Primary Source Learning: Civil War & Reconstruction Primary Source Set

Have students use the primary sources in this set to tell a story about a timeframe from the period 1861-1877 when the United States was wracked by civil war, fighting to preserve the Union and end slavery. This costly war (recent research puts the death toll at 750,000) raged for four years but putting the country back together took much longer. The story may focus on either aspect of this time period and may be in digital or print form. It could be nonfiction, fiction, poetry, or even a song. Click on each thumbnail image below to access the full size primary source. You may also use this primary set for a found poetry activity (click the previous link). Be sure to take a look at the Civil War & Reconstruction timeline as well as associated lesson plans (see below) and more Civil War resources.

6-pdr. field gun	Scott’s great snake	The battlefield of Gettysburg, July 1st, 2nd and 3rd 1863
Company E, 4th U.S. Colored Infantry	Zouave ambulance crew – removal of wounded	Officers of 114th Pennsylvania Infantry playing cards
Alexandria, Va. Soldiers’ Cemetery	The Freedmen’s Bureau	Gen. Samuel P. Heintzelman and staff at Arlington house
Flag of 37th Pennsylvania Infantry	Group of “contrabands” at Foller’s house	Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery, Robertson’s Brigade
Prayer for the southern cause	Walt Whitman Notebook	Dunlap, Kate. Diary, 1864-65
What are we fighting for?	Reconstruction	The Carpet-bagger

More Reconstruction teaching resources

• Reconstruction primary source set with teacher guide
• Civil War & Reconstruction primary source set with activity idea
• Civil War & Reconstruction Timeline primary sources & activities
  • The Freedmen
  • Reconstruction and Rights
  • The Travails of Reconstruction

• Handshake Deals: How Cartoons Told the Story of Reconstruction TPS Teachers Network Inquiry starter set
• Guided Primary Source Analysis Activities
  • The Carpet-bagger
  • The Constitutional Amendment
  • First Post-War Legislature
  • Strong-Weak Government

Civil War teaching resources

• Learning from the Source: Civil War Prison Experiences
• Learning from the Source: Gettysburg Address Image Sequencing
• Learning from the Source: Perspectives in Civil War Song Sheets
• Learning from the Source: Where Do I Run to? Where Do I Hide?
• Civil War Photographs: New Technologies and New Uses includes teacher’s guide
• Civil War Images: Depictions of African Americans in the War Effort

Primary source sets by time period

• Settlement primary source set
• American Revolution primary source set
• Young Nation primary source set
• Expansion & Reform primary source set
• Industrial America primary source set
• Progressive Era primary source set
• Great Depression & World War II primary source set
• Primary Source Learning: Postwar United States (1945-1968) primary source set