Today in History–March 11–the Library of Congress features General William T. Sherman, who destroyed the Confederate arsenal upon capturing the town of Fayetteville, North Carolina, on this date in 1865. Just about one month later, the Confederacy surrendered, ending the Civil War. Learn more about Sherman as well as war-time work carried out by women by visiting the Today in History section. For…
Activity overview Close reading is an opportunity to read and reread thoughtfully and with purpose. By breaking down the analysis of texts and other primary sources into distinct chunks, you can increase rigor and help students more easily climb the staircase of complexity required by the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). In this primary source…
Today in History–January 28–the Library of Congress features Julia Ward Howe, who became the first woman elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters on this date in 1908. Howe and her husband were active in the abolitionist movement. Later, time spent with Union troops inspired Howe to write the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” to the tune…
Today in History–January 21–the Library of Congress features Confederate general Stonewall Jackson, born on this date in 1824. An orphan, Thomas Jonathan Jackson devoted his life to the military as a soldier, teacher, and leader. Learn more about this man known for standing his ground by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to access more resources…
Today in History–November 23–the Library of Congress features the Battle of Chattanooga, which commenced on this day in 1863. During this three-day Civil War battle, Union forces drove Confederate troops into Georgia, setting the stage for Union General William T. Sherman’s triumphant march to the sea a year later. Learn more by visiting the Today in History section, then click the links below to…
Today in History–November 20–the Library of Congress features Howard University, founded on this day in 1866. Originally established as a seminary for African-American clergymen, the founders soon broadened their mission to include liberal arts and medicine. The university was named for one of its founders, Major General Oliver O. Howard, a Civil War hero and commissioner of the Freedmen’s Bureau. Find out…
The Union victory over Confederate forces at the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863) is considered a major turning point in the Civil War. But it was also the costliest in terms of human lives—more than 51,000, nearly one-third of all forces engaged, were killed, reported missing, or wounded.[1] Soon after, a project to build a…
Today in History–November 6–the Library of Congress features Jefferson Davis, elected president of the Confederate States of America on this day in 1861. Davis was a celebrated veteran of the Mexican War and served as secretary of war under Franklin Pierce. As a U.S. senator, Davis worked to keep the Union in tact but when his home state of Mississippi seceded,…
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…
Today in History–October 16–the Library of Congress features John Brown, who led a raid of Harper’s Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia) on this day in 1859, seizing the town’s United States arsenal and rifle works and taking 60 prominent locals hostage. The group hoped to spark a rebellion of freed slaves and to lead an “army of emancipation.” The group…
Zoom into this map (online | .pdf) and use the primary source analysis tool (digital | paper) to analyze this source. Read “Damn the Torpedoes!” from the New York Times Disunion series, then take another look at this map. Explain new insights into this map that you gained. Analyze another primary source related to the 1864 Battle of…
Today in History–August 23–the Library of Congress features the capture of Fort Morgan, Alabama by the Union navy on this day in 1864. Earlier in the month (August 5), when Admiral David Farragut was warned of mines (referred to as torpedoes) in Mobile Bay, he reportedly replied, “Damn the torpedoes!” and ordered the ship to continue its course. Although the…