History 8-2, Assignment Nine, Civil War Timeline and Events

Click here to go back to the web site for History 8-2.

How did selected people, laws, places,
and events shape the Civil War?

Lt. James B. Washington, a Confederate prisoner, with Capt. George A. Custer

Introduction

The Civil War was America's bloodiest and most costly conflict. Just try to imagine a war today that cost the lives of seven million young American men. It's almost impossible to set the losses of the Civil War in a modern context. The toll is almost inconceivable. And yet, that would be about the same percentage of loss of life the nation suffered during the Civil War.

That said, I believe historians and history teachers to focus solely on the battles of the Civil War. The battles are an important part of the history, to be sure, but the scope of the war went beyond the battle places and names that still ring down through our history. I don't believe there was a single American at the time whose life was not touched by the war. I also believe that we live in the legacy of that war today. So, I want to explore a few parts of the war beyond the battlefields - important as they are - and look at lives and living for Americans.

Remember what I said in class - there is no way to categorize or measure all the effects of the Civil War. They are still with us today, but at the time, the death, injuries, infections, financial costs, loss of opportunities, and destroyed lands and farms crippled a nation in ways we can't really conceptualize.
 

I've assembled a few points to study for this assignment. I tried to create a collection of accounts and people that can serve to help you understand the depth and breadth of the war.

Instructions

For this assignment you will create a series of entries about battles, political events, people, and prisons of the Civil War. Each entry will answer the questions that apply to it. Be sure to check the list below.

I suggest you create this as a Google doc, but you can handwrite it if you choose.

With each entry, enter it on your timeline, and title it with the battle, political event, biography or prison that applies to it.

Objectives

TBA

Special instructions

• TBA

For each battle entry include the following:

1. What factors led up to the battle?
2. Was it a Confederate or Union victory?  Is the outcome undetermined?
3. What role did the physical terrain play in the battle?
4. Who were the commanders involved - on both sides?
5. What makes this battle relevant to the outcome of the larger war?
6. Include a brief summary of the overall battle. This should be a paragraph or two.

Here is the list of battles.

• First Battle of Bull Run
• Fredricksburg
• Antietam / Sharpsburg
• Chancellorsville
• Gettysburg
• Vicksburg
• Sherman's March to the Sea

For each political entry include the following:

1. What was the name of the act or action?
2. Who sponsored it? Why?
3. What was the intended outcome?
4. Did the actual outcome match the intended outcome? Why or why not?
5. A brief summary of the overall act or action?

Here is the list of political events

• The Homestead Act
• The Creation of West Virginia
• California During the Civil War
• The 13th Amendment
• Desertion During the Civil War

For each biographical entry include the following:

1. What is the name of the person?
2. What is their basic biographical information? Birth, election, death, etc.
3. Why were they important to the story of the Civil War?
4. Include a brief summary of their legacy. Simply put, why do we still tell their story today?

Here is the list of biographies

• George McLellan
• Oliver Wendell Holmes
• U.S. Grant
• Mary Todd Lincoln
• George Custer

Select two Civil War prisons, and include the following:

1. What is the name of the prison?
2. Who was the commander?
3. How were the prisoners there treated?
4. Include a brief summary of the prison. Simply put, why do we still tell the story of that prison today?

Lesson Topics for this Assignment

First Hour

• Table One, First Battle of Bull Run, Antietam, Sherman's March to the Sea
• Table Two,  George Custer, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Vicksburg
• Table Three, Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, 13th Amendment
• Table Four, Homestead Act, George McClellan, Creation of West Virginia
• Table Five, Desertion, Fredricksburg, U.S. Grant

Second Hour

• Table One, McClellan, Creation of West Virginia, Fredericksburg
• Table Two, Sherman's march, Homestead Act, Mary Todd Lincoln
• Table Three, California During the War. U.S. Grant, Antietam
• Table Four, First Battle of Bull Run, Gettysburg, Chancellorsville
• Table Five, 13th Amendment, Vicksburg

Fourth Hour

• Table One, Fredericksburg, Mary Todd Lincoln, Creation of West Virginia
• Table Two, U.S. Grant, Vicksburg, Antietam
• Table Three, Gettysburg, Chancellorsville, Sherman's March
• Table Four, Desertion, George Custer, First Battle of Bull Run
• Table Five, 13th Amendment, Homestead Act, California During the Civil War

Fifth Hour

• Table One, First Battle of Bull Run, California During the Civil War, Gettysburg
• Table Two, Creation of West Virginia, Mary Todd Lincoln, Sherman's March
• Table Three, The 13th Amendment, George Custer, Chancellorsville
• Table Four, The Homestead Act, Desertion, Antietam
• Table Five, Fredericksburg, Vicksburg, 

If you're interested, you might do some exploring.

Links

Printed files

The link to the assignment will be posted soon.
 

Media files

Click here to view the video we used in class about the Battle of Fredericksburg

Click here to view the PowerPoint we used in class about the beginnings of the Civil War.

Click here to view the Civil War overview we watched in class.
 

Online files

Chapter 23 of the online textbook.

Fredericksburg

Click here to open an interactive site about the Battle of Fredericksburg.

Click here to view the video we used in class about the beginnings of the Civil War.

Civil War Prisons (Select One)

Libby Prison

Click on the links below to learn about Civil War prisons

Andersonville
1,   2,   3

Libby
1,   2,   3

Bell Isle
1,   2,   3

A brief overview of Civil War prisons

Oliver Wendell Holmes

Click below for life information about Oliver Wendell Holmes.

1,  2,   3,   4

Click here to view the Memorial Day speech by Oliver Wendell Holmes.

Chancellorsville
1,   2,   3,   Video,   Death of Jackson

Gettysburg
1,   2,   3,    Virtual Tour,   Animated Map

Vicksburg
1,   2,   3,   Animated Map

Sherman's March to the Sea
1,   2,   3

California During the Civil War
1,   2,   3   Power Point

The Homestead Act
1,   2,   3

The 13th Amendment
1,   2,   3   Video

Desertion
1,   2,   3

The Creation of West Virginia
1,   2,   3