Experiences of the War

This activity helps students understand the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation on changing the nature of the war, as well as how that change was manifested in the entry of African-Americans to the Union cause.

Learn how African-American troops fought for the north in this excerpt from The Civil War: A Film by Ken Burns. Lincoln authorizes the first African-American troops. The 54th Massachusetts regiment, under Robert Gould Shaw, attacks Fort Wagner, South Carolina.  Learning Objectives: SWBAT identify how African Americans played an integral role in the Civil War.    Key Vocab: 54th Massachusetts Regiment General Robert Gould Shaw Fort Wagner, South Carolina

This activity shows students how both in the North and in the South, music was used extensively during the Civil War to rally troops and the public. Different versions of familiar songs, in which both sides borrowed each other’s tunes or lyrics, are presented. It was not uncommon for each side to serenade the other, or for battle to stop while an impromptu concert was held. Singing an “altered rendition” of one side’s favorite song was often done to poke fun at the enemy. Students will examine lyrics of “Battle Cry of Freedom” and “Dixie” with versions from both sides, and make conclusions about the lyrics. Student questions provided here can be used for general class discussion or individual assessment. Answers to the questions are included.

In this lesson, students will use one of the major tools of a historian: personal letters. These primary source materials provide firsthand evidence of events and information on the perspective, cognition, values, and attitudes of the person writing the letter.

Learn about the men who enlisted in the Union and Confederate Armies, and listen to excerpts of Civil War letters written by Generals Grant, Lee, and Sherman, and rank-and-file soldiers.

On July 14, 1861, Sullivan Ballou, a major in the Second Rhode Island Volunteers, wrote a poignant letter home to his wife in Smithfield. He wrote of his deep love for her, his desire to see their sons "grow up to honorable manhood," and the possibility that he might not return; saying, "If I do not, my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name." One week later, Major Ballou was killed in the first Battle of Bull Run.

Explore a collection of images highlighting life during the Civil War. The Union Army Balloon Corps was established to observe enemy positions from above, in balloons piloted by aeronauts like Professor Thaddeus S. Lowe. The U.S. Military Telegraph Corps was created to support the communications needed between officers on the battlefield and President Lincoln. More than a thousand operators sent and received messages across 4,000 miles of telegraph wires. Over 400,000 soldiers were held in Union and Confederate prison camps, an estimated 56,000 of whom died while emprisoned. The Civil War also created a refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands fleeing their homes.

View a gallery of images of Confederate and Union Army regiments, troops, and infantry from Pennsylvania to Georgia, Virginia to Massachusetts. From 1861-1865, more than three million men fought in the American Civil War, and over 600,000 lost their lives in battle.

Explore a gallery of images of drum corps and bands of the Civil War era. Regimental bands consisted mostly of brass and percussion instruments. They served an important purpose during the Civil War by playing at recruitment rallies, boosting morale among soldiers, and playing songs that weary soldiers would march to as they prepared for battle.

Explore images taken from Civil War-era hospitals. The sheer number of wounded and ill soldiers tested the medical community during the Civil War and challenged doctors and nurses to find ways to treat the thousands of injured, sick, and maimed. Homes, churches, and any viable structure near battlefields would be converted into field hospitals. Many soldiers died of diseases during the war, such as dysentery, pneumonia, typhoid and more. Hospitals began to assess and separate the injured into categories, from mortally wounded to treatable and needing surgery. This form of triage is still used today.