Disability in the Civil War Era

This essay features a discussion among several scholars of disability in the Civil War era on the major themes and issues within this small field. The panelists, including both historians and literature scholars, reflect the interdisciplinary nature of disability studies and make the case for why disability analysis is critical to understanding of the Civil War era. Disability, they argue, enriches our studies of slavery and freedom, military service, federal power and bureaucracy, the home front and veteranhood. The panelists also consider paths for future research, such as increasing our use of material history and exploring disabled lives during Reconstruction.