Middle schoolers explore the history of the African-American troops that served during the American Civil War. After reading primary source documents that detail the controversies about permitting freemen and former slaves to serve,...

Ken Burn's epic documentary miniseries The Civil War, broadcast in 1990, was the most-watched PBS program ever. A question sheet helps viewers keep track of events in the first episode of the documentary.

Fort Sumter, the site of the Civil War's first battle, taught the Union and the Confederacy an important lesson: they would both need to take stronger steps than anticipated if they wanted to win the war. History pupils read about the...

The Battle of Fort Sumter was both the first and the least deadly battle of the American Civil War, with no soldiers lost during the lengthy bombardment. Learn more about the first shots of the Civil War with a short reading passage and...

Did you know that more than three million people fought in the Civil War? Through artifacts, graphics, and passages class members learn about the stark divide between North and South that led to the war, as well as about the events that...

Soldier's lives are often a topic when studying the Civil War, but what about the lives of civilians? Scholars use the characters from the novel Bull Run to better understand the lives of those not directly on the Civil War battlefields....

The Civil War, a war that divided a nation. Comparing and contrasting the Confederate and Union soldiers is not always an easy task, but the eighth of 15 resources makes it easy to teach the concepts. Exercises include watching videos in...

Pupils discover the true nature and purpose of the Civil War in the eighth and final installment of an informative series. Using primary and secondary documents, history buffs merge social study knowledge with English skills to create a...

Was it the War against Northern Aggression or the War to Unify the Union? Scholars investigate the key battles and strategies of the American Civil War to determine just why the North was victorious in the end.

Imagine a war being fought to free slaves, with slaves on the front line. Scholars use primary documents, videos, and research in the second installment of a three-part series to guide their analysis of the first African-Americans on the...

What sunk the Sultana? Scholars become investigators to uncover the facts behind the 1865 sinking just after the end of the Civil War. Through group work, videos, and primary documents, they research and analyze why 1,800 men died....

Calling all junior detectives! Scholars use the tools of investigation to determine the causes and impacts of the American Civil War. Using viewing guides, videos, group research, and written resources, they discover what it takes to...

What happens to a battlefield once the battle is over? The Civil War Trust is dedicated to the preservation of historical battlefields from the Civil War, such as the one in Bentonville, North Carolina. Explore the process of keeping a...

Though not as well known as other battles of the Civil War, the Battle of Franklin resulted in substantial Union gains and enormous Confederate casualties. Learn more about an important battle of 1864 with an animated map video.

The preservation of Civil War era battlefields is an ongoing argument between cities, corporations, and groups like the Civil War Trust. After watching a brief animated analysis of the Battle of Cedar Creek, a video from the Civil War...

Following the Battle at Fredericksburg, the Union Army was suffering from low morale and even lower troop numbers. Once General Joseph Hooker took control, however, the outlook was not so bleak. An animated map from the Civil War Trust...

As the Union Army retreated from their defeat at Bull Run, the Confederate Army prepared to attack. A detailed animated map illustrated the troop movements and precision with which the generals from both ends of the battlefield executed...

After the Battle of Fredericksburg, Major General Ambrose Burnside's heavy losses and strategic defeat seemed to spell the end for the Union. See how the battle unfolded with an animated map resource that demonstrates the way General...

The Battle of First Manassas, commonly known as the First Battle of Bull Run, was the first major battle of the Civil War, signaling a conflict that would last for many years and take many lives in the process. View an animated map that...

Fort Sumter is a lasting emblem of the duration of the Civil War, and the American flag on its pole is a symbol of the Union's hard-fought victory. A short, informative video takes learners through the military strategies of the battle,...

Ulysses S. Grant, having been elevated to general-in-chief to the Armies of the United States, began the 1864 Overland Campaign that brought the Civil War to northern Virginia. High schoolers watch an informative video about the campaign...

One small miscommunication can be extremely costly on the battlefield. The Battle of Chickamauga is a historical example of how the best-laid strategy can be destroyed with a single mistake — in this case, Major General Rosecrans'...

Many consider the 1862 siege at Vicksburg to be the turning point of the American Civil War. Learn more about the necessity of Vicksburg for both the Confederacy and the Union — and the importance of its conquest on July 4, 1862 — with a...

Take a birds-eye view of the Civil War with an instructive video about the Battle of Shiloh. Paced over the four-day period in which Confederate troops were forced into retreat, the video presents both a strategic and tactical glimpse of...