Research Paper Topics on the Civil War Using Primary Sources

Research Paper Topics on the Civil War Using Primary SourcesPaper topic ideas for your research paper on the Civil War can be as broad or as specific as you like. The goal of researching a topic for a paper is to learn about it and help explain it. Let's look at some topics that are very good topics for Civil War research:There were many study areas in the United States after the Civil War where soldiers returned from the battlefields. One of the more popular of these study areas was the U.S. National Park Service, which included most of the battlefields in the South, as well as various monuments. These study areas are interesting for a variety of reasons.A popular scene that often appears in the parks is the depiction of Confederate funerals. Some of these cemeteries, such as Fort Moultrie in Georgia, are still in use today, but others, such as Gettysburg, are no longer used for cemetery use. These Civil War cemeteries are home to Civil War battlefields and monuments. The cemeteries also include Civil War memorials, monuments, and cemeteries that are not part of the National Park System.A question that most students ask about the Civil War is what role soldiers played in the political structure of the states. There is much information available for this topic. While studying the subject for a paper, it is useful to have a Civil War guidebook or Civil War encyclopedia handy. Another good source of information on the subject of politics and war is a college textbook, such as A History of the Civil War.Another topic for a research paper on the Civil War is whether the war was mainly fought for slavery or for state rights. It is clear that Southern states wanted to keep slavery alive as a way to maintain their economic power. Northern states wanted to end slavery in order to protect the economic power of the North. Both sides fought for these political beliefs, which seem to have been in conflict for most of the war.A paper on the Civil War should include at least one chapter on the experiences of black soldiers. While they were not allowed to fight on the Union side, they were allowed to fight on the Confederate side, although there is no evidence that this was the case. The experiences of black soldiers can sometimes be surprising. They may have been attacked by white soldiers because of their race, but they were allowed to fight.An interesting topic for a research paper on the Civil War is the role of the pro-slavery 'agitators' of the Republican Party in the southern states. Although slavery was not the major reason that the North fought the war, many northern citizens feared that slavery would develop into a highly industrialized slavery with railroads, mines, and all the industrial machines that could bring prosperity to slave owners. These southern 'agitators' tried to stir up white Southerners against the North in order to create this false fear.Keep in mind that while the subject of a paper on the Civil War can be of interest to the reader, it does not necessarily need to focus on any one particular topic. A broader topic will do just fine, especially if the reader is looking for some great examples of academic writing. Good topic ideas for Civil War research are an important part of every student's research portfolio.