The Civil War Writer - D. Antonio Cantu, Associate Professor and Director of Social Studies Education, Department of History, Ball State University SOUTH Introduction: The Civil War (1861-1865) represents the bloodiest chapter in our nation s history. It served to redefine Union and freedom, and left an indelible mark on American society that continues to shape how we define ourselves today. This lesson plan is intended to provide students with a better understanding of this seminal event in American history which, in the words of President Abraham Lincoln, represented a new birth of freedom for America. Not only did the Civil War result in the emancipation of four million African Americans 1/8th of the American population but it also cost this nation over 620,000 lives and $6.5 billion. In the end, perhaps Confederate General Robert E. Lee best summarized the thoughts of the nation, both North and South, Introduction to Educator: The activities in this lesson are designed to expand on the knowledge students have of the Civil War. Unlike other historical events students study in middle school in which they may not be familiar with the salient themes, key figures, issues, etc. the Civil War is the most written about and studied topic in American history. As a result, students enter this lesson with a certain degree of familiarity; which can prove beneficial, as long as it doesn t include biased accounts, unsubstantiated reports, or outright myths. Only by examining this topic from multiple perspectives will students truly realize the magnitude of the resulting devastation and loss, and appreciate the seemingly contradictory promise and hope the war came to symbolize for our nation. when he observed that, It is good that war is so terrible, else we should become accustomed to it. Goal: To build an understanding of the Civil War as a pivotal event in history which served to both transform American society and forever redefine democracy in the United States. National Standards: This lesson plan addresses the NCSS Curriculum Standards associated with the themes of: Culture Time, Continuity and Change People, Places, and Environments Individual Development and Identity Individuals, Groups, and Institutions Power, Authority and Governance, and Civic Ideals and Practices NORTH Throughout the lesson, students will be called on to utilize a variety of historical thinking skills to include chronological thinking, written and visual document analysis and interpretation, convergent and divergent thinking, decision making, and historical research. As a result, students will gain a greater historical understanding of a period in American history from both a local and national perspective that redefined America and redirected the course this nation had taken since its creation. It is highly recommended that all students review the information about the Civil War which is available on The History Channel Civil War page at historychannel.com/civilwar. 1 saveourhistory.com January
Activity #1: Major Civil War Battles: How did America s Backyard Become a Graveyard? During the Civil War over 10,000 military engagements took place most commonly in southern states such as Tennessee and Virginia, but also in other lesser known locations such as New Mexico and Vermont. When military confrontations rose to the level of a battle, the Union military often named them after the nearest prominent terrain feature (such as a river or creek, e.g., Antietam), while the Confederates commonly named battles after the nearest town (e.g., Sharpsburg). Although the overwhelming majority of these skirmishes never rose to the status of a full-fledged battle and very few were of the magnitude and importance of a Gettysburg or Vicksburg no region of the nation was untouched by the war. What battles, therefore, did influence the momentum of the war and shape the outcome in the process, leaving an indelible mark on the American consciousness? a short biographical sketch for each of the military commanders identified in this task. Finally the individual holding the Jack will research the Union outcome and significance of each of the battles the group has been assigned. After completing that column of the chart, create a military Civil War Victories and Defeats T-chart, placing each of the battles in the Union or Confederacy victory column, then color a pie chart illustrating the victory percentage for each side. In addition to the battles listed on the chart, each group must also research at least one to two battles that took place in their state and/or region for inclusion in the chart. To assist in the research process for this activity, access the background information at the following The History Channel website: Major Events of the Civil War (available at historychannel.com/civilwar/?page=story) Before the activity begins, print out the chart on the next page or make it available to students via an FTP or other file sharing means. Divide into groups of four. Working in these groups, research the major Civil War battles listed on the chart. Using playing cards, assign the members of each group the following roles and responsibilities: Students holding the Ace card will research the dates for each of the battles the group has been assigned. After completing that column of the chart, design a timeline in which each of the battles, as well as other important events, are labeled. The individual holding the King will research the location of each of the battles the group has been assigned. After completing that column of the chart, label each of the battles, as well as other important locations, on an outline map of the United States. The group member holding the Queen will research the Union and Confederate military commanders of each of the battles the group has been assigned. After completing that column of the chart, create Each group should share their findings with the entire class. As a class, discuss the following: What role did individual military commanders play in the outcome of the battles in which they were involved? How did the outcome of major battles influence the momentum of the war? What role did geography play in the strategies and tactics employed by each side during battle? How did the outcome of the major battles differ from 1861 and 1862 to 1863 and 1864? Why is 1863 considered a turning point in the war? What role did the battles fought in your state and/or region play in the outcome of the war? What factors contributed to the number of battles fought in your state and/or region? What other patterns emerged from these data? What other conclusions may be reached? 2 saveourhistory.com January
