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There seems to be no end to the number of books published about the Civil War.
According to one source, there are “at least 50,000 books and pamphlets (some estimates go as high as 70,000) that have been 
published on the Civil War since the 1860s.”[1] In addition, there are numerous interactive websites, documentary videos and Civil War museums. Most of us barely scratch the surface on all that can be known about the Civil War.
With so many Civil War books, a trip to the library can yield some good finds by historians.
Use books from the library to answer the following question, “How have historians written about the various aspects of the war?”
What’s in a Name?
For the Confederacy, it was the “War of Northern Aggression.” For the Union, it was the “War of the Rebellion.” Confederate soldiers called it the “War for Southern Independence.” For blacks in the Union Army, it was called “Freedom War.”
Focus: Why is the difference between the North-South thinking of the Civil War?
States Rights vs. Slavery
Examine secondary and primary source documents on both sides of the issue. As you read them, ask yourself, “Do I clearly understand the issues? Is this is a good idea or a bad idea? Is this belief defensible or indefensible? Which side is most persuasive to me and why? Do I come down as “either/or” — either states rights or slavery or somewhere in the middle? Did the meaning of the war change over time? Could different people, i.e., historical figures, have different reasons for going to war?”
Focus: Was the Civil War Fought Over Slavery?
Think like a historian! Come up with your own questions to answer in any of the following categories (or propose a Civil War topic not listed here):
Women in the Civil War
Blacks in the Civil War
Military Battles in the Civil War
Leaders of the Civil War
Children in the Civil War
Spies in the Civil War
Civil War: The Emancipation Proclamation
Civil War: Gettysburg
Civil War Reconstruction
Remember that in order to demonstrate evidence of critical thinking, you must be able to support your positions, be reasonable and rational, and think clearly and deeply about the topic.
SOURCE:
[1] William B. Rogers and Terese Martyn, “A Consensus at Last: American Civil War Texts and the Topics That Dominate the College Classroom,” The History Teacher, Vol. 41, No. 4 (Aug., 2008): 519-530: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40543889
Adolfo Mendez 