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was last updated June 8, 2007.
U.S. Civil War Center (Louisiana State)
Produced by Louisiana State University, the site is not a museum or library but serves to locate, index, and make available Civil War data on the Internet. A great place to begin web research.
Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861-1877
This Library of Congress exhibition contains succinct overviews of several aspects of the Civil War and Reconstruction and features primary sources, maps, and images
Lincoln and Lee at Antietam – America’s Bloodiest Day
Civil War Resources from the VMI Archives
This site highlights collections of the Virginia Military Institute, including manuscripts and battle resource guides. Special topics include VMI's Civil War generals, Stonewall Jackson's resources, a war chronology, Robert E. Lee's funeral, and more.
Great American History
This is a diverse site on the Civil War that provides educational materials and research services. Some of the unconventional topics covered are religious revivalism in the armies, unsung heroes, and Lincoln's belief in God.
The Valley of the Shadows
The Valley of the Shadow depicts two communities, one Northern and one Southern, through the experience of the American Civil War. The project focuses on Augusta County, Virginia and Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and creates a social history of the coming, fighting, and aftermath of the Civil War. The project is a hypermedia archive of thousands of sources for the period before, during, and after the Civil War for Augusta County, Virginia, and Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Those sources include newspapers, letters, diaries, photographs, maps, church records, population census, agricultural census, and military records. Students can explore the conflict and write their own histories, or reconstruct the life stories of women, African Americans, farmers, politicians, soldiers, and families. The project is intended for secondary schools, community colleges, libraries, and universities.
Civil War @ Smithsonian
Explore the Civil War through the extensive collections of the Smithsonian Institution. Includes a timeline and many images of artifacts and documents.
Civil
War Interactive
Civil War interactive is a daily news source for Civil War related news,
events, reviews, etc. and is free. The News Archives can be browsed by
date, by state, or by keyword. LinkCentral features websites rated as
"5-Star" or "Editors Choice". The new Book Nook focuses
on books that are published within the last 6 months. An all-new section
allows you to play Civil War related games and puzzles online and
one of the most requested features is the Trivia Archives.
Abraham
Lincoln Papers
The complete Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress consists
of approximately 20,000 documents. The collection is organized into three
"General Correspondence" series which include incoming and outgoing
correspondence and enclosures, drafts of speeches, and notes and printed
material. Most of the 20,000 items are from the 1850s through Lincoln's
presidential years. Excellent site for a research project.
There are two special presentations: Emancipation
Proclamation
Provides a brief introduction to the Emancipation Proclamation as well
as a timeline and four related primary sources. Assassination
of President Lincoln
Provides an introduction, timeline, and photo gallery that documents the
assassination of the nation’s 16th President 1860-65.
Abraham
Lincoln Online
Abraham Lincoln Online brings you news about Lincoln books, speeches and
writings, historic places, and events. Sections include This Week in History,
Today in Lincoln's Life, Lincoln News Highlights, and Photo Tours of Lincoln
Places. Find out about Lincoln events, new books about Lincoln, and more.
Lincoln/Net
Lincoln/Net provides historical materials from Abraham Lincoln's Illinois years, including Lincoln's writings and speeches, as well as other materials illuminating antebellum Illinois. This site includes interpretive materials, featuring a brief Lincoln biography and discussions of eight major historical themes. Lincoln/Net provides over fifteen million words of primary source materials, over 1500 images, video commentary on various aspects of Lincoln's life by historians and, and even a sound archive. Lincoln/Net also offers lesson plans that utilize the primary source documents found in the Lincoln/Net database.
Mr.
Lincoln's White House (and affiliated sites)
This Lincoln Institute site describes the White House and nearby Washington,
and profiles Lincoln family members, Cabinet officers and Vice Presidents,
members of Congress, generals, and others. Mr.
Lincoln and Freedom, a related site, details the progress of Mr. Lincoln's
opposition to slavery from his years in the Illinois State Legislature
to the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery. Other related
sites include: Mr.
Lincoln and Friends, which reviews the many men and a few women whose friendships
helped determine Mr. Lincoln's political progress and success in the state
capital in Springfield, Illinois and the nation's capital in Washington,
D.C.; Mr.
Lincoln and the Founders, which examines the impact of the Founders, the
Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution on Mr. Lincoln's life,
political thinking and political actions in the 1850s and 1860s; and Mr.
Lincoln and New York, which appraises how the center of political, media,
and economic power in 19th century America interacted with, supported,
and tormented Mr. Lincoln both before and during his Presidency.
