The Civil War

It was one of the most distressing times in our nation’s history. U.S. soldiers fighting U.S. soldiers, sometimes brothers fighting brothers. And for what? Many economic, political and social issues divided the Northern and Southern states, including the election of President Lincoln, but one of the biggest issues was slavery. In May 1865, after four years of battles that resulted in a loss of more than 620,000 lives, the North won the War, thus preserving the Union and abolishing slavery. To find out more about the Civil War, use the direct links on The Times’ Launch Point Web site: https://www.latimes.com/launchpoint/.

Here are the best sites for getting your schoolwork done or for just having fun.

Level One

The History Place: The U.S. Civil War: Feb. 9, 1861, saw the birth of the Confederate States of America with Jefferson Davis serving as president; the Civil War would begin two months later with ultimately eleven states choosing to withdraw, or secede, from the United States. Trace the events of the Civil War through this illustrated timeline that features maps and archival photographs.

https://www.historyplace.com/civilwar/

The Civil War 1861-1865: The Underground Railroad started operating thirty years before the Civil War and consisted of a network of people who helped slaves travel to Canada and gain their freedom. Learn about abolitionists Sojourner Truth and Laura Smith Haviland and find out about the role Michigan played in the Civil War.

https://www.sos.state.mi.us/history/museum/explore/ museums/hismus/prehist/civilwar/introciv.html

Make a Civil War Drum: Though 9-year-old drummer Johnny Clem was the youngest soldier to serve in the Civil War, there were many other boys who played drums, bugles or fifes to wake up soldiers and tell them when to assemble and how fast to march. Learn how to make your own drum as well as discover the meaning behind Civil War flags.

https://www.sos.state.mi.us/history/museum/kidstuff/civilwar/drummaki.html

Level Two

Timeline of the Civil War, 1861-1865: The Civil War began with the attack on Fort Sumter and continued with important battles at Bull Run, Gettysburg, Atlanta and Richmond. Read how the Union army, led by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, finally defeated the Confederate army, led by Gen. Robert E. Lee.

https://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/tl1861.html

U.S. Civil War: Secession! When the Southern states decided to form their own government, did they defy Article 1, Section 10, Clause 1, of the U.S. Constitution, which states that: “no state shall enter into any treaty, alliance, or confederation”? Hear both sides of this question as junior high students take on the roles of Unionists and Secessionists.

https://www.kusd.edu/schools/bolt/features/1998_civil_war/us_civil_war.html

Letters From an Iowa Soldier in the Civil War: “I did think when I left Home that the war would not last over 15 months But now I would not Be Surprised If it last 5 years.” Read actual letters from an infantryman that show him enduring battles, loss, sickness and the news of his sweetheart marrying another. (But there’s a happy ending: He marries his correspondent once the war is over.)

https://www.ucsc.edu/civil-war-letters/home.html

Level Three

The American Civil War: Explore the story of the Civil War through maps, photos, historical accounts and documents such as Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address: “We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom; and that this government of the people, by the people for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

https://www.californiacentralcoast.com/commun/map/civil/civil.html

The Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War: This collection of letters, diaries, photos, maps and newspapers lets you discover for yourself what life during the Civil War was like in both a Northern and a Southern community.

https://jefferson.village.virginia.edu/vshadow2/

American Civil War: The Emancipation Proclamation of January 1863 freed all slaves in the rebelling states; during that same month, the first black troops were recruited for the Union army. Learn about the issues and events of this war, which culminated in the emancipation of all slaves through the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865.

https://www.encarta.msn.com/schoolhouse/civilwar/civilwar.asp

Launch Point is produced by the UC Irvine department of education, which reviews each site for appropriateness and quality. Even so, parents should supervise their children’s use of the Internet. This week’s column was designed by Andrea Girma, Grace Lim, Richard Watson, Stan Woo-Sam and Anna Manring. Photographs courtesy of the Constellation Foundation and Fort Tejon.

EXPLORER’S QUEST

The answer to this Internet quiz can be found in the sites at right.

According to Lincoln, what woman “wrote the book that started this great war”?

Clue: See The American Civil War

Find What You Need to Know: Have a project on California history? Need help doing a math problem? Launch Point now covers more than 40 topics for getting your schoolwork done. Go to https://www.latimes.com/launchpoint/ for the full list of subjects and direct links to the best Internet sites.

Answer to last week’s Quest: The ancient Romans invented concrete.