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1 ACTIVITY #2 African-American Troops and Robert Gould Shaw of the 54th Massachusetts Regiment Introduction Will the slave fight? If any man asks you, tell him "no"… But, if anyone asks you, will a Negro fight? Tell him YES! --Abolitionist Wendell Phillips One of the ironies of the Civil War was that in a fight to end slavery, African-Americans were initially denied the right to participate. During the first two years of fighting, President Abraham Lincoln claimed the fight was to save the Union, and that African-Americans had no place in the war. However, with the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, the objectives of the war changed and African-American regiments were formed. Overview This activity helps students understand the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation on changing the nature of the war, as well as how that change was manifested in the entry of African-Americans to the Union cause. In this activity, students view a video clip from The Civil War on the formation of African-American regiments, particularly the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, explaining the difficulty African-American soldiers faced in being accepted as equals and how their bravery brought a modicum of acceptance, albeit reluctantly, by white soldiers. Students also analyze the final letter by Robert Gould Shaw, commander of the regiment, to his wife the day before the Union assault on Battery Wagner. Student questions provided here can be used for general class discussion or individual assessment. Answers to the questions are included. Resources Letter from Robert Gould Shaw to his wife Annie Video Clip Bottom Rail on Top (Episode 5, Chapter 8) Lesson Standards PBS.org/civilwar 2 McREL U.S. History Standard 14: Understands the course and character of the Civil War and its effects on the American people o Level II (Grades 5-6) Understands the provisions, and significance, of the Emancipation Proclamation (e.g., reasons Abraham Lincoln issued it, public reactions to it in the North and the South). Understands the impact of the Civil War on social and gender issues (e.g., the roles of women on the home front and on the battlefield; the human and material costs of the war, the degree to which the war united the nation, and how it changed the lives of American women, men, and children). o Level III (Grade 7-8) Understands how different groups of people shaped the Civil War (e.g., the motives and experiences of Confederate and white and African-American Union soldiers, different perspectives on conscription, the effects of divided loyalties) o Level IV (Grade 9-12) Understands how the Civil War influenced both military personnel and civilians (e.g., the treatment of African-American soldiers in the Union Army and Confederacy, how the war changed gender roles and traditional attitudes toward women in the work force) Common Core Key Ideas and Details CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.2 o Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text. Craft and Structure CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.4 o Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social science. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.5 o Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or advance an explanation or analysis. PBS.org/civilwar 3 Extension Activities Have students compare the situations and prejudices faced by the 54th Massachusetts Regiment with those faced by the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II. Students might also research the roles of African-Americans (and other minorities) in World War II, the types of duties they had compared to white soldiers, as well as their treatment in society in general during the 1940s. Formulate an assessment of the similarities and differences in duties, treatment and prejudice the two groups faced. In an earlier letter Colonel Shaw wrote to his wife Annie on June 9, 1863, he described the Raid at Darin, Georgia. In the letter, he described an altercation he had with his commander, Colonel James Montgomery. Colonel Montgomery ordered Shaw to have his men loot residents’ homes and then burn the town down. Stage mock trial of Colonel Shaw, presuming he refused to follow orders as suggested in the letter. Students may be assigned roles of Colonel Shaw, Colonel Montgomery, and other officers and soldiers. Open with a morality question of honor versus obligation: Does a soldier’s obligation to follow orders outweigh refusing to do something he believes morally wrong? (Other examples the teacher might draw on regarding this issue include whether Nazi concentration camp guards could be tried as war criminals if they were simply following orders, the role of American soldiers involved in the My Lai massacre during the Vietnam War, American soldier treatment of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Graib prison,). This Activity was written by Michael Hutchison and Greg Timmons. About the Authors Michael Hutchison is the social studies department chair at Lincoln High School. Vincennes, Indiana. He has more than 35 years of classroom teaching experience, and has written lessons for several Ken Burns films, including The Civil War, Empire of the Air, Horatio’s Drive, Unforgivable Blackness, The War, Baseball, The Tenth Inning, Prohibition, The Dust Bowl, and The Roosevelts: An Intimate History. He is past president of the Indiana Computer Educators. In 2014, he was named winner of the Caleb Mills Indiana History Teacher of the Year Award by the Indiana Historical Society. Greg Timmons has been a social studies teacher for over 30 years. He has written lessons for several PBS productions including The NewsHour, FRONTLINE, and various Ken Burns’s productions including The War, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea Baseball, Prohibition and The Dust Bowl.” He resides in Montana and Washington state. PBS.org/civilwar