Unit 8 Discussion

@Terry Roberts

Impact of the Civil War

In History in the Making, Chapter 16, you learned about the political, economic, and social impact the Civil War had on the American people. However, your textbook only provides an overview of how the war affected different segments of the population. Therefore, your task for this activity is to conduct historical research in order to better understand the impact of the war on blacks, women, or soldiers. This activity should help you recognize the role of diversity in American society as well as to undertake historical research and compose a compelling historical argument based on your findings. (Learning Outcomes 6, 12,13,15 and 16)

Suggested Readings (Possible Sources):

Freedman & Southern Society Project: http://www.freedmen.umd.edu/

      The Civil War: Women and the Home Front: http://guides.library.duke.edu/content.php?pid=41224&sid=303304

      Civil War Trust Primary Sources Page: http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/primarysources/#personal-correspondence

      eHistory Primary Sources and Documents (Ohio State): http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/sources/

      The Valley of the Shadow: http://valley.lib.virginia.edu/

      The Time of the Lincolns: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/introduction/lincolns-intro/

      Africans in America, Part 4-Judgement Day:http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/title.html

      Digital History, Civil War Documents: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/era.cfm?eraID=7&smtID=3

      Additional sources from the GALILEO Scholar, your campus library, or the internet.

Focus Question:

Use the following question to guide your thinking and to prepare for the class discussion. In this activity, you will address one major question: What was the significance of the Civil War on the lives of blacks, women, OR soldiers (or how did the war change their lives)? In formulating your response to this question, you should think about the war’s political, economic, and social impact.

Directions:

You must post a summary of your findings for the class to discuss.

You must choose to focus on: (1) northern and southern blacks; (2) northern and southern women; OR (3) soldiers on both sides of the conflict. After conducting your research, you must answer the question listed above. Remember you need to base your response on reliable historical sources. This post should not a statement of your opinion. It should be a statement of your interpretation of the evidence you compiled to support your position.

In your initial discussion post, you need to summarize key points and share one or two examples of the war’s impact from your research. Please remember to proofread your posts before you submit them as well as to list any relevant sources you used as evidence. After making your initial post, you should respond to at least two of your classmates.