Classroom Resources Infographic: Casualties and Costs of the Civil War Economics, Government and Civics, World History 9, 10, 11, 12 View this infographic as a PDF.
Spotlight on: Primary Source Best friends divided by the Civil War, 1861 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+ On April 12, 1861, Confederate officials informed Major Robert Anderson, US commander at Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, that they would allow one hour for him to surrender his forces. When he refused, Confederates...
Spotlight on: Primary Source A Civil War soldier’s satirical take on the news, 1863 Art, Government and Civics 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Between battles, marches, and military exercises, Civil War soldiers spent their free time in camp playing music, writing and reading letters, and, for those with the skill, sketching scenes from the day. This unknown soldier’s...
Video War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+ Andrew Carroll, founder of the Legacy Project, recounts his search for letters from America’s wars and reads excerpts from several.
Spotlight on: Primary Source A former Confederate officer on slavery and the Civil War, 1907 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+ How can a soldier be proud of the country he defends while at the same time opposed to the cause he is fighting for? John S. Mosby, the renowned Confederate partisan leader, dealt with this moral dilemma years after the Civil War...
Video: Inside The Vault Inside the Vault: Civil War Diaries of William Woodlin, 8th USCT, & Cyrena Hammond 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+ During the Civil War, 22-year-old William Woodlin, a musician in the 8th United States Colored Troops, and 18-year-old Cyrena Hammond, from Clarendon, New York, kept diaries about their experiences and observations. They recorded the...
Lesson Plan Lincoln and Civil Liberties Government and Civics 9, 10, 11, 12 Overview The tension between individual rights and a government’s need to preserve and protect national security during times of war has represented a constant theme throughout American history. During the John Adams administration, a...
Video Washington, Grant, Marshall: Three Soldiers and American Ways of War, Part 2: Grant Government and Civics 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+
Lesson Plan The Soldier's Experience: Letters from Four American Wars 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Click to download this four-lesson unit.
Video: Inside The Vault Inside the Vault: Massachusetts 54th 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13+ On July 18, 1863, the Massachusetts 54th Volunteer Infantry led an assault against Battery Wagner on Morris Island, South Carolina. The battle demonstrated the bravery and fierce determination of African American soldiers even though...