More Americans lost their lives in the Civil War than in any other conflict. How did the United States arrive at a point at which the South seceded and some families were so fractured that brother fought brother?
Relive the decisions that led to the attack on Fort Sumter to determine whether Lincoln aimed to preserve peace or provoke the hostilities that led to the Civil War.
Historians examine Lincoln's early views on slavery at the outbreak of the Civil War. [2:49]
Students explore the historical context and significance of Lincoln's inaugural address through archival documents.
The text of a memoir of life at Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas during the Civil War.The text can be read online or downloaded by individual chapters in MP3 or PDF format. In addition, each chapter has downloadable support material which focuses on various reading skills and strategies.
This collection uses primary sources to explore Louisa May Alcott's novel, Little Women. Digital Public Library of America Primary Source Sets are designed to help students develop their critical thinking skills and draw diverse material from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. Each set includes an overview, ten to fifteen primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide. These sets were created and reviewed by the teachers on the DPLA's Education Advisory Committee.
Would Reconstruction have been different had Abraham Lincoln lived to oversee it? Lincoln's views on slavery throughout his presidency are examined in this video segment. [2:57]
Why did President Lincoln refuse to officially recognize the Confederate States of America? Video segment explores the horrors of the battle of Gettysburg and President Lincoln's personal contempt for the Confederate States of America. [3:58]
In this video excerpt, the content of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is examined and explained by former President Bill Clinton and Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. [1:33]
What changed Lincoln's mind about slavery? Examine President Abraham Lincoln's mixed motivations for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. [4:38]
By examining two primary source activities and a short video, students will learn how this literary icon used humor and a uniquely American voice to chronicle post-Civil War life in the United States.
The focus of this lesson is the Robert Gould Shaw and the Massachusetts 54th Regiment Memorial by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Students will put themselves in the shoes of the men of the Massachusetts 54th Regiment as they read, write, pose, and then create a comic strip about these American heroes.
Learn how with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation the war merged with the abolitionist cause. The Proclamation had included an unexpected clause: at last, black men could enlist in the armed services of the United States. [2:52]
Exhibition of photographic portraits taken by Civil War-era photographer Mathew Brady, who made portraits of many illustrious Americans on both sides of the conflict before, during, and after the war. Includes an animated explanation of how photographs were made during Brady's lifetime, a biographical note, and dozens of examples of Brady's work that confirm his status as a photographic and photojournalistic pioneer.
This essay contends that the American Revolution was not just one war, but several. Mr. Carp from Pacific Lutheran University supports his ideas in a very clear manner.
Investigate the history of military medicine from the Civil War to the Iraq War, and interpret archival photographs shot on and off the battlefield.
Essay focussing on African American Christianity from emancipation to the great migration. Site offers photos, student discussion guidelines, historian debate and links to related material.
What are the "big questions" of Reconstruction? Article provides an overview of the Reconstruction period when Americans debated rights and the nature of freedom and equality. It focuses on who was an American and how citizenship should be defined.
The complete text of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
In this activity students research roles as either Irish immigrants or African-American residents in the midst of the New York City Draft Riots that took place in July 1863. Students gather evidence from primary sources to develop their characters, based on actual census records, and then enact a role play debating whether to stay in the city or flee (if they are African American) and whether to participate in the riots or protect their black neighbors (if they are Irish immigrants).