Smithsonian's History Explorer Resources Related To "Infantry Private Frock Coat and Hardee Hat"

West Point in the Making of America Homepage

Mon, 16 Jul 2012 15:29:15 GMT

This website looks at the lives of selected West Point graduates who attended the Academy between 1802 and 1918. Students will also learn about the U.S. Army's major functions in 19th and early 20th century America: building the nation's infrastructure of roads, bridges, canals, and railroads; exploring its territories from the Mississippi to the Pacific; and fighting its wars-the role of the West Pointers in engineering, exploration, and war.

Comparing Confederate and Union Soldiers in the Civil War

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 07:47:27 GMT

Use primary sources as the inspiration for comparing and contrasting the soldiers on either side of the Civil War. After examining uniforms and viewing two short video clips, students will develop questions and perform short research projects to uncover the motivations behind the Civil War and the conditions for the soldiers who fought. This lesson plan (which includes background information and full-color primary sources) was produced to accompany the exhibition The Price of Freedom: Americans at War, by the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.

The Civil War

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:22:31 GMT

From 1861-1865, Americans battled over preserving their Union and ending slavery. The Civil War is the focus of this section of The Price of Freedom: Americans at War, an online exhibition. This pivotal and complicated period of American history is divided into sections that allow students to focus either on a specific aspect of the war, or the conflict as a whole. The sections included are: John Brown, Fort Sumter, the Battle of Bull Run, major turning points, the war at sea, Wilderness to Appomattox, political leaders, military leaders, soldiers in blue and gray; battles and casualties and Reconstruction and the legacies of the war. A non-flash version of this site is available: The Civil War.

Who Am I? A History Mystery

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 16:05:24 GMT

In this interactive game, students select a mystery character from the Civil War and examine objects that hold the key to their identity, video footage, first person reenactments, oral history interviews, and lesson plans. This resource was developed in conjunction with the exhibition The Price of Freedom: Americans at War.

Voices of Bull Run

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 16:32:40 GMT

This unit will introduce the first major clash in the Civil War--the Battle of Bull Run--and encourage students to consider the perspectives of ordinary citizens of the North and the South and the impact of this battle on their lives. The activities are based on the award-winning young adult novel Bull Run by Paul Fleischman.