Activity #1: Major Civil War Battles: How did America s Backyard Become a Graveyard? (continued) Battle Date Location Union Commander(s) Confederate Commander(s) Significance First Bull Run July 1861 Virginia Irvin McDowell Pierre G. T. Beauregard Confederate Victory North raised a larger army South became overconfident Second Bull Run Antietam Chancellorsville Gettysburg Vicksburg Chattanooga Wilderness Campaign Sherman s March to the Sea Nashville State or Regional Battle: State or Regional Battle: 3 saveourhistory.com January
Activity #2: The First Battle of Bull Run: How Can the Same Event be Viewed Differently? daughter of Professor Joseph Henry, the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, who witnessed the events surrounding the battle from her home the Smithsonian Institution Building in Washington D.C. As a nation, some might say the United States entered the war as boys and girls and exited as men and women. The country s naïve approach to the new type of bloody warfare that would take place over the next four years rudely and abruptly ended on July 21, 1861 as Union and Confederate soldiers collided at the First Battle of Bull Run, referred to as the First Battle of Manassas in the South, and the first major battle of the war. Young soldiers on both sides, many overconfident and eager to fight, would soon learn firsthand of the violence and destruction that war leaves in its path. After a ten-hour battle, in which 900 young men lost their lives, those who survived realized this was to be a war unlike any other both in magnitude and duration. Whole Class Activity: Brainstorm the meaning and purpose of war by completing a concept-map or web on the chalkboard or whiteboard. Discuss the key individuals and events surrounding what became known as the Battle of Bull Run. Review the background information available on the following The History Channel website: The First Battle of Bull Run (available at historychannel.com/civilwar/?page=storythree) Individual Activity: Assign each student in class one of the following individuals who fought in or witnessed the Battle of Bull Run. Download copies of the following three sets of documents and distribute one set to each student in class. Last Letter of Major Sullivan Ballou, Rhode Island Infantry (available at usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/ facts/democrac/23.htm) Letters of Private J.W. Reid, South Carolina Infantry (available at cr.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/ 12manassas/12facts2.htm) Diary of Mary Henry, Eyewitness Account (available at siarchives.si.edu/history/exhibits/documents/ manassas1861.htm) The story of three individuals who experienced that battle are forever captured in their letters and diary entries for future generations to analyze and gain insights into what it was like to prepare for and witness battle during the Civil War. The first document is a letter by a Union soldier to his wife written a week before the battle, penned by Major Sullivan Ballou, a 32-year-old lawyer from Providence, Rhode Island and volunteer with the 2nd Rhode Island Infantry, who would die that day on the battlefield at Manassas. The second document is a compilation of letters written by a Confederate soldier, Private J.W. Reid of the 4th South Carolina Infantry to his family back home of his experiences at the Battle of Bull Run. The final set of documents are letters written by Mary Henry, the 4 saveourhistory.com January
Activity #2: The First Battle of Bull Run: How Can the Same Event be Viewed Differently? (continued) Prior to distributing the documents, place a number at the top of each set of three documents (e.g., Ballou #1, Reid #1, Henry #1; Ballou #2, Reid #2, Henry #2). After reading the documents, write a brief biography of the individual and answer the following questions: What feelings about the impending battle did the individual express in his or her writings? What thoughts concerning the larger conflict did he or she convey? What portrait of war does he or she paint with words? What values and/or beliefs can be identified in his or her writings? How does the individual account of war compare with that which you have encountered in your readings and/ or in movies on the Civil War? What questions would you like to have asked this individual? Group Activity: Using the group number designations on the documents, students should form groups of three. There should be a member in each group representing one of the individuals listed above. Each member of the group should then introduce his or her assigned individual s biography. Next, students should take turns discussing their responses to the questions above. Upon completion of this step, students should develop a tri-venn diagram, using an overhead transparency or PowerPoint slide, comparing and contrasting each individual s thoughts and experiences concerning the war. Whole Class Activity: A representative from each group should present his or her group s tri-venn diagram to the entire class. Create a classroom tri-venn diagram which synthesizes the group findings. Compare and contrast the classroom Venn diagrams with the original concept map for war created earlier. Discuss the value of personal accounts of historical events such as war in helping us gain a better understanding of what actually took place. 5 saveourhistory.com January
