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Of Age

By: Frances M. Clarke, Rebecca Jo Plant
Narrated by: Laural Merlington
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Publisher's summary

The smooth faces of boy soldiers stand out in Civil War photography. Yet until now, scholars have largely overlooked the masses of underaged youths who served as musicians, carried wounded from the field, ran messages, took up arms, and died in both the Union and Confederate armies.

Of Age is the first comprehensive study of how Americans responded to the unauthorized enlistment of minors in this conflict and the implications that followed. Frances M. Clarke and Rebecca Jo Plant offer military, legal, medical, social, political, and cultural perspectives as well as demographic analysis of this important aspect of the war. They find that underage enlistees comprised roughly ten percent of the Union army and likely a similar proportion of Confederate forces—but these enlistees' importance extended beyond sheer numbers. African American youths discovered that Union and Confederate officers ignored their age when using them as conscripts or military laborers. Meanwhile, nineteenth-century Americans expressed little concern over what exposure to violence might do to young minds, readily accepting their presence in battle.

An original and sweeping work, Of Age convincingly demonstrates why underage enlistment is such an important lens for understanding the history of children and youth and the transformative effects of the US Civil War.

©2023 Oxford University Press (P)2023 Tantor
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: History
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Better than Brilliant

Professors Clarke and Plant deliver a thoroughly researched, beautifully organized, insight-filled book read with authority by Laural Merlington. I expected this book to be good. I did not anticipate how much it would inform and influence my understanding of American history. I did not anticipate how much better prepared I am to understand varied perspectives on family life, government roles, and political theory. I did not anticipate how much I would love every minute I could devote to this book. Truly, there was never a lull, never a temptation to speed ahead; if anything, my first thought upon finishing was, "It'd be fun to go through again." Flawless. Fascinating. If you buy this book and don't like it, I will come to your house and cook you dinner.

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