essay

The Civil War is the most popular genre of American history, with over tens of thousands of books already being published and many more being written as time goes on. Confederates in the Attic is just one of many thousands of books regarding the Civil War, albeit from a modern and contemporary perspective. In Confederates in the Attic, journalist Tony Horwitz visits many places in the American South to witness and observe (and sometimes “experience”) the Civil War, from visiting the Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta to taking part in a Civil War battle reenactment with the “hardcores.” The presence of the Civil War is constantly with us, even today (especially in Kennesaw). “History vs. memory” critical analysis (a history “thing” or a modern “thing”): For this assignment, I want you to explain why the Civil War matters more to the South today than anywhere else in the country and how that reason differs or is similar to the Civil War when it was perceived in the 1860s (and your explanation could possibly serve as your own thesis statement for the paper). You should answer these questions in paragraph(s) form in your paper: 1) How would you describe the subject and argument of this book? Is the book based on any important sources and/or archives? (you can probably put this in your intro along with the aforementioned thesis statement) 2) Which chapter(s) best exemplified the Civil War? Why did you come to that conclusion? 3) Which chapter(s) were the worst representation(s) of the Civil War? Why did you come to that conclusion? 4) What most impressed or intrigued you about the book? If you were the book’s author or editor, would you do anything differently? 5) Did you find this book useful in studying Civil War history? Why or why not? Finally, consider if Horwitz’s argument about the Civil War being “an addictive thing” (for him, anyway...along with the “hardcores”) still holds up today. Consider your own lives and where you live within the Metro Atlanta area, a place steeped in Civil War history (some of you probably even know people who are hardcore about the Civil War). Does any part of Horwitz’s book resonate with you or not? This last part should be your conclusion of the paper (you can probably tie in the fifth question above into this section). The rest of the prerequisites for the FINAL DRAFT: formatted as instructed on D2L, double spaced, 12 point font (preferably Times New Roman), 1 inch margins all around, 1,000 to 1,300 words of content (and please keep it under 1,300 words), proofread closely for grammatical and structural errors, footnoted and cited properly, and written in a manner befitting a university student, with thoughtful insight, strong evidence, and sharp critique.