Activity #3: Making History Local: Were Any Civil War Battles Fought Here? Although many may believe that no battle took place in their state or region, they might be surprised to find that the Civil War was fought in nearly 10,500 locations across the country from the West (e.g., Bear River, Idaho; Glorieta Pass, New Mexico; Palmito Ranch, Texas) to the East (e.g., Hanover, Pennsylvania; St. Albans, Vermont; Cheat Mountain, West Virginia) to the Great Plains and Midwest (e.g., Old Fort Wayne, Oklahoma; Baxter Springs, Kansas; Corydon, Indiana; Bluffington Island, Ohio; Little Blue River, Missouri). In addition, countless battles took place in the South that are typically not covered in history textbooks, in places like Bean s Station, Tennessee; Milliken s Bend, Louisiana; Camp Wildcat, Kentucky; Fort Brooke, Florida; and Devil s Backbone, Arkansas. Of this total, however, only 384 of these conflicts have been determined by the Congressionallyappointed Civil War Sites Advisory Commission (CWSAC) to have been primary military campaigns and operations of the Civil War. The CWSAC has made available to the public records on each of these major battles. To assist in the research process for this activity, access the information at the following CWSAC link: Civil War Battle Summaries by State (available at cr.nps.gov/hps/abpp/battles/bystate.htm) As a class, discuss with the students the Civil War battlefield sites they may have visited and/or Civil War reenactments they may have witnessed. Be sure to include in the discussion local Civil War battlefield sites or Civil War reenactments that may take place in your state and/or region. If possible, invite someone who participates in Civil War reenactments to speak to the class. Download and print out copies of battle summaries for your state and/or region of the United States. Review the information and discuss the role your state and/or region played in the Civil War. Assign specific battles to individual students or to groups and have them research the following: Where did the battle take place? What were the dates of the battle? Who were the Confederate and Union commanders of the battle? What military units, on both sides, fought in the battle? What casualties were sustained in the battle? Discuss the major events of the battle and identify which side won. As a class, discuss the battles that took place in your state and/or region. Create a map identifying the location of these battles and a chart synthesizing the information students uncovered during their research. Upon completion, attempt to answer the following questions: In which part of your state or region did most of the battles take place? What factors might contribute to this? Who was more successful in battle in your state or region the Union or Confederacy? Why do you believe this is the case? What military commanders led troops into battle in your state or region? What other Civil War accomplishments did these leaders have? What military units saw the most action in your state or region? Were any of these units from your city or county? What casualties were sustained in the battle? Discuss the major events of the battle and identify which side won. Working with your local or state historical societies/ association, conduct further research on any of the battles, commanders, and military units that fought in your state or region during the Civil War. 6 saveourhistory.com January
Activity #4: Making History Local: What did Great, Great, Great, Great Grandpa Do in the War? The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, sponsored by the National Park Service, is an online, digital database which contains 6.3 million records on soldiers and sailors from 44 states and territories who served in the military, for both sides, during the Civil War. In addition, it also includes digital histories of regiments, for the Union and the Confederacy. To assist in the research process for this activity, access the information at the following CWSS link: Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System (available at civilwar.nps.gov/cwss/) Working with your local or state historical societies/ association, identify the names of individuals from your area or region that served in the military during the Civil War. In addition, have students ask their parents, grandparents, etc. if they know of any ancestors who served in the Civil War. Make accessible for the class the interactive map of States and Territories during the Civil War and the Current Soldier Record Status chart which illustrate how many records are available on the CWSS database for your state or region. Assign specific soldiers to individual students or groups and have them research the CWSS soldier database, addressing the following questions in their research: On what side did the soldier fight? In what company and regiment did the solder serve? In what type of unit (e.g., infantry, cavalry, artillery) did the soldier serve? At what rank did the soldier enter and leave his military service? After identifying the regiments in which the soldiers served, students should then research the CWSS regiment database to learn more about those military units, answering the following questions in their research: Where and when was the regiment organized? With what other military units was the regiment attached? In what military battles did the regiment serve? On what date and at what location did these battles take place? Who were the military commanders in these battles? What was the outcome of these battles? How many soldiers in this unit died in service during the war and by what cause? As a class, synthesize and discuss the results of your research on the soldiers and military units from your area who saw service during the Civil War. Create a map identifying locations of importance (e.g., battle sites, regiment headquarters) in your area or state. In addition, create a roster of soldiers from your area who served in the war, and include brief biographical sketches when available. Finally, write a regimental history of those military units from your area that saw combat during the war. As we approach the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War in the next few years, take time now to contact local and/or state historical societies/associations to see if the results of your research may be of use in future publications, websites, or exhibits commemorating the anniversary of the Civil War in your area or state. In addition, contact Civil War battlefield sites in your state or region to see if this information may be of use in their on-site and online exhibits. 7 saveourhistory.com January