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Civil War
Literature
Student
Success Packet
“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”
“And Ain’t I a Woman”
The Gettysburg Address
Name: _________________________________
Date: ___________________________________
Class Period: _________________________
Table of Contents
• What is the Civil War all about?
• Civil War Timeline
• Confederacy Leaders: Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson
• Union Leaders: Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant
• Fiction Reading Assignment: “An Occurrence at Owl Creek
Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce – Before you read
• About the Author– Ambrose Bierce
• Before You Read… writing assignment
• Identifying themes in “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”
• Nonfiction Reading Assignment #1: “And Ain’t I a Woman” by
Sojourner Truth
• About the Author: Sojourner Truth
• 1800s vs 2013: Equality in America Assignment
• Empathizing Assignment – rewriting “And Ain’t I a Woman”
• Nonfiction Reading Assignment #2: The Gettysburg Address
by Abraham Lincoln
• About the Speaker: Abraham Lincoln
• Analyzing Informational Text Using Manila Folders
• Current Civil Rights Leaders Research Project
• Research Project Rubric
What is the Civil War
All About?
“The War Between the States” 1861-1865
The American Civil War, also known as “The War
Between the States”, is one of the most significant
events in US history. Shortly before Abraham Lincoln
was elected president in 1860, seven southern states
created the confederacy. Although Lincoln was strongly
against slavery, he proclaimed that he would not begin a
civil war in his inaugural address. However, hostilities
began on April 12, 1861 when the Confederate forces fired
on Fort Sumter. More states joined the Confederacy
(creating 11 total) and the Union states were forced to
fight– ultimately leading to the North’s victory. The
American Civil War lasted four years from 1861-1865 and
led to the complete abolishment of slavery in the United
States.
Union States /territories: Oregon, California,
Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan,
Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New
Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island,
Connecticut, New Jersey, West Virginia, Washington
territory, Dakota territory, Nebraska territory, Nevada
territory, Utah territory, and Colorado Territory
Confederate States /territories: Texas,
Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama,
Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, New
Mexico Territory
Important
Facts
Dates: 1861-1865
Fatalities: 600,000
President: Abraham
Lincoln
Union Leader:
Ulysses S. Grant
Confederacy Leader:
Robert E. Lee
The Battle of
Gettysburg:
July 1-3 1863
May 26 1865: Confederate
Forces Surrender
November 6, 1860
A series of
battles
between
the North
and the
South
September 22, 1862
May 26, 1865
Confederate forces
formally surrender
November 19, 1863
Lincoln’s Gettysburg
Address
July 1-3, 1863
Lincoln releases the
Emancipation
Proclamation
The Battle of
Gettysburg–
Northern victory
August 29, 1862 – May 3, 1863
Seven Days battles
outside of Richmond, VA
Civil War Timeline
Robert E. Lee became
confederate general
June 25-July 1, 1862
April 12, 1861
May 31, 1862
Confederate
Constitution adopted
and Jefferson Davis
elected provisional
president of the south
Fort Sumter is
fired upon and The
Civil War begins
Abraham Lincoln
Elected President
February 8-9, 1861
Union Leaders:
Abraham Lincoln &
Ulysses S. Grant
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of The United States, is most well known for
his major role in preserving the Union during the Civil War and abolishing
slavery. Lincoln was elected president in 1861 and was assassinated in 1865. His
most famous speech, The Gettysburg Address, was given in Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania, as a way to reiterate the importance of human equality and
commemorate Union soldiers that were killed during the Battle of Gettysburg.
The speech was just over 2 minutes long and is known as one of the best
speeches given in American history. Lincoln was very much against slavery and
believed in equality amongst humanity. He is viewed as a hero in the eyes of
Americans and is responsible for the victory of The Civil War.
Ulysses S. Grant
1822-1885
Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th president of the United
States, played a significant role in the Civil War as a
Union war general. General Grant defeated General
Robert E. Lee on April 9, 1865 and led Lee to surrender
at the Appomattox Court house shortly after. Grant
was a fierce leader who helped Lincoln and the Union
army defeat the confederacy.
