* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download YEAR 6: THE AMRICAN CIVIL WAR (6 lessons)
Georgia in the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Gettysburg Address wikipedia , lookup
Border states (American Civil War) wikipedia , lookup
Origins of the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
South Carolina in the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Mississippi in the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Military history of African Americans in the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Commemoration of the American Civil War on postage stamps wikipedia , lookup
Opposition to the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Hampton Roads Conference wikipedia , lookup
Union (American Civil War) wikipedia , lookup
United States presidential election, 1860 wikipedia , lookup
United Kingdom and the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
YEAR 6: THE AMRICAN CIVIL WAR (6 lessons) Contents Include: American expansion Slavery in the South Abolitionism The American Civil War The outcome of the War Suggested Teacher Resources: America, the story of us is an entertaining, if slightly melodramatic, documentary from which it would be good to show clips. Available on youtube. The History Channel website has some excellent clips and resources. The American Civil War (Dorling Kindersley) and The Civil War in Color by John C. Guntzelman. Lesson 1. American Expansion This unit of work follows on from the Declaration of Independence studied in Year 5 history. It is important to realise that the United States of America did not initially stretch all across the North American landmass. Instead, between 1776 and 1853, the United States acquired or purchased land from France, Spain, Great Britain and Mexico until the nation reached, in a well-used phrase, ‘from sea to shining sea’. The territory was slowly occupied by people moving ‘out west’, and Lewis and Clarke were the first European settlers in America to trek from the Atlantic to the Pacific Coast, mapping the terrain of the continent. See pages 99-102 of What Your Year 6 Child Needs to Know. Learning Objective Core Knowledge Activities for Learning To understand how America grew from the original thirteen colonies to stretch across the continent. America grew rapidly from the thirteen colonies ruled by the British, to a country which spread across the continent. Use the maps on pages 99 and 100 to find out when some of the most famous of America’s states became part of the United States, and who owned them previously (resource 1). America is comprised of many individual ‘states’, which are united by one government. Hence, the ‘United States of America’. People who travelled West and settled these new lands were known as pioneers. They travelled from the East in wagons called prairie schooners to start a new life. The native Americans suffered as a result of this incursion. Related Vocabulary expansion state union pioneers native Americans Assessment Questions What happened to the size of the United States after the American War of Independence? Study an image of Pioneers travelling in their wagon and establishing a house on the prairie, see here, here and here. Imagine being a young child in a family who move out west. Write a diary entry about the experiences, dangers and excitement of travelling out west. Which other countries did American gain land from? This episode of America, the Story of the USA, has some good sections on pioneers and westward expansion. See from 16:26 in particular. This is an fascinating animated map of American expansion. Why did the Native Americans and the pioneers come into conflict? What dangers did pioneers face when moving ‘out West’? 1. American Expansion State New York Mississippi Florida California Washington Louisiana When did it become part of America? Who did America gain it from? How did America gain it? 1. American Expansion (Complete) State When did it become part of America? Who did America gain it from? How did America gain it? New York 1776 Great Britain American Wars of Independence. Mississippi 1776 Great Britain American Wars of Independence. Florida 1819 Spain Acquired from Spain. California 1848 Mexico Gained through the MexicanAmerican War. Washington 1846 Great Britain Acquired as part of Oregon Territory. Louisiana 1803 France Acquired as part of the Louisiana Purchase. Lesson 2. Slavery in the South The American Civil War was ignited by slavery. If the abolition of slavery in England was studied in Year 5 history, the struggle in America should be a familiar topic to approach. Slavery was abolished throughout the British Empire in 1833, but it persisted in the United States of America until 1863. Individual states could decide whether or not to abolish slavery, and a situation in America developed whereby slavery was illegal in the North but remained legal in the South, where the labour intensive cotton and tobacco farms were found. Some southern slaves would escape their masters, and travel north to freedom. See pages 102-3 of What Your Year 6 Child Needs to Know. Learning Objective To understand why the states in the American South wanted to keep slavery. Core Knowledge The Southern American states used slave labour until the 1863, where slaves were used to work large farms (plantations) often picking cotton. The Southern States were afraid that the American President would abolish slavery. They believed that each state had the right to decide whether or not they should keep slaves. Life as a slave on an American plantation was extremely unpleasant, and many