In the Civil War, the United States confronted fundamental issues of liberty, justice, and equality. In that spirit, we will examine the causes of the war, consider the questions that the war resolved, and reflect on what remained unanswered. Rather than focus on the battlefield, we will examine the conflicting ideas about the war and its aftermath. We will focus closely on significant documents such as the Emancipation Proclamation and Gettysburg Address, landmark court cases from the 1857 Dred Scott decision to the Brown case of 1954. The three Civil War Amendments (13th, 14th and 15th) will also be examined with attention paid to their relevance today.

Dr. Chris Kimball is Professor of History at California Lutheran University. His undergraduate degree is from McGill University and his master’s and doctoral degrees are from The University of Chicago. He previously served as California Lutheran University’s seventh president (2008-2020) after two years as provost and vice president for academic affairs. Specializing in U.S. history, he has taught on subjects such as the Civil War, U.S. Foreign Relations, the history of sports, the history of American cities, and legal issues in higher education.