Primary
University of Maryland

University of Maryland: John Jacob Omenhausser, Civil War Sketchbook

For Students 9th - 10th
Point Lookout, Maryland, 1864-1865 John Jacob Omenhausser was a Confederate soldier who was imprisoned towards the end of the American Civil War, from June 1864 to June 1865, at Point Lookout, Maryland. During his stay there, he...
Website
Northern Illinois University

Illinois Historical Digitization Projects: Illinois During the Civil War

For Students 9th - 10th
What a find! Watch videos, read essays, and find first-person accounts of the Civil War in relation to Illinois. Although no battles were fought there, the state contributed many regiments.
Website
Library of Congress

Loc: Civil War Soldier in Wild Cat Regiment: Tilton Reynolds Papers

For Students 9th - 10th
This site is provided by the Library of Congress. Through this collection of primary documents telling of the Civil War experience of Captain Tilton C. Reynolds, a member of the 105th Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteers, you can find out...
Primary
Other

Library of Congress: Civil War Faces

For Students 9th - 10th
A collection of well over 1,000 photographs of Union and Confederate soldiers from the Civil War, as well as some family members. Each photo is accompanied by a caption. Click on the 'Show more' link at the top of the page for additional...
Website
Civil War Home

Home of the American Civil War: Letters About the Civil War

For Students 9th - 10th
Get some first-hand information about a soldier's life during the Civil War from this large collection of letters, most of which were written by Confederate Soldiers. There is also a diary written by a member of the 20th Indiana Regiment...
Website
Other

Civil War Letters: Letters From an Iowa Soldier in the American Civil War

For Students 9th - 10th
Students read letters from an Iowa Soldier in the Civil War.
Website
Smithsonian Institution

National Portrait Gallery: Civil War at the Smithsonian

For Students 9th - 10th
This site is produced by the National Portrait Gallery and is dedicated to examining the Civil War through the Smithsonian extensive collections. Contains many primary source exhibits such as diaries and portraits, focusing mostly on the...
Lesson Plan
Success Link

Success Link: Civil War 1861 1865

For Teachers 9th - 10th
An eight-lesson unit on the Civil War using Patricia Beatty's young adult novel, Charley Skedaddle, as the unifying text. Geared mainly for middle school, but certainly has good information for high school young scholars as well.
Lesson Plan
US National Archives

National Archives: The Civil War as Photographed by Mathew Brady

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students will surmise what life was like for soldiers fighting in the Civil War by viewing photographs from that time period. Students will answer questions in small groups and reconvene for a whole class discussion.
Website
Virginia Historical Society

Virginia Historical Society: Conclusion: Did the Civil War End at Appomattox?

For Students 9th - 10th
While the American Civil War officially ended at the Battle of Appomattox, Confederate sensibilities ran deep and it was not until the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s that blacks were able to fully assert their equality....
Primary
US National Archives

Nara: Prologue Magazine: Women Soldiers of the Civil War

For Students 9th - 10th
Prologue Magazine provides a pictorial essay and background information on the role of women during the Civil War.
Handout
Georgia Humanities Council and the University of Georgia Press.

New Georgia Encyclopedia: History and Archaeology: Black Troops in Civil War Georgia

For Students 9th - 10th
The New Georgia Encyclopedia provides an article describing the role, recruitment, and enlistment of black troops in Georgia during the Civil War.
Lesson Plan
PBS

Civil War: In the Classroom: Civil War Letters [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
A lesson plan using letters from soldiers and civilians in the Civil War to gain a greater understanding of this time in U.S. history.
Website
Other

Connecticut Military Department: Connecticut Men in the Civil War

For Students 9th - 10th
Included are histories of the various Connecticut regiments that served in the Civil War. From the 1898 book, " Record of Service of Connecticut Men in the War of Rebellion, 1861 to 1865."
Handout
The History Cat

The History Cat: Soldiers in the Civil War

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes what life was like for soldiers during the Civil War.
Lesson Plan
US National Archives

Docsteach: Black Soldiers in the Civil War

For Teachers 9th - 10th
In this activity students will analyze a two-page poster that the Government used to recruit recently freed slaves to fight for the Union Army during the Civil War. The poster refers to the Emancipation Proclamation and to President...
Handout
Civil War Home

Home of the American Civil War: Women in Uniform in the Civil War

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about the women who actually fought during the Civil War and what provoked them to do this. From the Civil War Society's "Encyclopedia of the Civil War."
Primary
National Humanities Center

National Humanities Center: Toolbox Library: Emancipation: Civil War Ii: Soldiers

For Students 9th - 10th
Photographs of and letters from slaves and former slaves who fought for the Union or were forced to fight for the Confederacy during the Civil War.
Website
Library of Congress

Loc: Civil War and Reconstruction

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from the Library of Congress provides overviews of the South and North during the Civil War include soldiers' stories from both sides. There are primary documents on these topics as well as Freedmen and the Reconstruction.
Lesson Plan
US National Archives

Docsteach: Comparing Civil War Recruitment Posters

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students will compare and contrast military recruitment posters to analyze various perspectives regarding the role of African Americans during the Civil War. They will determine the purpose of each poster - one recruiting black men for...
Website
Library of Congress

Loc: Prints & Photograph: Photographs of African Americans During the Civil War

For Students 9th - 10th
A Library of Congress collection of digitized photos of African Americans during the Civil War, including photos of soldiers and freedmen. From the Library of Congress.
Website
Other

Vermont in the Civil War: Lest We Forget

For Students 9th - 10th
This site is dedicated to Vermont, and its involvement in the Civil War. Use the topics on the left to navigate the site to find information about the Vermont units involved, battles fought, a timeline, and personal accounts of Vermont...
Lesson Plan
Library of Congress

Loc: Women in the Civil War: Ladies, Contraband and Spies

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This lesson plan uses primary sources - diaries, letters, and photographs - to explore the experiences of women in the Civil War. By looking at a series of document galleries, the perspectives of slave women, plantation mistresses,...
Website
Kidport

Kidport Reference Library: The Civil War

For Students 3rd - 5th
Here is a summary of the factors that led to the Civil War. You can also link to pages with photos on battles, forts, communication, hospitals, and more.

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