Confederacy Leaders:
Robert E. Lee and
Stonewall Jackson
Robert E. Lee
1807-1870
Robert E. Lee chose to follow his home
state of Virginia and became the
lead command of the Confederacy.
Despite his efforts, the Union leader
Ulysses S. Grant overpowered Lee’s
and he surrendered to Grant on April
9, 1865.
Jefferson Davis
1808-1889
Jefferson Davis served
as the president of the
Confederate states
from 1861-1865. Davis
had a distinguished
military background
and was well educated.
Stonewall Jackson
1824-1863
Stonewall Jackson, a Confederate General, was
nicknamed “stonewall” because of his bold
leadership. Jackson had an early military life and
attended West Point in 1842. He was accidentally
shot by Confederate pickets and died 8 days later
of pneumonia.
“An Occurrence
at Owl Creek
Bridge”
Author: Ambrose Bierce
Genre: Fiction
Directions: Before you read the
short story, answer the questions
on the next page. Then, read “An
Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”
and answer the questions on page
8.
About the Author
Ambrose Bierce
Ambrose Bierce, an author
during the Civil War time
period is most famous for his
short story “An Occurrence
at Owl Creek Bridge”. Bierce
was also known for his
political pieces about wrong
doing in the United States–
thus leading to a lot of ill
feelings towards him.
Throughout his writing career,
Bierce’s literary works were
filled with images of the Civil
War and the supernatural–
some compared his work to
that of Edgar Allan Poe. In
1913, Bierce wrote a letter to a
good friend and vanished
without a trace shortly after.
Today, people continue to read
Bierce’s short stories and
nonfiction pieces.
IMPORTANT
INFORMATION
Date of Birth: June 24, 1842
Date of Disappearance: Sometime
after December 26, 1913
Nickname: “Bitter Bierce”
Most Famous Work: “An
Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”
Siblings: 10th of 13 children
Religious Views: Agnostic
Wife/Divorcee: Mary Ellen Day
Children: Day, Leigh, and Helen
Bierce
Before You Read “An
Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”
Imagine yourself facing a frightening life-or-death situation
involving, for example, an automobile accident or a natural
disaster. What thoughts do you think might flash through your
mind at such a time?
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Based on the title, time period, and information about the
author, what do you think this short story is going to be about?
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Identifying Theme in
“An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”
Choose one of the following themes:
• Reality vs. Illusion (false or misleading impression of reality)
• Foreshadowing/Flashback
• Hope
Find 2 SPECIFIC quotes from the story that relate
to that theme and write them here:
1.
2.
On the back side of this page or on your own paper, write a 3 paragraph
essay connecting the theme to the short story. You can talk about the
historical connection (Civil War) to the story as well.
** Be sure to include evidence to support your theme. For example:
the two specific quotes you identified above.
Extra Credit: Identify the three sections of “An Occurrence at Owl Creek
Bridge”
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“And Ain’t I
A Woman?”
1851 Ohio Women’s Convention
Author: Sojourner Truth
Genre: Nonfiction
Directions: Before you read the
short story, answer the questions
on the next page. Then, read “And
Ain’t I a Woman” and answer the
questions on page 12.
About the Author
Sojourner Truth
Isabella Baumfree, a women’s
rights activist, was born into
slavery but escaped with her
daughter in 1826. When she
went to court in 1826 to help
free her son, she became the
first black woman to win
against a white man. During
the Civil War, she helped
recruit black troops for the
Union Army. In 1843, Isabella
changed her name to
Sojourner Truth and became
a Methodist. She traveled and
preached about the abolition
of slavery. Her most famous
speech was given in 1851 at the
Ohio Women’s Rights
Convention called “And Ain’t I
a Woman”. Truth dedicated
her life to being a Civil Rights
activist.
