Interpretive Themes
A major theme in American history for over 130 years has been the story of how the Civil War and Reconstruction transformed the nation in its economic, social, and political structures. In the South, transformation occurred on a dramatic scale through changes brought about by the end of slavery,
urbanization, industrialization, the rise to power of the Republican party,
and the temporary extension of the franchise to African-American males.
Tennessee is an ideal laboratory to explore these significant changes because of its geographical diversity (from Appalachia to the Delta), the very impact of the war (the second-most battles of any state), and the facts that the Reconstruction President, Andrew Johnson,
was a Tennessean, and major Reconstruction institutions (such as Fisk University) were established in the state during the postwar period.
This story of transformation can be traced through the
Heritage Area's five major themes.
1. War Clouds on the Horizon, 1850-1861
2. Battles and Leaders, 1861-1865
3. Occupation and Homefront, 1861-1865
4. Reconstruction, 1865-1875
5. Legacies, 1870-1930
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