Unit 4 - American Civil War
The most dramatic and climactic event of the 19th century for America was its civil war: a war that was rooted in slavery. In this unit, students study the conditions of slavery through the sources from former slaves, look at the different events that further separated the North and South politically and ideologically, and finally, examine the course and consequences of the U.S. Civil War. Some key ares of focus include Frederick Douglass and abolitionism, the many compromises of Congress, the battles and people of the Civil War, as well as the conditions of camp life. Last, we will examine the tumultuous Reconstruction period.
Essential Questions
How and why did slavery cause the Civil War?
What were the major battles, people, and conditions of the Civil War?
What was Reconstruction and how did it try to succeed? Why did it fail?
What were the major battles, people, and conditions of the Civil War?
What was Reconstruction and how did it try to succeed? Why did it fail?
Links and Videos
Video Menu: Ken Burn's PBS Documentary "THE CIVIL WAR" - click here for several clips, browse according to your interests!
Full Documentary: Ken Burns's PBS Documentary "THE CIVIL WAR" - click here for all five episodes.
Link: Frederick Douglass's autobiography online (also, audiobook video embedded below).
Video: The Effects of the Cotton Gin on American Slavery - this short PBS clip helps explain how this simple invention caused slavery to expand across the South
Video: Crash Course in Causes of the Civil War (14 minutes)
Link: National Park Service Civil War Website - This is a great resource to learn about the many topics of the war.
Article: The Rosa Parks of the 1860s - U. of Montana professor Kyle Volk writes about the woman who helped desegregate street cars in New York City during the Civil War.
Article: Rethinking the Civil War - A good article on why we should avoid simplistic explanations of major historical events.
Article: The Ongoing Civil War - Great article on why the issues that drove the war still haunt us today
Full Documentary: Ken Burns's PBS Documentary "THE CIVIL WAR" - click here for all five episodes.
Link: Frederick Douglass's autobiography online (also, audiobook video embedded below).
Video: The Effects of the Cotton Gin on American Slavery - this short PBS clip helps explain how this simple invention caused slavery to expand across the South
Video: Crash Course in Causes of the Civil War (14 minutes)
Link: National Park Service Civil War Website - This is a great resource to learn about the many topics of the war.
Article: The Rosa Parks of the 1860s - U. of Montana professor Kyle Volk writes about the woman who helped desegregate street cars in New York City during the Civil War.
Article: Rethinking the Civil War - A good article on why we should avoid simplistic explanations of major historical events.
Article: The Ongoing Civil War - Great article on why the issues that drove the war still haunt us today