4 The Civil War
The Civil War: Who Freed the Slaves?
Abraham Lincoln is known as the Great Emancipator for freeing the slaves. Historians have looked more closely in the past few years, and many have argued about whether he was the most important person in freeing the slaves.
In the last unit, you evaluated why slavery lasted so long. In this unit, you will find out that it took a war to end slavery. In this unit, you will decide who the most important factor was in freeing the slaves.
We will study the Civil War through the point of view of:
- Lincoln
- African Americans
- Congress
- The Military
You will be divided into groups that will address this question. You will write a script that addresses the question and we will perform this as a Readers’ Theater. Finally, you will evaluate who you think freed the slaves in your final essay.
We’ll also view the movie Glory to provide evidence to answer this question.
11/11 Read text “Martin Delany Becomes First Black U.S. Army Major,” 241-3. According to the northerners, why did we go to war? Why did Southerners go to war? Why did African Americans go to war? Write the answers, using RACE in your notebook.
11/14 Read War and Freedom, pages 246-50. Were blacks allowed to fight in the Civil War in 1861? What is a contraband? List 3 new roles for southern slaves
11/15 GloryRead “A Slave Remembers Choosing Freedom,” 249, “A Black Soldier Petitions for Equal Pay,” 256 and “Joseph Miller Describes Camp Life,” 257. Write a reflection in your notebook in which you react to each of these primary sources about the war.
11/16 GloryRead p. 249-50 “The Port Royal Experiment,” and answer the following questions in RACE format. Who benefited from the Port Royal Experiment?
11/17 Emancipation as Military and Political Strategy 250-253. What role do Frederick Douglass, Charles Sumner, and Benjamin Butler play in ending slavery? What are two actions Lincoln did to help African Americans in 1862? Did the Emancipation Proclamation free slaves?
11/18 Read Men of Color to Arms, 253 to 6. “Men of Color to Arms,” “Colored Troops,” “The Fight for Equal Pay.” What reasons did blacks give for not fighting in the Civil War? What was the name of the Massachusetts regiment? Give 2 examples that describe black participation in the war.
11/21 TheaterRead 255-7 “War’s Impact on Black Women” and “The Tide Turns – Victroy at Gettysburg.” Describe 3 situations black women might find themselves in during the war. Why is Gettysburg an important battle?
11/22 Write the essay Who Freed the Slaves?Wed 11/25
The Lincoln Institute sponsors The site, “Mr. Lincoln’s White House” with a grant from the Gilder Lehrrman Institute at http://www.mrlincolnswhitehouse.org/index.asp Also, read “Mr. Lincoln and Freedom” found at http://www.mrlincolnandfreedom.org/
You can find excellent information about the individuals on these sites.
http://www.mrlincolnandfreedom.org/inside.asp?ID=68&subjectID=4“Celebrating Secession Without the Slaves,” New York Times, November 30. 2010
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/us/30confed.html?_r=1&emc=eta1
Focus on African American vetshttp://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/history/aa_history.htm
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