Historians have broadened the somewhat simplistic interpretation of the Civil War as a battle between the North and the South by revealing the "many Souths" that made up the Confederacy, but the "North" has remained largely undifferentiated as a geopolitical term. In this welcome collection, seven Civil War scholars offer a unique regional perspective on the Civil War by examining how a specific group of Northerners- Midwesterners, known as Westerners and Middle Westerners during the 1860s-experienced the war on the home front-experienced the war on the home front. From the exploitation of Confederate prisoners in Ohio to wartime college enrollment in Michigan, these essays reveal how Midwestern men, women, families, and communities became engaged in myriad war-related activities and support. Agriculture figures prominently in the collection, with several contributors exploring the agricultural power of the region and the impact of the war on farming, farm families, and farm women. Contributors also consider student debates and reactions to questions of patriotism, the effect of the war on military families' relationships, issues of women's loyalty and deference to male authority, as well as the treatment of political dissent and dissenters. Bringing together an assortment of home front topics from a variety of fresh perspectives, this collection offers a view of the Civil War that is unabashedly Midwestern.

Simple exercises--from no-sew step-by-steps using the fabrics quilters love, to a color wheel built from scraps, to the easy "Nine Patches" approach to color and composition--show exactly how to understand design principles and incorporate them into the craft of quilting. A gallery of beautiful quilts follows each exercise and shows how beginners and professionals use color and composition techniques to create magic. Great for traditional and art quilters, this book makes quilters' talent shine.