Empire and Liberty

"Historians finally are addressing the serious task of retelling the Civil War as a fully American story, one truly continental in its causes and, most important, in its lessons and consequences. Empire and Liberty is a long stride in that direction, and one doubly valuable because its many insights and revelations are grounded in the superb holdings of the Autry National Center. This is hands-on, eyes-on history at its finest."—Elliott West, author of The Last Indian War: The Nez Perce Story

"Virginia Scharff’s outstanding anthology places the theme of empire and the diverse racial landscapes of the American West at the center of the Civil War narrative. Empire and Liberty’s essayists examine visual and material culture, oral history, memory, gender, and the experience of Native and Mexican peoples before and during the war and in its wake. Their efforts enrich our understanding of the nation’s most traumatic moment in myriad ways. Scholars and students of the Civil War, the West, and the nation will all benefit from this rich collection."—David Wrobel, author of Global West, American Frontier: Travel, Empire, and Exceptionalism from Manifest Destiny to the Great Depression

"Taking items of material culture from the remarkable collection of the Autry National Center as their inspiration, the authors in this anthology of sparkling and provocative essays range far outside the familiar wartime geography and time frame to explore unconventional sagas of both well-known and little-known figures, events, and military clashes taking place in the farthest western reaches of the United States. A splendid read that offers fresh perspectives on a topic of continuing vital importance."—Joan Waugh, author of U. S. Grant: American Hero, American Myth