Southern Support during the Civil War
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Procedures:
This lesson tackles several ambitious and critical areas of history: historical
scholarship, primary sources, and essay writing. It approaches the task of
essay writing in a deliberate, instructional way. Students must deal with
conflicting scholarship and attempt to resolve the differing points of view.
This lesson would be appropriate for secondary students towards the end or at the end of a unit on the Civil War. Students should understand the basic facts and issues involved in the war.
When introducing this lesson, make it clear that the final product is a well-argued essay answering the question, "Did southern soldiers and civilians gradually abandon the Confederate cause as the war progressed?" Students will access both primary and secondary accounts that deal with this question before attempting to construct their essay.
Students should access the Valley of the Shadow's newspaper search engine to look for newspapers from Augusta County, a county in central Virginia. Brainstorm with students about useful keywords to search to generate evidence for the overall question. Some suggestions include "support," "encouragement," and "morale." Have students fill out the note-taking sheet as they find useful articles.Students could also read Nancy Emerson's diary, a very thorough narrative account that captures events and attitudes over time. Ms. Emerson was from Massachusetts but moved to Virginia to live with her brother, a preacher in Augusta County. She was strongly pro-Confederate throughout the war.
Students should read excerpts from thee different scholars, Drew Gilpin Faust, Gary Gallagher, and Paul Escott, with differing opinions that address the overall question. Make sure that students know the overall objective as they read. Instruct them to fill out the two columned note-taking sheet for each scholar as they read the passages.
Having access to a dictionary will be useful. On-line dictionaries are also an option.
At this point, your students are ready to begin constructing their essay. If your students are new to writing essays, some tips are included in the Assessment Section.