1863: The Turning Point of the American Civil War (OLLI)

This course is the second installment of a three-part study of the Civil War. Part I in February 2026 (not a prerequisite for this course) explored the accommodation of slavery in the early republic and key national developments from 1787 to 1860 that hindered lasting peace between the North and South. With Lincoln's controversial Emancipation Proclamation on New Year's Day 1863, both armies adopted the horrific strategies of total warfare from 1863 to 1865. Following Union victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, the third year of the Civil War set the stage for Grant's consequential Overland Campaign in 1864 and Lee's eventual surrender in 1865. This three-session course focuses on the crucial military, political, and social events of 1863.