This course will explore how one of the most transformative periods in American history was seen, recorded and remembered. Using visual media, from battlefield photography and illustrated newspapers to maps, paintings, monuments and modern digital reconstructions, participants will examine how images shaped public understanding of the war then and how they continue to influence memories today.

Students will analyze the work of pioneering photographers such as Mathew Brady and Alexander Gardner, whose stark images brought the realities of conflict into public view. The course also considers the role of visual storytelling in publications like Harper's Weekly, as well as the creation of wartime maps, political cartoons, recruitment posters and memorial art. Through a combination of historical inquiry and creative practice, students will learn to interpret visual sources as historical evidence; assess issues of bias and representation; and explore how race, memory and identity are constructed through imagery.

The course page on the Encore Learning website will provide a wide range of reputable digital archives and collections where Civil War imagery can be accessed for research and creative projects. At the end of the course, students will create their own visual interpretation of a Civil War theme by selecting one image and using some of the visual analysis techniques taught in class. They will have the option to give a three-to-five-minute class presentation.

Main Skills To Be Learned:

• Analyze visual materials as primary historical sources
• Understand the technological and cultural context of Civil War imagery
• Evaluate how visual narratives shape historical memory and public perception
• Develop talents in visual storytelling and historical interpretation

Format: Lectures, image analysis workshops, discussions, and a final creative or research project.

Audience: Suitable for students of history, art history, media studies and anyone interested in the Civil War and visual culture.