This is our catalog of courses. We will occasionally adjust the course listing to reflect the addition of new courses and the retirement of others.
In this deep-dive American history course, learn all about the American Civil War and get excited about history. Students will go beyond the causes & consequences and also study the military events, politics, and personalities of the time.
Total classes: 14
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 9th to 12th grade (NOTE: adjustments can be made to assignments in order to accommodate middle school students)
Suggested credit: One full semester History or American History
Description
The American Civil War, in many ways, finished the work of the American Revolution, settling the future course of the nation for years to come. The struggle of this conflict is one of the most American and epic stories in all of recorded history. This class briefly examines the causes and consequences of the Civil War, but focuses, primarily, on the politics, personalities, and military events that forged America into a unified country.
Outline
Week 1: Introduction and overview of syllabus and assignments
Background: Weeks 2-3
Week 2: Slavery, Anti-Federalism, and the Birth of the Nation
Week 3: The Crisis of the 1850s
The Glory of the Confederacy: Weeks 4-7
Week 4: The Spirit of ‘61
Week 5: The War at Sea
Week 6: Antietam, and the cost of War
Week 7: Devastation near Fredericksburg
Crushing the Rebellion: Weeks 8-11
Week 8: Gettysburg and Vicksburg
Week 9: The politics and society of war
Week 10: Overland, and to the Sea
Week 11: Medicine and Trenches
Week 12: The final campaigns
The Legacy of the Civil War: Weeks 13-14
Week 13: Reconstruction
Week 14: The Lost Cause
Materials and Homework
Course materials: Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era, by James McPherson, ISBN-10 : 019516895X, ISBN-13: 978-0195168952, (https://amzn.to/3b4WpeK or bookfinder.com).
NOTE: Middle school students are exempt from the course materials and required readings.
Homework: Writing is an integral part of demonstrating both the assimilation of knowledge, and the articulation thereof. Therefore, students will be guided through the process of writing a short (3- to 5-page, double-spaced) research paper on a subject related to the Civil War.
NOTE: Middle school students taking this course must instead write a one- to two-page book report.
One to two short (5-10 minutes), ungraded review quizzes based on classroom lectures and discussions.