Abraham Lincoln Research Center
This teacher-produced site has three main sections: Abraham Lincoln Research Site, Abraham Lincoln’s Assassination, and the Mary Todd Lincoln Research Site. Offers a clear and engaging mix of text, images, and primary sources.
Harper's Weekly Reports, 1857-1874
For over a quarter of a century, Harper’s Weekly captured the lion’s share of the national newspaper audience. Materials from the magazine are presented in order to give a true historical picture of the leading 19th-century newspaper’s view of black Americans.
Racial Satire and the Civil War
Presented by the University of Virginia, this site is a case study that explores racial caricature in editorial cartoons at the time of Lincoln.
The Battle of Antietam
This NPR audio clip features the views of renowned historian James McPherson who argues that Antietam was a turning point in the war.
Civil War Women
Duke University uses diaries and papers to profile three Civil War era
women
The
Price of Freedom: Americans at War
This Smithsonian website skillfully integrates Flash video and text to
examine armed conflicts involving the U.S. from the Revolutionary War
to the war in Iraq. Each conflict contains a brief video clip, statistical
information, and a set of artifacts. There is also a Civil War mystery,
an exhibition self-guide, and a teacher's guide. The Civil War section
contains an introductory movie and short essay on the conflict as well
as historic images and artifacts.
The Iron Road (PBS)
Part of PBS's American Experience series, this site is the story of the building of the first east-west railroad link. There is a teacher's guide, a bibliography, photos, and recommended readings
Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides, Activities, and more
The Crisis at Fort Sumter
Crisis at Fort Sumter is an interactive historical simulation and decision making program. Using text, images, and sound, it reconstructs the dilemmas of policy formation and decision making in the period between Abraham Lincoln's election n in November 1860 and the battle of Fort Sumter in April 1861.
Teaching with Documents (Lesson Plan)
The NARA has compiled many Civil War primary sources, including several sound files of interviews with the last surviving confederate veteran. Lesson plans and activity worksheets are at the bottom of the page and can be applied to any visual document.
The Mathew Brady Bunch – Lesson Plan
Designed for use toward the end of a unit on the Civil War, this lesson allows students to analyze photographs and evaluate how they can influence understanding of and attitudes about the war. Much of the lesson is spent discussing how to use photographic primary sources; students learn that photographers often manipulated the scenes they were capturing and discuss how these sources should therefore be utilized. Materials are from the Library of Congress’ American Memory collections. Designed for grade 7, but adaptable to high school.
Photojournalism – Lesson Plan
By close analysis of photographs from several wars, including the Civil War, students consider how and why photographers covered war and how pictures can reflect their biases. Students also learn to differentiate between observations and conclusions. The lesson includes a thorough procedure with instructional tips for teachers to follow, pre-selected photographs from the Library of Congress’ American Memory collections and worksheets for students. Designed for grades 5 to 8.span>
Civil War Battle Fields - Virtual Field Trip
Using the provided websites, students will follow Kelly Fortner's lesson plan to understand the significance of each Civil War battle. Activities include writing battle outlines and reading eyewitness accounts of the fighting.
Lesson Plan: The Civil War
This Civil War lesson plan includes many topics of discussion. It also encourages students to build their background knowledge of the Civil War through research and a suggested reading list.
Time of the Lincolns: A Teachers Guide
The PBS film Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided and this companion Web site, The Time of the Lincolns, offer insights into topics in American history including women's rights, slavery, abolition, politics and partisanship, the growth of the industrial economy, and the Civil War. You can use part or all of the film, or delve into the rich resources available on this Web site to learn more, either in a classroom or on your own. PBS provides a lesson plan that encourages debate and discussion among students.
The Civil War Through a Child’s Eye – Lesson Plan
This lesson uses primary sources such as photos and daguerreotypes as well as historical fiction to encourage students to view the Civil War from a different perspective, that of a child. The plan culminates in each student using Readers Theater and writing a literary first-person account of one of the photographed children. Pre-selected photos and daguerreotypes from the Library of Congress’s American Memory collections are provided, as well as instructional material on use of the primary sources and links to a variety of other Civil War Web sites. Designed for grades 6 to 8.
Ladies, Contraband, and Spies: Women in the Civil War – Lesson Plan
In this concise lesson, students use primary sources from the Library of Congress’ American Memory collections to research and understand the impact of the Civil War on women. By studying women who had different roles in and perspectives on the war, ranging from plantation mistresses to slave women and spies, students have to consider how the war affected women based on their position in society. In addition to advancing skills in using primary sources, the lesson also has students present their results visually with PowerPoint and in writing with a short textbook entry. Designed for grades 10 to 11.