slaves attempted to escape. One escaped slave, Frederick Douglass, became America’s most famous abolitionist. Activities for Learning Shade in the slave owning states on a small map of the East Coast of America (resource 2). Read the extracts from Solomon Northup’s 12 Years A Slave (resource 3) and Frederick Douglass’ memoirs (resource 4). Based on these extracts, answer a series of questions about slave life as a cotton picker. This episode of America, the Story of the USA, has some good sections on slavery in the South. See from 7:54 and 20:57 in particular. The television series Roots (1977) is an excellent dramatizations of the life of Kunta Kinte, a slave on a plantation in Maryland, and some scenes would be suitable to show in class. Related Vocabulary plantation states cotton picker master Assessment Questions Why did states in the American South want to keep slaves? What was life like as a slave on a plantation in the American South? What did slaves do to resist their masters? 2. The Slave Owning South Below is a map of America, and a list of the states where slavery remained legal by 1860. Use a map of the American states to shade in the slave owning states. What do you notice about their geographical position? Slave States in 1860 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. Alabama Arkansas Delaware Florida Georgia Kentucky Louisiana Maryland Mississippi Missouri North Carolina Texas Tennessee South Carolina Virginia 3. 12 Years a Slave Solomon Northup was a free-born African-American who worked as a violinist and farmer near New York. Aged 33, he was illegally captured and sold into slavery in the Southern State of Louisiana. In this adapted extract, he describes being set to work in the cotton fields. “In the latter part of August begins the cotton picking season. At this time each slave is presented with a sack. A strap is fastened to it, which goes over the neck, holding the mouth of the sack breast high, while the bottom reaches nearly to the ground. Each one is also presented with a large basket that will hold about two barrels. This is to put the cotton in when the sack is filled. The baskets are carried to the field and placed at the beginning of the rows. When a new hand, one unaccustomed to the business, is sent for the first time into the field, he is whipped up smartly, and made for that day to pick as fast as he can possibly. At night it is weighed, so that his capability in cotton picking is known. He must bring in the same weight each night following. If it falls short, it is considered evidence that he has been laggard, and a greater or less number of lashes is the penalty. An ordinary day's work is two hundred pounds. A slave who is accustomed to picking, is punished, if he or she brings in a less quantity than that. There is a great difference among them as regards this kind of labor. Some of them seem to have a natural knack, or quickness, which enables them to pick with great celerity, and with both hands, while others, with whatever practice or industry, are utterly unable to come up to the ordinary standard. Patsey, of whom I shall have more to say, was known as the most remarkable cotton picker on Bayou Boeuf. She picked with both hands and with such surprising rapidity, that five hundred pounds a day was not unusual for her. Each one is tasked, therefore, according to his picking abilities, none, however, to come short of two hundred weight. I, being unskillful always in that business, would have satisfied my master by bringing in the latter quantity, while on the other hand, Patsey would surely have been beaten if she failed to produce twice as much. The cotton grows from five to seven feet high, each stalk having a great many branches, shooting out in all directions, and lapping each other above the water furrow… It is necessary to be extremely careful the first time going through the field, in order not to break the branches off the stalks. The cotton will not bloom upon a broken branch. Epps never failed to inflict the severest chastisement on the unlucky servant who, either carelessly or unavoidably, was guilty in the least degree in this respect.” 4. Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass was born into slavery on a plantation in Maryland around 1818, and in 1838 he escaped slavery and settled in New York. Douglass wrote an autobiography, and became America’s leading abolitionist. In 1872, he was the first African American to run for Vice President. This is an adapted extract from his memoirs, Narrative Life of Fredrick Douglass (1845). “We were worked in all weathers. It was never too hot or too cold; it could never rain, blow, hail, or snow, too hard for us to work in the field. Work, work, work, was scarcely more the order of the day than of the night. The longest days were too short for him, and the shortest nights too long for him. I was somewhat unmanageable when I first went there, but a few months of this discipline tamed me. Mr. Covey succeeded in breaking me. I was broken in body, soul, and spirit. My natural elasticity was crushed, my intellect languished, the disposition to read departed, the cheerful spark that lingered about my eye died; the dark night of slavery closed in upon me; and behold a man transformed into a brute!’ My first master's name was Captain Anthony - a title which, I presume, he acquired by sailing a craft on the Chesapeake Bay. He was not considered a rich slaveholder. He owned two or three farms, and about thirty slaves. His farms and slaves were under the care of an overseer. The overseer's name was Plummer. Mr. Plummer was a miserable drunkard, a profane swearer, and a savage monster. He always went armed with a cowskin and a heavy cudgel. I have known him to cut and slash the women's heads so horribly, that even master would be enraged at his cruelty, and would threaten to whip him if he did not mind himself. Master, however, was not a humane slaveholder. It required extraordinary barbarity on the part of an overseer to affect him. He was a cruel man, hardened by a long life of slaveholding. He would at times seem to take great pleasure in whipping a slave. I have often been awakened at the dawn of day by the most heart-rending shrieks of an own aunt of mine, whom he used to tie up to a joist, and whip upon her naked back till she was literally covered with blood. No words, no tears, no prayers, from his gory victim, seemed to move his iron heart from its bloody purpose. The louder she screamed, the harder he whipped; and where the blood ran fastest, there he whipped longest.” Lesson 3. American Abolitionism Abolitionism split America. It was led by members of the northern states, including many escaped slaves (such as Frederick Douglass) who had travelled north to gain their freedom. As in Britain, campaigns to raise awareness of the horrors of slavery were employed by the abolitionists, with memoirs and books such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin being some of the most effective campaigning tools. However, the abolitionist movement had little impact in the South, where the economy depended upon slave labour. When Abraham Lincoln, who sympathised with abolition, became president in 1860, trouble was on the horizon. See pages 103-4 of What Your Year 6 Child Needs to Know. Learning Objective To understand why the states in the American North wanted to see slavery abolished. Core Knowledge Activities for Learning Related Vocabulary Assessment Questions America had a similar abolition movement to Britain, involving key figures such as William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass. Study the life of Abraham Lincoln by completing a timeline of the major events in his life (resource 5). He is considered one of America’s greatest leaders. This website has a good outline of his life, and a useful video. abolition American Constitution Underground Railroad Lincoln Harriet Tubman What was the effect of Uncle Tom’s Cabin on the abolitionist movement? Harriet Beecher Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin leant a lot of power to the abolitionist movement. An important political figure in the American abolition movement was Abraham Lincoln, who became President of the United States in 1860. Read about the Underground Railroad and the life of Harriet Tubman (resource 6). Once pupils have learnt about this system for aiding escaped slaves, they could plan their own escape from a Plantation. How would they escape? What would they bring with them? How would they travel? For more information, and a video, see here. What role did Abraham Lincoln play in the campaign against slavery? Why did Southern states believe that they had the right to keep slaves? 5. Abraham Lincoln’s life 1809 1817 1832 1837 1858 1860 1863 1865 5. Abraham Lincoln’s life Complete Lincoln was born in a log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. His parents were religious Baptists, who owned a large farm and were reasonably wealthy. 1809 1817 Lincoln fought against the native Americans in the Black Hawk War, having previously worked as a woodsman, shopkeeper and postman. 1832 1837 Having become a strong opponent to slavery, Lincoln fought an election to the Senate. He did not win, but he gained much attention for his views on slavery. Lincoln became a lawyer in Illinois having taught himself the law in his spare time. He became known for being quick-witted and hard working. 1858 1860 When it looks as if Lincoln’s Northern States were likely to win the war, Lincoln passed the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing the slaves of the South. Lincoln’s father, Thomas, lost all of his land and money in a court case, and the family moved out West to Indiana. Here, they scraped a living on a small farm. Lincoln won the election to become President. This triggered the Civil War, as the southern states feared that Lincoln would force them to abolish slavery. 1863 1865 Just six days after the American Civil War ends with Lincoln’s victory, he was assassinated whilst watching a play in Washington DC with his wife. 6. The Underground Railway The most important thing to realise about the Underground Railroad was that it was not actually a railroad! It was a network of volunteers who helped escaped slaves flee northwards. The Underground Railroad was a vast network of people who helped slaves escape to the North and to Canada. It consisted of many individuals, both white and black, who helped slaves flee from the Deep South. According to one estimate, the South lost 100,000 slaves between 1810 and 1850. for. Money was also needed to improve the appearance of the runaways, as a black man, woman, or child in tattered clothes would invariably attract suspicious eyes. This money was donated by individuals and also raised by charitable groups, including vigilance committees. The Underground Railroad used terms used in railroading as a code language: the homes and businesses where fugitives would rest and eat were called ‘stations’ and ‘depots’ and were run by ‘stationmasters’, those who contributed money or goods were ‘stockholders’, and the ‘conductor’ was responsible for moving fugitives from one station to the next. Vigilance committees sprang up in the larger towns