This was an enjoyable class and kept me awake at 8 am. However, I think the grading is arbitrary and overly difficult. I am extremely good at United States history, but will not do well in this class. My papers were great, but given B- and Cs. If you don't want your gpa to suffer, then dont take this class. Gallagher is such a wonderful professor just WAY to pretentious

Awesome class- even though I'll probably get a C or B-. Gallagher's lectures are captivating- sometimes I really wonder if he has a time machine to go back and visit the 1860s. He knows enough about the period to convince me of such a thing. I've only had one other 8am class at UVA, and I woke up damning my decision to take that class every morning. With this class, I find it hard to believe I woke up at 8am with no problems for the entire semester. Grading is not lenient, but if you're at all interested in the Civil War or experiencing one of UVA's finest lecturers (and comedians), this is a MUST TAKE. Oh yeah- don't take the geography tests lightly. They're easy grade boosters if you put in a little effort. There's a fair amount of reading, but since there are only two papers (no MC or timed essay finals), memorization isn't required- nice for a history course.

I loved this class. I don't mind getting a B+ in an enjoyable class where I actually learned. I would recommend it to anyone.

Amazing class!! Gallagher is SUCH an interesting and smart professor. Definitely worth getting up for an 8 am.

Gallagher is the man. Period.

Great class from a knowledgeable professor. A must take!

great class! midterm, final, and a movie paper. professor gallagher is very engaging and it's a lot of fun to sit in his class - even though its an 8am, it's worth it!

As a 4th year history major, I can say with some confidence that Gallagher is the most entertaining, charismatic lecturer in the history department. No need to open a book until the take-home midterm and final, at which point it is very easy to extract useful evidence for your arguments, which will undoubtedly be based upon the lecture.

Gallagher offers this course at 8am and it's fully enrolled every time he offers it. I don't know any other professors that could pull that off.

Great class, emphasis on midterms and finals.

Gallagher is the best. Period.