Lesson Plan: Lee and Grant at Appomattox Court House
In this PBS lesson plan, students are asked to examine the terms and conditions of Lee's surrender. The lesson plan provides ample material for research and discussion regarding the end of the Civil War. PBS recommends that this lesson plan be used in conjunction with the film The Civil War, directed by Ken Burns.
Teacher Lesson Plan: What Do You See?
In this LOC lesson plan, students will examine one Civil War photograph from the selected catalog in extreme detail. This lesson plan includes all the necessary handouts and class materials for convenience. Suitable for grades 5-12
Lesson Plan: Lincoln Goes to War
In this MarcoPolo lesson plan, students examine Abraham Lincoln's decision to mobilize the Union Army against the South. Particular attention is paid to external factors that influenced the President's decision. Recommended for grades 9-12
Lesson Plan - We Must Not be Enemies: Lincolns First Inaugural Address
Students will gain a greater knowledge of Lincoln's presidency in this MarcoPolo lesson plan. A copy of the first inaugural adress is included, along with many other documents and six complete lesson plans. Written for students in grades 6-8
Lesson Plan - Eve of the Civil War: People and Places of the North and South
This MarcoPolo lesson plan is intended to provide students with a knowledge of the social climate immediately before the Civil War. It comes with 6 different lessons and a good selection of online resources. Recommended for grades 6-8
American Civil War Ethnography
This website has been designed in order to assist students in the creation of an ethnography of the United States during the Civil War Era.
September 11 & The Gettysburg Address
Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address was read at the September 11 anniversary ceremony. Read the Gettysburg Address and discuss with your partner(s) its main themes. Why do you think the Gettysburg Address is appropriate now?
The Meaning of Memorials
Inspired by AMERICAN VISIONS' online content, middle school students will explore the historical and cultural meaning of memorials, our country's "organs of social memory," with a focus on works and structures eulogizing the American Civil War. Using a variety of online, multimedia, and community resources, students will also investigate how the Civil War impacted their community and how the War and its veterans are remembered locally. This lesson is especially appropriate as part of a unit on the Civil War, or as an excellent way to honor and give meaning to the Memorial Day holiday in May. Doing field research, students will learn about the lives of local Civil War soldiers firsthand and will gain confidence in their ability to discover the past for themselves.
WebQuest
- Abraham Lincoln: Civil War
The Student Resources section of The American Nation companion web site
features introductions to chapters, interactive quizzes, flashcards, web
links, an American History Glossary, and an American History Appendix
Interpreting Primary Sources
Digital History provides brief excerpts from primary sources and statistics, as well as questions to think about the topics of: Sectional Conflict, Secession and the Civil War, and Civil War
Digital History Resource Guides
The Digital Resource Guides provide links to American history web sites by period, historical overviews, readings (online textbook chapter, Reader's Companion), primary source documents (documents, maps, cartoons), teaching resources (chronologies, maps, quizzes), audio-visual resources, and additional resources. They are an excellent and comprehensive teaching resource.
HistoryTeacher.net: AP United States History Quizzes
A New York teacher has produced a great general site for history teachers that offers AP-level United States history quizzes on many different periods and topics.
The American People: The Union in Peril
PowerPoint Presentation on the causes of the American Civil War as part of the online companion to The American People. Go to PowerPoint Presentations and click Chapter 14.
The American People: The Union Severed
PowerPoint Presentation on the American Civil War as part of the online companion to The American People. Go to PowerPoint Presentations and click Chapter 15.
Role of Women in the Civil War
Working in collaborative teams, students use a variety of sources to prepare multimedia presentations about the different roles that women played in the Civil War. High School level.
Women in the American Civil War
"You will learn about military battles and the lives of women during the American Civil War, 1861-1865, using both the Internet and other resources. You will work both by yourself and in a group throughout this unit. Your group will write 2 letters from a woman who may have lived during the Civil War and 2 letters from the woman's relative."
Civil War: Blank Map
The companion web site to The American People offers blank maps related to various topics in American history. The maps can be printed or placed in a PowerPoint presentation. Go to Blank Maps for Quizzes.
The American Nation: Internet Activities
Prentice Hall's phschool.com offers internet activities based on their The American Nation textbook chapters. Middle School grades.