Women’s Role During
The Civil War:
Before the Civil War, men
worked while women devoted
their lives to creating a
perfect, clean, and
comfortable home for their
husband and children.
However, during the Civil War,
thousands of women
volunteered to become nurses.
Women organized aid societies
to collect food and medical
supplies for the soldiers.
Many women of the Union
states worked on the front
lines caring for the sick and
injured. Nearly 20,000 women
worked for the Union war
effort.
Before You Read
“And Ain’t I a Woman?”
Discrimination is an unfortunate act of bullying that still exists in today’s society–
whether it be skin color, gender, what you wear, or what kind of music you listen to. Write
about a time in which you felt discriminated against. How did it make you feel? Do you
think it is possible to live in a world without discrimination? When you see an act of
discrimination, do you do anything about it? Why or why not? Explain your answer.
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After You Read…
1.) Explain the main purpose of Sojourner Truth’s address to the Ohio Women’s Rights
Convention.
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2.) On your own piece of paper, rewrite the address from the perspective of a woman of
today’s society. You must choose someone other than yourself (ladies). For example: you
can choose a famous actress, a singer, your mom, your sister, etc. What would these
people say about women’s rights and how women are currently treated? ** Remember,
you are writing as though you ARE that person. **
Prewrite and Brainstorm below!
“The
Gettysburg
Address”
Author /Speaker: Abraham Lincoln
Genre: Nonfiction Informational Text
Dates: November 19,1863
Directions: The next few pages are
dedicated to creating an
information text analysis folder!
Cut out the questions and glue
them to your manila folder using
the template.
About the Author
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln, the 16th
president of The United
States, is most well known for
his major role in preserving
the Union during the Civil War
and abolishing slavery.
Lincoln was elected president
in 1861 and was assassinated
in 1865. His most famous
speech, The Gettysburg
Address, was given in
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, as
a way to reiterate the
importance of human equality
and commemorate Union
soldiers that were killed during
the Battle of Gettysburg. The
speech was just over 2
minutes long and is known as
one of the best speeches given
in American history.
Famous Quotes:
“Better to remain silent
and be thought a fool than
to speak out and remove
all doubt.”
“Character is like a tree
and reputation like a
shadow. The shadow is
what we think of it; the
tree is the real thing.”
“A house divided against
itself cannot stand.”
Student Instructions
Step ONE: Read and interpret The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln
Step TWO: Cut out the templates on the next 6 pages and glue them in your manila folder
as shown below
Step THREE: Reread The Gettysburg Address and analyze the text using the questions
provided in your portfolio.
Use highlighters, post it notes, and the arrows on the next few pages to indicate where
you found your answers!
GRADING: Use the rubric to determine what you are being
graded on!
Template for manila folder:
Cut and paste this to the FRONT of your manila folder!
Analyzing Informational Text
Title of text: ____________________
1)
What time period was this text written during?
2) Create a list of 5 words or phrases that you did not know prior to reading the
text. Look up the meaning of each word or phrase and create a sentence using
them correctly.
3) What figurative language is used in the text? How does the author’s word choice
and development relate to the audience?
4) What are two of the main ideas of the text? Explain and analyze how these main
ideas are developed throughout the body of the text.
5.) What is the author’s point of view? Explain whether or not you feel as though this was the
most effective choice.
6.) Explain, in your own words, the significance of this text.
7.) List two of the common themes that occur throughout the entire passage. Use specific
examples.
8.) In your opinion, do you feel as though the speaker was effective in his or her argument?
Explain your answer using examples from the text.
9.) Using the given text, cite strong textual evidence that supports your analysis of
what the author’s purpose is.
10.) Using the text, make inferences about the deeper, underlying meaning of the
passage.
Questions About the Text


Cut and
paste this
column
on the
right side
of your
folder!

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
Create a list of unknown
vocabulary terms here!
Cut and
paste this
column
on the
right side
of your
folder!
In your own words, summarize the meaning
of the text here!
Cut and
paste this
column
on the
right side
of your
folder!