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Fugitive Slave Act - A Higher Law

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As part of the Compromise of 1850, the Fugitive Slave Law created a mechanism for recapturing fugitive slaves across the country. This video describes the open resistance to the Fugitive Slave Law from individuals, organizations, and state governments in the North. When watching the video, consider what were the terms of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850? Why was enforcement of the act so controversial? How was the act resisted? What was meant by a "higher law" doctrine?

Material Type: Module

Author: William Black

The Battle of History

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Establishing a new birth of freedom for African Americans was contested at almost every step. While some significant gains were made, the hope of aligning the nation with its revolutionary ideals of freedom and equality was only half accomplished in the short term. More than a century later, the ideals are still there, and the challenge continues. The Battle of History provides a summary analysis of the successes and failures of Reconstruction, how the era was presented historically, and the legacy of that period.

Material Type: Module

Author: William Black

Freedom: A Cruel Delusion - The End of Reconstruction

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Reconstruction in the South ended when conservative white southern Democrats regained political power in the region. This video analyzes how and why that happened and what it meant for southern blacks. When watching the video, consider why was the Civil Rights Act of 1875 passed? Despite this act, how and why did northern resolve to sustain reconstruction begin to wither in the 1870s? What decisions by the Supreme Court limited reconstruction? Who were the "Redeemers"?

Material Type: Module

Author: William Black

Freedom: A Cruel Delusion - Radical Reconstruction

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Radical Republican attempts to reshape the South met southern resistance to those efforts. One form of resistance was the Ku Klux Klan, a terrorist organization whose purpose was to maintain southern white control over blacks through violence and intimidation. The origins and actions of the Klan are examined in this video. When watching the video, consider why did Radical Republicans enact the Military Reconstruction Act (1867) and subsequent acts of "radical reconstruction"?

Material Type: Module

Author: William Black

Freedom: A Cruel Delusion - The Fourteenth Amendment

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The Fourteenth Amendment is one of the most important additions ever added to the original Constitution. This brief video examines its key provisions and their significance. When watching the video, consider why was the Fourteenth Amendment proposed? What are its most important provisions? Why were advocates for women's rights disappointed? What were the short-term effects of this amendment?

Material Type: Module

Author: William Black

The Work Begins - Early Reconstruction

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Ex-slaves who tried to exercise freedom as Reconstruction began encountered obstacles on almost every front. This video analyzes these issues and the adjustments being made. When watching the video, consider why did blacks think the Federal Government might distribute land to freedmen after the war? Why wasn't this done? Why did the sharecropping system evolve? What was the Freedman's Bureau? What did it do? What did freedom mean to ex-slaves?

Material Type: Module

Author: William Black

Reconstruction—A Period of Hope

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When the Civil War ended with northern victory, the Union was preserved and freedom for slaves was secured. However, important political, social, and economic issues remained on the agenda, and the America people now faced the daunting task of reconstructing the nation. What were the major issues facing the United States as the nation began reconstruction after the Civil War? To what extent would the shape of the reconstructed nation resemble the old?

Material Type: Module

Author: William Black

The Stage for War

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Even before Abraham Lincoln took office as president of the United States, the Union itself had collapsed. As the new president finished his inaugural address, the stage was set for war. The inevitability of the Civil War has been the subject of many debates. Could the Civil War have been avoided?

Material Type: Module

Author: William Black

Igniting the Rebellion - Election and Secession

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Raging emotions spilled over into the election year of 1860 when Lincoln and the Republicans achieved a remarkable victory. Seven states in the lower South quickly proceeded to enact ordinances of secession. This video analyzes the presidential election of 1860 and its results, including the secession of the seven southern states. When watching the video, consider why did the Democratic party split into three factions prior to the presidential election of 1860? Who were the candidates of each faction and what did they stand for?

Material Type: Module

Author: William Black

Igniting the Rebellion - John Brown

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This video examines John Brown's raid on Harpers Ferry and the consequences of this action. When watching the video, consider why did John Brown organize a raid on Harpers Ferry? Why did Brown fail to accomplish his immediate objective? How and why was John Brown's hanging turned into a major event? Was he crazy? Was he a traitor? Was he a martyr? What did the South think of his exploits?

Material Type: Module

Author: William Black

Lincoln's Campaign - Mr. Lincoln

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Abraham Lincoln's path to national attention begins with his early interest in politics and evolves into a commitment to freedom for all. When watching the video, consider what was Abraham Lincoln's family background? How successful was he by 1858? What was Abraham Lincoln's political background? How had his political views been shaped? Why did he become a Republican in 1856? What were his political convictions by 1858, particularly in reference to slavery?

Material Type: Module

Author: William Black

The Legacy

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 Preserving the Union had come at great cost. But, strangely perhaps, the crucible of the Civil War had brought about a new birth of freedom for slaves and the triumph of free labor capitalism. Some refer to the Civil War as nothing less than the "Second American Revolution" for many reasons. Considering the toll the war took on the country, the factors that led to a Northern victory, and the consequences of that victory, how did the Civil War fundamentally transform America?

Material Type: Module

Author: William Black

Final Stages - The End

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On April 9, 1865, General Lee surrendered his army at Appomattox. Just five days later, President Lincoln was assassinated. When watching the video, consider how did the developments on the battlefields affect the elections of 1864? How did the Republicans broaden their appeal? What was significant about the results? Why did the Confederacy collapse in the late winter and early spring of 1865?

Material Type: Module

Author: William Black

Final Stages - Total War

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 When Ulysses S. Grant became the general-in-chief of the Union forces in 1864, he quickly put into place his plan for a coordinated offensive on all fronts. The success of Grant's strategy of "relentless" war, including Sherman's march to the sea, secured the reelection of President Lincoln and broke the back of the Confederate armies. When watching the video, consider what happened during Grant's military engagements with Lee in Virginia in 1864–1865?

Material Type: Module

Author: William Black

Turning Points - The Gettysburg Address

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The battlefield at Gettysburg was dedicated as a war memorial on November 19, 1863. This video analyzes Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, an eloquent speech that gave meaning to the appalling sacrifices of war and called upon the nation to pursue a new birth of freedom. When watching the video, consider why is President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address significant? What ideas did he express? How did he give meaning to the war What lessons continue to be taught by battles fought during the Civil War?

Material Type: Module

Author: William Black

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