The Union War

In this revisionist history, Gary W. Gallagher examines the motivations behind the Civil War, arguing that the primary driving force for the North was the preservation of the Union rather than the issue of slavery. Using contemporary letters, diaries, and documents, he reveals how Northerners viewed their fight as crucial for saving the republic and promoting democracy against a perceived threat from a slaveholding South and oligarchic Europe. Gallagher emphasizes the role of citizen-soldiers in the Northern victory and explores how contemporary perceptions have skewed the understanding of why and how the war was fought and won.