Provides historical information on the battlefield and homefront experience and the political, economic, social, and cultural life of the North and South during the War. Primary source documents in the form of first-person accounts, letters, diaries, journals, newspapers, and literature bring to life the experiences of the Union and Confederate participants and the people they left behind.

Provides information on the cultures of the world, covering different areas of daily life including clothing, food, language and religion.

Contains biographical and critical essays on the work of important American writers. Presents scholar-signed essays prepared by experts in the field.