and cities of the North, most prominently in New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. In addition to raising money, the organizations provided food, lodging and money, and helped the fugitives settle into a community by helping them to find jobs. For the slave, running away to the North was not easy. The first step was to escape from the slaveholder. The fugitives would then move at night, generally travelling between 10 and 20 miles to the next station, where they would rest and eat, hiding in barns and other out-of-the-way places. While they waited, a message would be sent to the next station to alert its stationmaster. The fugitives would also travel by train and boat, travel that sometimes had to be paid The Underground Railroad had many notable participants, including Levi Coffin, a Quaker who assisted more than 3,000 slaves. The most famous Underground Railroad conductor was Harriet Tubman, who went by the code-name ‘Moses’. She was an escaped slave herself, and as a child she gained a severe head wound when she was hit by a metal weight for refusing to restrain a runaway slave. Having escaped the South, she then made 19 daring trips back to the South and escorted over 300 other slaves to freedom. Lesson 4. The Start of the American Civil War The American Civil War was triggered by Abraham Lincoln’s surprise election as President of the United States in 1860. He had previously given a widely reported speech condemning the evils of slavery, and was well known supporter of abolition. The South was not willing to take any chances. South Carolina was the first to declare itself independent of America, and other states followed suit by seceding (breaking away). They formed their own country and chose a plantation owner named Jefferson Davis as President. When the Southerners attacked the Fort Sumter in Charleston in April, 1861, the Civil War began. See pages 104-5 of What Your Year 6 Child Needs to Know. Learning Objective How did the American Civil War begin? Core Knowledge Activities for Learning When Lincoln was elected President, the Southern States were worried that they would be forced to abolish slavery so they declared their independence from the United States. Study a map of America showing which states were Unionist, and which were part of the Confederacy. Detail the differences between the two sides, according to geography, leadership and beliefs (resource 7). The Southern States joined together to form their own country, the Confederate States of America (the Confederacy), with their own flag and president. Design a recruitment poster for the Unionist army, calling for citizens to ‘defend the union’ and help abolish the evils of slavery. In order to defend themselves against American troops, the Confederacy appointed General Robert E. Lee to command their forces. The end of this episode of America, The Story of Us explains the start of the Civil War (from 41:00). This is the episode on the American Civil War from America, the Story of US. Related Vocabulary confederacy unionist independence abolish Lincoln Assessment Questions What did the Southern States do in response to Lincoln becoming President? What was the Confederacy? Why did the creation of the confederacy lead to Civil War? 7. The two sides in the Civil War Confederate Army Unionist Army What parts of America were they from? What parts of America were they from? What did they believe in? What did they believe in? Who were their leaders? Who were their leaders? 7. The two sides in the Civil War (complete) Confederacy Unionists What parts of America were they from? What parts of America were they from? They were from the Southern States, where slavery was still legal The northern states where slavery was illegal, such as New York, and slaves still worked on plantations. Massachusetts and Illinois. What did they believe in? What did they believe in? They believed that it was their right as states to decide whether They believed that slavery should be banned throughout the slavery was legal, and the President did not have the power to United States of America. They also were fighting to keep America make such a decision. This was a belief called ’states rights’. Once united, hence the ‘union’ as they did not want the country to split Lincoln was president, they simply wanted to be another country. in two over the issue of slavery. Who were their leaders? Who were their leaders? Jefferson Davis was elected as President of the Confederacy, in President Lincoln was their political leader, and General Ulysses S. their capital Richmond. General Robert E. Lee led their army. Grant led their army. Lesson 5. The American Civil War For the first two years of war, the Confederate army seemed to be the stronger force. However, in 1862 the war turned in favour of the Unionists. Lincoln seized this opportunity, and on 1 January 1863 the Emancipation Proclamation abolished slavery in the United States. The reason Lincoln did not do this immediately was that some states fighting for the Union, such as Delaware and Maryland, still allowed slavery, and may have joined the confederacy if slavery was abolished sooner. After the Battle of Gettysburg in summer 1863, it was clear that the Civil War would be won by Lincoln’s Unionists. See pages 104-6 of What Your Year 6 Child Needs to Know. Learning Objective Core Knowledge Activities for Learning Related Vocabulary What happened during the American Civil War? Lincoln waited until 1862 before the Emancipation Proclamation which freed the African-American slaves, in order not to drive away four slave owning states that were fighting