The Civil War

In many ways, the Civil War is the central event in America’s history. While the American revolution (1776-1783) created the United States, the Civil War (1861-1865) determined what kind of nation it might be. To this extent, the great African American historian W.E.B. DuBois spoke of the Civil War as the “true American Revolution.” What does it mean to see the American Civil War as a revolutionary struggle? What perspective(s) does this view allow? What connections does it make possible? What, if any, are the limitations of this view?