Union Heartland

“[This collection] stands squarely on the cutting edge of putting the Civil War in the context of regional history."—A. James Fuller, Ohio Valley History

“[B]ooks like this one are helping to close the gap between our knowledge of the lives of Northern and Southern civilians."—James Marten, Indiana Magazine of History

“These articles, as well as an introduction by the editors and a foreword by William C. Davis, make a strong argument that the events on the home front were as significant as those on the battlefield, even though they have not commanded the same scholarly attention."—B.M.S. Campney, CHOICE

“From the conditions of Civil War prisons in the Midwest, to the Midwest’s critical agricultural role to keep the soldiers and the Union fed, to the trials and travails of midwestern Union soldiers’ wives, Union Heartland is fascinating, heavily researched, and thoughtfully presented."—James A. Cox, Midwest Book Review

“This compilation is recommended both as an example of the value of regional studies in their own right and how they can enhance our understanding of the Civil War, the central event in American history, by providing new contexts and perspectives."—James E. Potter, Nebraska History

“Undoubtedly, the Midwest deserves attention for its contributions during the [Civil War], which included crops, soldiers, supplies, and political upheaval. By treating the Midwest as its own entity as opposed to studying the North and Midwest as one monolithic region, these essays provide new insight into the wartime experiences of midwesterners."—Megan Birk, Kansas History

“Union Heartland deserves our attention, not only for the many lessons it teaches on its particular subjects but even more so for its demonstration that all the North was not New England or the mid-Atlantic, as so much literature has it. It is time to find the war where it was lived day-to-day in specific places. This book points the way."—Randall M. Miller, Register of the Kentucky Historical Society

“[Aley and Anderson] have advanced our understanding of the significant role the Old Northwest (what became known as the Midwest) played in the Civil War. Their introduction is a model of scholarship, reviewing the historiography and providing guideposts for the essays included in this collection."—Kenneth J. Heineman, Journal of the Illinois State Historical Society

“These well-written essays appropriately emphasize regional features of this sectional peri­od and deepen understanding of the midwest­ern home front during the Civil War. A step forward in explaining the distinctiveness of the midwestern experience, this welcome and valuable collection augurs further scholarship that will enhance thinking about and knowl­edge of the historical Midwest."—Kenneth H. Wheeler, Journal of American History

“This collection will be of interest to scholars of the Civil War, as well as to those interested in the Northern home front or nineteenth-century rural history. The authors have demonstrated the vitality of this region and its variety of experiences."—Jeff Bremer, Civil War Book Review

“Aley and Anderson present a compelling collection of essays that introduces the Midwest as the ‘heartland’ of the Union and further expands the historiographic discussion of the Northern home front during the war. Union Heartland’s emphasis on place signifies a shift in the way historians examine the Civil War, and more attention should be paid to the rich history of this region in the future."—Lindsey Peterson, Humanities and Social Science Online

“[Union Heartland] provides nuanced views of life on the midwestern home front and offers new frameworks for scholars to examine the Northern people and their wartime experiences."—John Michael Foster Jr., The Historian

“[R]eaders will enjoy the glimpses offered here of a Civil War home front about which we still have a lot to learn."—Judith Giesberg, Journal of Illinois History

“Taken together, the essays reflect the interrelatedness between struggles on the battlefields and the home front."—Gordon Berg, Civil War Times

“In recent years, some of the most interesting scholarship on the Civil War home front has considered how civilians in the midwestern states responded to the sectional conflict and how that distinctive region helped shape national events. This welcome collection speaks to many of the biggest issues confronted by any society in wartime: how does war affect family roles, gender identities, economic practices, and political discourse? The essays also contemplate the intertwined worlds of soldiers and civilians: how did young students decide to go to war, what did volunteers leave behind, what happened when prisoners of war entered the home front environment? Aley and Anderson have assembled an excellent lineup of established experts in the field and rising young scholars. The result is both a fascinating portrait of the midwestern home front and a valuable window into how historians are rethinking the nature of war and society."—J. Matthew Gallman, author of Northerners at War: Reflections on the Civil War Home Front

“This collection presents major recent scholarship on the Midwest during the Civil War. Each essay contributes significantly to the growing field of studies on midwestern history; together they provide an original and compelling analysis of the American heartland during war. With this well-contextualized collection of essays, varied in subject matter and approach, Aley and Anderson present sweeping themes of diverse political and personal dynamics. This is an important contribution to our understanding of the enormous range of wartime experience."—Orville Vernon Burton, author of The Age of Lincoln

“This is a valuable collection of well-researched case studies that pays long overdue attention to the practical and emotional impact of the Civil War on families in the rural Midwest."—Andrew Cayton, Miami University