History Explorer Results (45)
Related Books (7)
Resource Type(s):
Artifacts, Primary Sources
The Battle of Gettysburg was a critical turning point in the American Civil War. During the first three days of July 1863, over 172,000 men and 634 cannons were positioned in an area encompassing 25 square miles.
Resource Type(s):
Artifacts, Primary Sources
Civil War battle rattle used on smaller ships to call all hands to battle stations.
Resource Type(s):
Reference Materials
This online exhibition explore the role of the portable printing press in conveying information during the Civil War. The ability to communicate quickly in wartime can profoundly affect military actions and outcomes. The invention of portable tabletop printing presses at the time of the American
Resource Type(s):
Artifacts, Primary Sources
A match safe, lantern, frying pan, and cup would have been part of a soldier’s equipment. Hardtack is the name given to a thick cracker made of flour, water, and sometimes salt.
Resource Type(s):
Lessons & Activities, Primary Sources
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 th
Resource Type(s):
Artifacts, Primary Sources
The Confederate battle flag, known as the “Stars and Bars,” was born of necessity at the Battle of Bull Run. Amid the smoke and general chaos of battle, it was hard to distinguish the Confederate "Stars and Bars" from the U.S. national flag, the "Stars and Stripes.” General Pierre T. Beaure
Resource Type(s):
Artifacts, Primary Sources
During the Civil War, the Bowie knife was popular with Confederate soldiers, whose arms generally were inferior. The blade, made of steel, was up to 14 inches long. In general, the bowie is usually classified as any large knife with a chipped point.
Resource Type(s):
Artifacts, Primary Sources
This is the type of jacket that would have been worn by a Confederate medical officer.
Resource Type(s):
Artifacts, Primary Sources
The kepi is similar to the forage cap. It was copied from the French officer's hat. The crown could be colored, usually for the branch of service of the wearer. The kepi was shorter than the forage cap, and was not very popular because it did not protect from the rain or sun.
Resource Type(s):
Artifacts, Primary Sources
On April 21, 1861, Virginians claimed an abandoned navy yard at Norfolk, Virginia. There they found the sunken hull of the burned USS Merrimack. The Merrimack was raised and on June 23, 1861 the Honorable S. R. Mallory, Confederate secretary of the navy, ordered it to be converted to an ironclad.
Reading Level:
Late Elementary School,Middle School
Fleishman's depiction of the first Civil War battle relies on individual voices to give a human face to history. The result is at once intimate and sweeping, a heartbreaking and remarkably vivid portrait of the Civil War and war itself.
Reading Level:
Middle School
Twelve-year-old Charley Quinn loves the excitement and the gang fighting that are part of his life in New York City's Bowery in 1864. When his sister's fiance threatens to send him to an orphanage, Charley runs off with Union army enlistees and is taken on in Virginia as a drummer boy.
Reading Level:
Late Elementary School
An emotional Civil War story about two soldiers who become friends.
Reading Level:
Early Elementary School,Late Elementary School
Meet Robert Smalls, a man who was born a slave, but made a daring escape and went on to become a U.S. Congressman.
Reading Level:
Late Elementary School,Middle School
Orphaned, angry, and bitter, twelve-year-old Will arrives in the Virginia Piedmont immediately after the Civil War to live with relatives he has never met. Now, Will lives with his uncle who didn't fight in the war that robbed him of his entire family and come to terms with his feelings regarding
Reading Level:
Late Elementary School,Middle School
Peck masterfully describes the female Civil War experience, the subtle and not-too-subtle ways the country was changing, and the split in loyalty that separated towns and even families.
Reading Level:
Late Elementary School
An African-American family moves to Kansas after the Civil War to create a new life.
