Subject Guides
Dive into curated sets of documents that highlight different aspects of Kentucky’s Civil War history.
About the Guides
Each of the guides below blend together interpretation from KHS staff members with a curated selection of CWGK documents. Aimed at introducing readers to a variety of documents, they also encourage researchers to think about the edition’s materials from different perspectives. While these guides are not exhaustive on any one particular matter, they offer more avenues of discovery for researchers and those interested in learning more about Civil War Kentucky.
Guerilla Warfare
Irregular violence plagued Kentucky throughout the Civil War. Multiple factors fueled this violence—from Confederate raids to political tensions over the destruction of slavery—but Kentucky’s war became one defined by conflict at home. The documents in this guide serve as introduction to the people and stories impacted by guerrilla warfare across Kentucky.
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Military History
From guerrilla raids to the rolling hills of Perryville, the Civil War in Kentucky directly impacted people at home. The documents on Kentucky’s military history highlight the focus of war on society—how the larger conflict seeped into the daily lives of ordinary people trying to survive.
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Slavery and Capitalism
Slavery was essential to Kentucky’s economy. From breaking hemp, farming tobacco, hiring out enslaved labor in city’s, or selling enslaved people to the Deep South, the institution of slavery weaved its way through the entire state. The documents found in this section are a springboard to learning more about slavery in Kentucky throughout the Civil War era.
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Coal, Gas, and Petroleum
Energy production has long informed Kentucky’s economy and political leaders. The documents in this section shed light on the long roots of that practice that appear decades before the coal mining found in eastern Kentucky towards the end of the 1800s. The extraction of resources is a story familiar to many corners of Kentucky and these documents offer opportunities to explore those stories.
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Food, Farming, and the Domestic Economy
Kentuckians continued to live and work as the Civil War raged around them. The presence of military units, the disruption of slavery, and guerrilla violence strained food production. The documents in this section highlight how the war threatened their domestic lives and their stomachs.