Using speeches, photos, and paintings of the time, as well as material that addresses historical context, The Civil War guides readers in critically examining primary and secondary source materials. Discussions include how emerging technologies such as photography and the telegraph affected the messages being conveyed, and how ideologies of the era shaped what was seen, as well as whose voices were heard and whose were not. Readers will gain an understanding of the sad and brutal aspects of a war whose echo continues to have an impact even today.