civil War.

That a Nation Might Live - This blog, from Longwood University, chronicles different events throughout the Civil War. Posts are conducted through videos by Dr. Charles Ross and Dr. David Coles.

The Trans-Mississippian - Dr. Jane Johansson, at Rogers State University, writes this blog about the Civil War west of the Mississippi River. It contains posts on her research and about Civil War anniversaries.