Civil War 150: War Ends, Political Pursuit Continues

Develop Vocabulary
English, Reading, Social Studies, U.S. History

Terms used by Michael E. Ruane in “A War Ends” and by Philip Kennicott in “No Closure After Appomattox” are found in In the Know. Review these terms before reading the articles. Teachers may also ask students to find the words in context and define them.

Read About the End of the Civil War
Reading, Social Studies

The KidsPost article, “When the guns of the Civil War fell silent,” puts the surrender of Southern commanding general Robert E. Lee to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant into perspective of the four-year conflict. Questions to stimulate discussion are provided in “Surrender at Appomattox Court House.”

Remember Abraham Lincoln
Reading, Social Studies
The KidsPost article, “Reunited nation loses its leader,” focuses on the April day that rejoicing turned to sorrow. Questions for discussion would include:
1. Where was President Lincoln attending a play? What is the name of the British comedy?
2. Why did John Wilkes Booth’s presence at the theatre not concern anyone?
3. Where and when did President Lincoln die?
4. The funeral train carrying the slain president’s body departed D.C. on April 21, 1865, for its 1654-mile journey. It made stops in 180 cities, including Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, Buffalo, Columbus, Indianapolis and Chicago before its final destination of Springfield, Ill. Locate the cities on a map.
5. What happened to John Wilkes Booth? To those who assisted him?

Illustrate the War
Art, U.S. History, Visual Arts 

Washington Post Art and Architecture Critic Philip Kennicott examines Reconstruction and the influence of Civil War commemoration through a Winslow Homer painting and two photographs. Read "No closure after Appomattox." Teachers might discuss the three works before reading the article. Questions would include: What do students think is happening in each image? Who might the figures be in each? What details help to decipher the painting and photographs? What is the theme of Kennicott's article?

Teachers could ask students to interpret Civil War diary entries and narratives, history book accounts or newspaper accounts of domestic life and war. Give students "Capture the Civil War (in Your Imagination)" to stimulate ideas for the project. The sidebar of this student activity sheet provides many sources and examples of work done during the period.

Report as News Is Available
Journalism, U.S. History

The newspaper has been called the “first rough draft of history.” As events unfold and the results of actions take their course, updated drafts are published. This can easily be illustrated by events at Ford’s Theatre and Peterson House the evening of April 14, 1865. Read and discuss this sequence:
• “Detail of the Occurrence” published in The New York Times, with the dateline “WASHINGTON, Friday, April 14 — 12:30 A.M.
• “Awful Event | President Lincoln Shot by an Assassin | The Deed Done at Ford’s Theatre Last Night” the stacked headline of the front page of The New York Times April 15, 1:30 A.M. edition.
• The New York Herald published seven editions over 18 hours, beginning with the April 15, 2:00 a.m. edition. In the Newseum’s special exhibit, “President Lincoln Is Dead,” all editions are displayed.  

Read The Washington Post’s article about the exhibit, “Newseum exhibition follows the day of Lincoln’s death, edition by edition.” Teachers who have access may use the ProQuest Civil War Era database for the New York Herald (1840-1865) to read the seven editions of April 1865.

Pitch an Assignment
English, Journalism, Media Arts, U.S. History

Teachers may give students an introduction to the publications that brought news of the war and illustrations to the public. These would include Harper’s Weekly magazine, Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper, Appleton’s, The New York Herald, The New York Times, Richmond Enquirer, The Charleston Mercury and other Confederate newspapers.

The Army of the North did give correspondents, sketch artists and the few photographers who managed to carry the heavy equipment access to their camps and battlefields. The equivalent to today’s press pass was required. Give students “A Civil War Press Pass.”

Before students can secure a press pass, they must decide on which battle front and with which regiment they wish to be attached. The Civil War 150 timeline and maps from previous Washington Post special coverage may be used or the selections found in "Triumph and Tragedy" may help students decide on a topic. After they have done the research, they must pitch the story they want to cover and where they want to have access.

Be a Civil War Reporter
English, Journalism, Media Literacy, U.S. History

Give students “Think Like a Reporter | Write a News Story.” As students follow the steps in this exercise, they will prepare to write a news article about a Civil War event. Teachers may limit the topics or time period. Students could also use the "Triumph and Tragedy" maps and timeline to select a subject for their articles.

Consider Conflicting Loyalties
English, Social Studies

Although Washington, D.C., was the capital of the North, it was a city of conflicting loyalties. Southern members of Congress brought their domestic slaves with them and slave auctions were held at the same time that abolitionists were delivering lectures and a Republican was elected president. On April 16, 1862, President Lincoln issued the District of Columbia Emancipation Act. This is one of several issues debated during this period.

Give students the chart “Consider Conflicting Loyalties.” They are to name individuals with different points of view about an issue of the time. Indicate to what cause or point of view they adhered and provide a quotation and action to support this position.

After students have selected their issues and representatives, place them in groups to share their conclusions.

Present Human Experience
Art, Career Education, Journalism, Media Literacy, Visual Arts

A number of artists worked as sketch artists and illustrators for newspapers and magazines, covering both Northern and Southern troops and domestic life. They learned to sketch rapidly, capture details, and move about with daring and determination to find the newsworthy events. Some like Edward Caledon Bruce (Robert E. Lee) and Louis-Mathieu-Didier Guillaume (Stonewall Jackson) are known for one painting. Others like Alfred Gustin and Jasper Green are remembered for their war coverage, but not beyond.

Give students “Artists and Writers Who Communicated.” There were other well known artists, but it would be difficult for students to find information about them. The URLs are beginning points for research.
• Frederic Church (1826-1900) 
• John Adams Elder (1833-1895)   
• Sanford Gifford (1823-1880) 
• Winslow Homer (1836-1910)      
• Eastman Johnson (1824-1906) 
• Henry Mosler (1841-1920)    
• Thomas Nast (1840-1902) 
• William Ludwell Sheppard (1833-1912)
• David H. Strother (1816-1888)    
• Alfred Waud (1828-1891)   

Note Civil War Writers
English, Reading, Social Studies

Teachers can ask students to read accounts written during the Civil War era. These writers are young and old, slave, abolitionist and Southern sympathizer. They provide perspectives, eyewitness accounts and uncertainties in prose and poetry. Give students “Artists and Writers Who Communicated” as a starting place to select an author.

Nathaniel Hawthorne took a break from his fictional writing to interview war-time leaders in D.C. and write “Chiefly About War Matters” in 1862 for The Atlantic. Discuss and compare his thoughts with those of transcendentalists and abolitionists who were his neighbors.

Slave narratives, Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the works of Frederick Douglass could be compared and contrasted by student readers.  

Walk With Walt Whitman
Drama, English, Social Studies, U.S. History

Walt Whitman’s writings and life provide compelling information for a Reader’s Theatre script. Whether hunting for his brother on the battlefield, working in government offices or volunteering in hospitals; in early poems or later reflections, he is interacting with the human experience.

He made dozens of small notebooks from paper and ribbon to carry with him as he visited wounded Civil War soldiers. Many excellent resources, such as "Whitman's Drum Taps and Washington's Civil War Hospitals" are available to students to add depth to their scripts.