April 1865 was a momentous month in American history. On April 9, the Confederate army under Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Union forces of Ulysses S. Grant, effectively ending the Civil War. Then on April 14, the victorious President...

Several lesson plans for high school aged young scholars that are standards-based to help them learn about the Civil War.

An absolute find in your search for information on women's roles during the Civil War. Resources too numerous to list-- find diaries, letters, documents, and photographs. Of particular note, see the Carrie Berry Diary: "passages from the...

A quick comprehension check over Reconstruction and issues during the Civil War.

A comprehensive look at the domestic policies of the Lincoln Administration. Although the many issues involved with the Civil War were top priority, many decisions about other domestic problems were made that had a lasting effect. From...

The Enlightenment's emphasis on reason shaped philosophical, political, and scientific discourse from the late 17th to the early 19th century. This article traces the Enlightenment back to its roots in the aftermath of the Civil War, and...

In this activity, students will analyze primary sources and evaluate the degree to which they demonstrate Civil Rights advances following President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's 1941 Executive Order providing equal opportunity in defense...

The Emancipation Proclamation changed the focus of the Civil War. Read about its importance, but also its inability to free a single slave in the South. Find a link to Abraham Lincoln which explains his change of thinking about the only...

This site describes the jurisdiction of the Federal Court system. The site breaks the court's jurisdiction into three main areas of institutional conflict: Federal Restraint of State Courts by Injunctions, Habeas Corpus: Scope of the...

This site details the controversial issues regarding slavery and the effects they had on the Civil War amendments as well as on the fifth amendment. The site discusses events such as the Dred Scott case, the addition of the Civil War...

This excerpt from an 1865 newspaper, Evening Star, contains multiple accounts of the night President Abraham Lincoln and Secretary of State William Seward were attacked. The attack came only five days after Confederate General Robert E....

The battlegrounds were not the only places affected by the Civil War. Read about how both the North and South carried out foreign diplomacy, the effect of the war on the economies of the two sides, and how the role of women in both the...

This is a collection of Grade-Leveled texts (3-12) to address the question, "How are we changed by war?" Select a grade level and a collection of on grade-level reading passages on the topic comes up. [Free account registration required...

In this activity, students will analyze documents from the War Department's Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands - better known as the Freedmen's Bureau - that Congress established on March 3, 1865, as the Civil War was...

A very brief overview of the Civil War, the casualties, and the horrific social and economic effects across the nation. Included is a map that shows when each Southern state seceded from the Uniion.

People enslaved Africans for their enforced labor from before America's founding until the end of the Civil War. Learn about the history of slavery, its effects on a budding nation, and the fight to abolish it. This collection includes...

This site highlights the westward expansion of settlers in North America and the effects this expansion had on Native Americans between the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.

PBS' four-part series, "Africans in America," highlights the antislavery movement, including a focus on John Brown's Raid on Harpers Ferry. Content includes a description of the event, as well as the after-effects including the news of...

A selection from Suetonius that describes the actions Caesar took at the Rubicon River, why he did it, and the effects of this move.

Investigate the mystery of the sinking of the Confederate submarine Hunley. Explore the mechanics of waterproofing a seal, and compare and contrast the effectiveness of a metal-to-metal seal versus one that uses a rubber gasket.

Based on a true account, this book tells the story of Salva Dut, an 11-year-old boy separated from his family by the civil war in Sudan, and Nya, a girl from a small village who walks miles each day to fetch water for her family....

Much of Virginia was devastated after the Civil War so a period of rebuilding commenced. Follow Reconstruction through the different plans, the effects on African-Americans and the South. This slideshow has pictures,charts, and maps to...

Article reports on the chaos in the Republican party, and the long term effects this presidential election season could have on the GOP.

This primary source set uses photographs, videos, reports, speeches, and memorandums to explore the motivations and effectiveness of the Great Society. Includes Teacher's guide.