The North and South each had advantages and disadvantages, but by the end of 1862, the war seemed to have reached a stalemate, a condition that might have placed the Confederacy of the verge of an ultimate victory. At the end of 1862, what were the advantages and disadvantages on each side? Why did it appear the Confederates were winning?
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The battles at Bull Run, Shiloh, Antietam, and Fredericksburg were some of the major battles that took place during the first two years of the Civil War. These battles showed people in both the North and the South that the war would be far costlier and longer than they first expected. When watching the video, consider what was meant by the "eastern theater" of the war? What was important about this theater of war? How decisive were the battles fought there during 1861 to 1862? Why was Lincoln frustrated with many of his generals?
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The two legendary military commanders of the Civil War were General Ulysses S. Grant of the Union and General Robert E. Lee of the Confederacy. Though they were very different men, both were brilliant commanders who shared a willingness to take risks. When watching the video, consider how did generals Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee compare as military leaders?
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As the Civil War began, spirits were high on both sides, and many were optimistic that it would be a short war. Meanwhile, political and military leaders made choices that brought thousands of people into harm's way. Individuals had to choose if they were going to fight for a cause that might take the last full measure of devotion. This video analyzes the reasons people signed up to fight and the advantages each side held. When watching the videos, consider how did both the North and the South respond to the fall of Fort Sumter?
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The Civil War fundamentally transformed the United States. But at the time of the first shots fired at Fort Sumter in 1861, it was far from clear what would happen in the ensuing conflict. Fort Sumter, located in the harbor of Charleston, South Carolina, was the most prominent federal installation still in the hands of the federal government in the seceding states in March 1861.
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In 1861, America stood on the brink of civil war. This video focuses on the words of Abraham Lincoln in his first inaugural address as he spoke to an anxious, divided nation.
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The Civil War holds a special place in American memory. Battlefield sites, historical markers, books, websites, and family histories are just some of the reminders of the conflict that tested the very survival of the nation.
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Secession and possible war may have been averted by the provisions of the Compromise of 1850, but serious issues still divided the South and the North. Southerners were particularly anxious about the northerners' willingness to abide by the terms of the new Fugitive Slave Act. Meanwhile, the North continued to grow stronger throughout the 1850s. Gains and losses for both the North and South were part of the Compromise of 1850, but overall, it was not a true compromise.
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When California applied for admission to the United States as a state, the issue touched off a much broader debate in the U.S. Senate. This video analyzes those issues and the attempt to reach a compromise on them. When watching the video, consider how did the California gold rush help precipitate a political crisis by 1850?
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The state of the nation in 1850 is examined through regional locations. When watching the video, consider what characterized life in each of the six featured geographical areas?
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As America evolved in the first half of the nineteenth century, two different identities, the North and the South, emerged. The South was known for its slower agrarian way of life dependent on slavery, while the North was known for its rapidly changing commerce and free-labor ideology. These divisions set the stage for the looming civil war, but why is it that this war lives on in American memory?
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During 1861–1862, the realities of the Civil War began to hit home. It was clear this war was not going to be resolved quickly on the battlefields, and its effects would change the course of the nation and its people. Key developments on home fronts during the Civil War affected the economy, society, and politics of both the North and the South. What were these developments and how did they affect the eventual outcome of the war?
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The South had a very different experience during the Civil War compared to the North. This video examines the southern home front, featuring the experience of Augusta County, Virginia. When watching the video, consider what actions did the Confederate government take in its attempts to sustain the war effort? What limited the effectiveness of the government’s actions?
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Sustaining the war on the home front was critical for victory. This video analyzes how people and institutions in the North were affected by the war and focuses on Franklin County, Pennsylvania, as a case study. When watching the video, consider once the war began, why and how did the U.S. Congress enact legislation that affected industrial, agricultural, educational, and financial institutions? What were the short-term and long-term effects of this legislation?
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This video analyzes two of the most important decisions made by President Lincoln during the Civil War: issuing the Emancipation Proclamation and using black troops. When watching the video, consider why was President Lincoln's original position on emancipation very cautious? What sort of pressure did Frederick Douglass and other abolitionists put on Lincoln?
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After the Supreme Court's 1857 decision in the Dred Scott case, compromise seemed legally impossible. By ruling that slaves were property and that slaveholders could take them wherever they wanted, the Court affirmed the belief that the Constitution was a proslavery document. "Slave power" appeared to be in total control of the national government.
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This video analyzes the background, the Supreme Court's decision, and the immediate effects of the Dred Scott case. When watching the video, consider who was Dred Scott? On what grounds did he sue for his freedom? What was the majority decision in the Dred Scott case? Why did Chief Justice Taney and the majority make this ruling? What did the minority dissent claim? What did the Dred Scott decision mean to African Americans?
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This video examines the shifting political realignment of the 1850s, highlighted by the emergence of a new sectional party, the Republicans. When watching the video, consider why did the Kansas-Nebraska Act prompt a restructuring of the political party system? Why did the Whig Party die? What was important about that? Why did some northern Democrats have difficulty with the Kansas-Nebraska Act? Why was the Republican Party successful in attracting supporters in the North?
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As western expansion continued, so too did the issue of slavery in new territories. This video analyzes the causes and consequences of Stephen Douglas' Kansas-Nebraska Act. When watching the video, consider what were Stephen Douglas' motives for introducing the Kansas-Nebraska Act? What were the terms of this legislation? How did it affect Indian peoples in the region?
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Uncle Tom's Cabin, a novel dealing with slavery in America written by Harriet Beecher Stowe, became a literary phenomenon in the 1850s. This video briefly examines the immense impact this work had in spreading the abolitionist cause. When watching the video, consider why was Uncle Tom's Cabin so popular in the North? What did Southerners think about it? How influential was this book on shaping attitudes toward slavery?
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