Confederacy Teacher Resources

Did the Confederate Army really consist of southern volunteers? Using primary sources, historians examine the story behind the "Twenty Negro Law" and realities of conscription during the Civil War. A letter and a lithograph (included as...

What were the advantages the Union had over the Confederacy? What were the advantages the Confederacy had over the Union? Compare the advantages of each side, and discuss who you'd think would win the war based on the information...

It's April 3, 1865, and Robert E. Lee's troops are all but surrounded. After four years of fighting, Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant sit down together to discuss terms of surrender. This resource, part three of three, glances over the...

A quiet, serene town in Pennsylvania became the setting for an integral battle in the Civil War. The Battle of Gettysburg, Lee's second invasion of the North, failed to secure ground for the Confederacy. This video, part two in a series,...

Rather than windmills, Ignatius J. Reilly, the hero of John Kennedy Toole's Pulitzer Prize-winning A Confederacy of Dunces, battles against modernity. Find out why Professor Walter Isaacson thinks Toole's novel should get viewers' votes...

Eighth graders explore the role of Jefferson Davis and his leadership of the Confederacy during the Civil War. They examine the command system used in the Confederacy and analyze the effectiveness of the command system.

Did you know that many women were Confederate spies during the Civil War? The resource focuses particularly on the important role women played for both the Union and Confederacy. It uses exercises such as a discussion, video, analyzing...

Did Lincoln know that victory for the Union was imminent? According to this video, which discusses the end of the Civil War (including a great anecdote about a historic coincidence between the beginning and end of the war), many...

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...

Upper elementary and middle school learners engage in this awesome lesson plan on the Civil War. In it, they watch streamed video, perform Internet research, engage in hands-on activities, and use their geography skills to locate...

Peek back in time and learn about the North and South of the American Civil War. Discussed in full are the causes, effects, major battles, and agreements that made Civil War history. Period technology, social changes, and the ultimate...

The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest single day of the Civil War — and ended with an arguably inconclusive result. A detailed video takes viewers through the troop movements and military strategy of the Union and the...

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 presentation and guided questions, help elementary historians understand the role Alabama played in the Confederate economy during the Civil War. The resource concludes with a newspaper article writing assessment.

Patriotism in the South and notions of patriotic sentiments are examined through primary document analysis. Learners read articles and letters written in the pre-war South to determine the role patriotism played in spurring on the war....

Can't travel to Richmond for your Civil War unit? This plan creates an authentic experience, using primary sources and the essential question: Over What Was the Civil War Fought? Historians examine the Appomattox Marker, the site of Gen....

What caused the American Civil War? Who were the major figures during this time? Focusing specifically on slavery and the attack on Fort Sumter, this resource provides a quick overview of some of the conflicts faced at this time.

Did you know that the president of the Confederacy during the United States Civil War did not originally advocate for secession from the Union? Discover more interesting facts about the first and only Confederate president with this...

Much of history is distasteful. Primary sources often reveal attitudes acceptable at the time that no longer are. But to understand controversial historical events, historians must examine primary sources that represent a wide variety of...

Students are divided into the Union and Confederacy of the Civil War and write a report and create recruitment posters for both sides. In this Civil War lesson plan, students then discuss each side and why they thought what they did.