for the Union. Study the speech of Lincoln’s Gettysburg address (resource 8), and work out what the message is. It is one of the most famous pieces of rhetoric in world history. The text is quite advanced, but will be good for improving literacy. emancipation proclamation Gettysburg rhetoric The Union army from 1862, enlisted Black soldiers to fight for their army. The film Glory is one of the best screen accounts of the Civil War, covering the story of America’s first black regiment of soldiers, formed after the Emancipation Proclamation. You could show a scene from the film, and use it as the basis for a creative writing task. The decisive battle in the Civil War was Gettysburg, in July 1863. Some months later, Lincoln made a speech on the battlefield. The progress of the war, from the Emancipation Proclamation to the surrender of the South, is covered in this episode of America, the Story of US from 35:40 to 45:20. Assessment Questions What two important decisions were made by the Unionists in 1862? Why did Lincoln wait until 1863 before he freed the American slaves? Why was Gettysburg such an important victory? What did Lincoln say in the Gettysburg Address? 8. The Gettysburg Address Abraham Lincoln delivered his address on November 19, 1863, as a dedication to a new cemetery for soldiers killed at the Battle of Gettysburg. Despite only talking two minutes to deliver, it is today remembered one of the most famous political speeches of all time. Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain— that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. 8. The Gettysburg Address Complete Abraham Lincoln delivered his address on November 19,1863, as a dedication to a new cemetery for soldiers killed at the Battle of Gettysburg. Despite only talking two minutes to deliver, it is today remembered one of the most famous political speeches of all time. ‘Score’ is an old-fashioned word for ‘twenty’, so he is talking about an event 87 years previously. Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. This is a reference to the 1776 Declaration of Independence, which created America and stated ‘all men are created equal’. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. This refers to the graves that have been dug in the cemetery for soldiers who died at the battle. Those who are still living should take inspiration from those who died at Gettysburg. They should take from their sacrifice ‘increased devotion’ to the cause of human equality. This ‘new birth’ would follow the first birth of American freedom with the War of Independence against the British. This is a description of democracy. Lincoln did not just free black people from slavery. He also gave them the right to vote. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. Lincoln is claiming that the Civil War is being fought over whether all American people, in particular black Americans, should be seen as having equal rights. They are standing on the Gettysburg battlefield, the scene of the largest and most important battle in the American Civil War. Lincoln is saying that what they say there today doesn’t really matter, as the land has already been ‘hallowed’ (made holy or spiritual) by the soldiers who died there for the cause of human equality. Their sacrifice is something that the world will never forget. By ‘the last full measure’ he means people who gave their lives. If the people ‘died in vain’ it means that their deaths were pointless. They have to make sure this is not the case, by winning the war and abolishing slavery. Lesson 6. Consequences of the American Civil War General Robert E. Lee and the Confederate army refused to surrender. Even after it was clear that they Union army were going to win, they fought right to the very end, and when they fled their capital of Richmond they even burnt down the city so that there was nothing for the Union army to capture. Having surrendered at a small town in Virginia called Appomattox, General Grant and President Lincoln insisted that a period of reconciliation take place. However, Lincoln was not able to see this achieved, as he was assassinated by a Confederate supporter named John Wilkes Booth just five days after Lee’s surrender. See pages 106-7 of What Your Year 6 Child Needs to Know. Learning Objective How did the American Civil War begin? Core Knowledge Activities for Learning The Unionists won the American Civil War, which meant that the Southern States remained part of the United States, and slavery was abolished throughout the country. Write an obituary for President Lincoln, explaining what he achieved as President, the importance of the Emancipation Proclamation, and how he died at Ford’s theatre. Explain why his actions as President will have such a lasting effect on American life (resource 9). This is a dramatic clip from a Lincoln biopic showing his assassination. When the war was over, General Grant and Lincoln were very keen to heal old wounds with the Confederacy. Only five days after the end of the War, President Lincoln was shot dead whilst at the theatre by a supporter of the Confederacy who opposed abolition. This is a good video about the last stand of the Confederacy, this is about the surrender at Appomattox, and this is about the consequences of the Civil War. Related Vocabulary assassination obituary Emancipation Proclamation Assessment Questions How did the Unionists finally win the Civil War? What was the attitude of Grant and Lincoln towards the surrendered Confederates? Why did John Wilkes Booth kill President Lincoln? What were the consequences of the American Civil War? 9. Lincoln’s Assassination