Throughout the years since the end of the Civil War, historians have been weighing in on the causes of that terrible time in the history of the United States. Interpretations have changed over the generations. Read the questions that...

Students will work in groups to research the causes of the Civil War, events during the war, and Reconstruction. They will compile their information into a multimedia presentation. They will use research to answer the essential question,...

An essay that looks at other, more complex reasons for the outbreak of the Civil War, beyond the traditionally accepted ones related to the Northern industrial economy versus the Southern agricultural one.

A tutorial that looks at the main causes of the American Civil War. A PDF file of the tutorial is available.

In this 21st Century roleplay lesson, students use what they know about causes of the Civil War to have an educated discussion with another class. By utilizing Skype, students and teachers collaborate with one another in an engaging...

Discusses what caused the Civil War, including a section on the political parties of the mid 1800's.

Read about the causes of the Civil War from a southern perspective.

This well-researched extensive essay by Peter Stam looks at the issue of the number of African Americans serving in the Confederate Army as soldiers. By examining information from many historians, some of whom turn out to be unreliable,...

Analyze the Civil War through a multitude of primary source documents. This comprehensive site chronicles the Civil War in Virginia from its roots to the battles, and finally the consequences of this divisive war. Read letters and...

Here is a summary of the factors that led to the Civil War. You can also link to pages with photos on battles, forts, communication, hospitals, and more.

This lesson is designed to help students strengthen their research and writing skills, while learning more about the Civil War, as they produce an expository paragraph. Students will glean information from an article about the causes of...

Use this interactive lesson to practice evaluating evidence from primary sources in order to draw conclusions about a historical event. In this particular case, the event is the Civil War. The challenge is to decide for yourself which of...

African American slaves are known to have fought for the Confederacy during the Civil War, which many people may not realize. Why they would fight on the side of slavery, and the evidence that they did, are discussed in this section of...

Twenty-seven university-level lectures on the causes, course, and consequences of the American Civil War. Available in audio, video, or text format.

Animated map tells the story of the events that led up to the first shots of the Civil War fired at Fort Sumter. [7:31]

The sidebar of this site reads "Understand the War Through People Then and Now." That is the mission of the site, and when you click on each word or phrase, you open up a world of information about the Civil War. Compiled resources help...

A wonderful resource using primary and secondary source materials to explore many facets of the Civil War from the war itself to its impact on the home front. Includes video and text downloads.

A wonderful, interactive site covering many aspects of the Civil War. See photographs, primary sources, and find interesting tidbits about the war. Included are links to lesson plans, teacher guides, resources, activities, and tools.

An article by Columbia University historian Eric Foner that discusses how long-standing views of the role of slavery in America began to be challenged during the civil rights era of the 1960s by a new generation of historians, whose work...

The military-industrial complex thrived in the North during the Civil War, but read about how inflation affected the ordinary worker. See how the role of women expanded to fill in for men who were away fighting. Women also had an impact...

A collection that uses primary sources to explore the American Abolitionist Movement.

A collection uses primary sources to explore the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

Covers many aspects of the Civil War, without too much text for Grade 5 students. Includes links to additional information and a few learning activities. (Note: Some links may no longer be working.)

Presents key ideas for examining the events and issues that led to the American Civil War.