1860 - 1865: What Else Happened During the American Civil War

By James A Shaw and James A Shaw MD

B&W Edition: While the Civil War commandeered the thoughts and emotions of most Americans and much of the world, and cost the lives of thousands of U.S. citizens, life outside the fields of battle went on with a degree of normalcy in many respects, both here and abroad. This short book provides a snapshot of "What Else Happened" - politically, socially and scientifically - during the American Civil War era.

During the carnage of war, who would have thought that Congress was hard at work passing progressive civil legislation - unrelated to the war - with longstanding impact on life within the United States? Who would have thought that thousands of laborers were simultaneously slaving on the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad or building a new roof for the Capitol Building? Who would have thought that soldiers were contracting venereal disease in epidemic proportions, women were exploring birth control methods, and alcoholism and opium addiction were afflicting the lives of many?

While Americans were fighting to dissolve the Union, who would have realized that the Canadians were negotiating to strengthen their confederation - in large part to protect themselves from U.S. aggression - or the French were engaged in an imperialistic overthrow of the Mexican Government? While American ingenuity was devising new and more efficient methods of killing each other, who would have considered that the rest of the world was peacefully admiring the advancements in technology on display at the International Exposition of 1862 in London, England?

While Atlanta was being burned, who would have stopped to think that Paris was being entirely rebuilt and the Suez Canal was being constructed? While disease and infection were ravaging Civil War soldiers, who would have appreciated that great advances in medicine and science were being made throughout Europe?

A brief discussion of these and many more topics are included in the book, as well as an introductory chapter outlining the major trigger points leading up to the American Civil War and a short chronology of the war, itself.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B08QWBZDRD
• ISBN13: 9798558270495
• Release Date: December 2020
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 184 Pages
• Weight: 0.56 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"