Religion and the Civil War: A Guide for Pre-Service Teachers
Help students understand the how religious beliefs shaped Americans’ understanding of the Civil War using sheet music from the Library of Congress.
Abraham Lincoln and the Jews
Students learn about the sixteenth president’s relationship with Jewish Americans and his policy of religious tolerance.
Handbook of Texas Online
This website contains a vast collection of resources on Texas history and culture.
Civil War Poster!
What can a quilt, a map, some photographs, a haversack, and a receipt tell you about the past?
William Steinway Diary, 1861-1896
Daily life in 19th-century New York City, music history, and Civil War commentary all in one place.
Union Cavalry
The development of the Union cavalry forces was behind that of the Confederates which was considered, " the best Cavalry in the world." but its late formation did not hinder its eventual success.
Great Expectations for the Civil War
Many believed the Civil War would be a short, bloodless battle. The reality of the drawn out combat led many soldiers in the North and South to desert the military to return home to farm and family.
Civil War Photos: What Do You See?
Analysis of photographs of Civil War artillery broadens students understanding of the American Industrial period.
Breaking the Confederate Line at Antietam
Hour by hour account of how Union Generals moved on the battlefield at Sharpsburg.
Robert Gould Shaw
Where does the glory of Robert Shaw and the men of the 54th Massachusetts reside?
Forty Acres and a Mule
The origin of the “Sherman Reservation” in Special Field Order No. 15, by which the Southern coastal low country was set aside for resettlement by ex-slaves.
Stonewall Jackson and the Battle of Chancellorsville
The Confederate battle plan at Chancellorsville was extraordinarily daring and risky.
Deserters in the Civil War
What happened to Civil War deserters after they deserted?
Roads to Antietam
You’re a Union general on the eve of Antietam. You know Lee’s plans. What will you do?
Civil War Peace Offers
Olive branches from the North? Did the United States ever negotiate possible Union troop withdrawal in order to gain support from regions within the Confederacy?
John Brown, Harpers Ferry, Students, History and Technology
Middle school students interpret history at Harpers Ferry.
Prologue to Studying the Emancipation Proclamation
An 8th-grade class analyzes letters about the Emancipation Proclamation.
Register for Your Virtual Seat: Smithsonian Education Online Lincoln Conference
If you missed this two-day online event, watch the videos from the Abraham Lincoln: a Smithsonian Education Online Conference on the website.
Who Earned a Medal for Cutting Costs by Starving Confederate Prisoners?
Almost two million dollars allocated to feed prisoners was returned to the U.S. Treasury.
Save the Date! National Teach-In on Lincoln!
Register now for this program with expert historians geared for middle and high schoolers.
A New Look at Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln turned to the developing field of photography to broaden his public presence.
What Happened to the Fenians After 1866?
Ireland’s revolutionary struggle against Britain played out in North America as well as in Europe.
The Reason Behind the "Stars and Bars"
Find out how this battle flag came into being.
A History Institute for Teachers
What do our students need to know about the Civil War? Join this webcast from the Foreign Policy Research Institute.
Summer Surfing
Summer is a great time to wile away some hours on the internet. Here are some starting points we recommend.
Samuel J. May Anti-Slavery Collection
With over 300,000 pages available for full-text searching, this is one of the richest collections of anti-slavery and Civil War materials in the world.
Union Army Project
Presents medical and mortality statistics and records on 35,747 white males who served in the Union Army.
Slavery in New York
Nine galleries explore the history of slavery in New York City.
Making of America
Provides more than 1.5 million pages of text in an effort to digitize more than 11,000 volumes and 100,000 19th-century journal articles.
Abraham Lincoln Papers
Approximately 20,000 documents provide a window into President Abraham Lincoln’s life.
Kentuckiana Digital Library
Collects photographs, texts, and oral histories drawn from 15 Kentucky colleges, universities, libraries, and historical societies.
Battle Lines: Letters from America's Wars
More than 30 letters cover conflicts from the Revolutionary War to the War of 1812 to war in Iraq.
Africans in America
Trace the history of Africans in America through Reconstruction, with 245 images, maps, and documents.
American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar Launches Education Web Companion
The American Civil War Center at Historic Tredegar in Richmond, Virginia, recently launched an educational web companion helpful both to visitors to the Center and as a standalone teaching guide.
Florida State Archives Photographic Collection
Presents more than 137,000 photographs of Florida on specific localities from the mid-19th century to the present.
Lost Museum
Recreates the P.T. Barnum Museum as an interactive 3D exhibit and an archive of images, documents, accounts, and essays on 16 original Barnum exhibits.
Freedmen's Bureau Online
Read about crimes committed in the former Confederate states between 1865 to 1868.
Digital Scriptorium
12 collections provide primary sources on ads, health and medicine, the Civil War, sheet music, and more.
Digital Library of Georgia
Examines the history and culture of the state of Georgia, presenting an extensive range of primary sources.
Alexander Street Press
Databases of digitized firsthand accounts and literary works document periods in American history, the experiences of minorities, and other topics.
Valley of the Shadow: Two Communities in the American Civil War
Take a closer look at the Civil War with this extensive database that offers a comparison of two Shenandoah Valley counties—Augusta County, VA and Franklin County, PA.
Selected Civil War Photographs
Explore more than 1,000 Civil War photographs.
Accessible Archives
Presents articles from 18th- and 19th-century newspapers, magazines, and books, with a focus on the Mid-Atlantic region.