Download The American Civil War

The American Civil War in The Black Cottage
Robert Frost
The American Civil War – A brief overview
In the 19th century, there were huge differences between the northern and southern states
of America:
North (the Union)
South (the Confederacy)
Increasingly urbanised, with large
manufacturing centres
Rural, agricultural society, based on
plantations, and crops (labour intensive)
Increasing political power
Decreasing political power
Anti-slavery
Wanted slavery – needed cotton pickers
Task 1
Further research
Use these weblinks (all correct at time of publication), and any of your own research on the
Civil War, to add to these notes about the relationship between the northern and southern
states, and find out the key events of the war.

http://www.civil-war.net/

http://www.civilwarhome.com/overview.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War

http://americanhistory.about.com/od/civilwarmenu/a/civiloverview.htm
You might also want to search for and save any images relating to the war. Now create an
event map, image collage or diagram to represent the key battles, figures and causes of the
American Civil War, based on your research, and what you’ve learnt.
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The American Civil War in The Black Cottage
Robert Frost
Key events in the American Civil War
1860
Abraham Lincoln (anti-slavery) elected President.
On 20th December 1860 the Southern states took drastic action to protect
their own interests when a secession convention met in South Carolina, and
the Southern states began to break away from the Union. They later chose
Jefferson Davis as their President.
1861
War broke out, with the Union troops fighting for the North, and the
Confederates for the South. At least 600,000 would die by the end of the
war.
1863
The Emancipation Proclamation announced the end of slavery in states
under Union control.
1865
The North won the Civil War and occupied the southern states,
overseeing their reintegration into the United States of America.
Lincoln was assassinated on 14th April 1865.
Slavery was abolished in all states.
All men were given the vote and legal rights, regardless of race.
Battles and names referred to in The Black Cottage:
The Battle of Gettysburg (1st–3rd July 1863) was fought in and around the town of
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It had the largest number of casualties in the American Civil
War and was the war’s turning point. Union troops defeated the Confederate troops,
stopping an invasion of the North.
The Battle of Fredericksburg (11th–15th
December 1862) was fought in and around
Fredericksburg, Virginia. It is remembered
as one of the most one-sided battles of the
American Civil War. The Union Army
suffered terrible casualties.
John Greenleaf Whittier (1807–1892)
was an influential American Quaker poet
and ardent advocate of the abolition of
slavery in the United States. Both he and
William Lloyd Garrison, also a writer,
were passionately involved in the antislavery
cause.
Task 2
The Battle of Fredericksburg
Summary
Identify all the lines in ‘The Black Cottage’ which refer to the Civil War, and explore how
they add to your understanding of the effects of the war on American society and its
history. You might want to select any diction that you think is particularly important.
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