About the lecture

In this module, we explore why the North went to war. Contrary to popular belief, the North did not go to war to end slavery, but instead it sought (at least initially) to preserve the Union. In coming to this conclusion we will examine: (i) the Republican Party and slavery; (ii) Abraham Lincoln and slavery; and (iii) the reassurances made to the South on the eve of war.

About the lecturer

Professor Paul Escott is Reynolds Professor (Emeritus) of History at Wake Forest University. He specialises in United States Civil War history and has published a number of books within this field, including Lincoln’s Dilemma: Blair, Sumner, and the Republican Struggle over Racism and Equality in the Civil War Era which aimed to challenge some of the myths that popular culture has built up about the Civil War Era.