Lincoln and the "Writ of Liberty"

Choosing sides is no easy matter, and this was certainly true for the citizens of Baltimore in the beginning stages of the Civil War. Using video, group analysis of several primary sources, and discussion, this detailed and thorough...

Students determine how President Lincoln promoted emancipation. In this slavery lesson, students examine primary documents, including the U.S. Constitution, to reconstruct Lincoln's attempts to end slavery and deliver the Emancipation...

Students discuss the significance of the announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation and the assassination of Lincoln. They analyze how historians use evidence and develop differing interpretations. Students examine historical bias and...

When, if ever, is the government justified in restricting individual rights? When, if ever, should the "greater good" trump individual rights? To prepare to discuss this hot-button topic, class members examine primary source documents,...

Eighth graders study the concept of Habeas Corpus. In this Civil War lesson, 8th graders research the reasons for and against suspending the writ of habeas corpus. Students analyze various documents.

Get high school historians to step outside their own shoes by responding to JFK's inaugural address from the perspective of a civil rights activist, a soviet diplomat, or a Cuban exile. After a class discussion about the address, the...

Designed as a teacher resource, a packet identifies resources and approaches instructors can use to incorporate jazz into their history classes. Materials are identified by historical era, from the roots of jazz prior to World War I to...

Students explore the use of martial law at the Battle of New Orleans. For this Andrew Jackson lesson, students analyze primary documents pertaining to the move by Jackson to use martial law in the battle. Students then consider...

Students investigate President Abraham Lincoln's use of the U.S. Constitution and its importance to the Civil War. In this US history instructional activity, students read text about President Lincoln and the US Constitution. Students...

Young scholars research the case of Lambdin Milligan, a confederate supporter who was sentenced to death in Indiana during the time of the Civil War. They investigate the need to suspend civil liberties during the time of war.