CrazyProfessor2: I don't know if this is the book that you are talking about, but that McPherson wrote about the Civil War that I liked was
For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War. If not can you tell me the name of the book that you referencing, please.
morolf: It's James McPherson, Battle cry of freedom. The civil war era.
It's part of the Oxford history of the United states, and regarded by many as the best single volume history of the American civil war. Long (about 900 pages), but it's quite gripping, I read it in two weeks. Also deals extensively with the prelude to the war in the 1850s.
Can't really recommend you much else, I haven't read that much about 19th century American history. But as I wrote, I also liked the volume by Daniel Walker Howe ("What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815–1848 ") which deals with many fascinating topics like the career of Andrew Jackson, the Mexican-American war etc.
Thank you.
If you want a good read that is not that long at all, I would recommend Jane Addams and Her Vision of America by Sandra Opdycke. It is around that time period up to Post-WWI and how Addams had influenced the Progressive Era of the U.S. She is also is responsible for Hull House in Chicago during this time.
I would also recommend the McPherson book that I had said too, it is really good. It gives us why the men in both armies fought in the Civil War. There is a reason why the Civil War is said as being fought between brothers.
And I don't know if you care or not but give Shake Hands with the Devil: the Failure of Humanity in Rwanda by Roméo Dallaire. This is also a good read, granted not one that you can fall asleep to because of the topic of the book.
*In my opinion, Jackson is the one of the worse Presidents in American History, but one of the most fascinating ones to learn about. I think I read somewhere, but not sure where (might be wrong), that when he died, he had like 2 bullets in his chest from different duels that he had done.
*Added this part.