Presentation U.S. History Primary Source Timeline
Overview In 1861, the United States faced its greatest crisis to that time.
-
The North During the Civil War The Civil War had fewer devastating effects on the North than the South simply because most of the combat of the Civil War occurred on Southern soil.
African-American Soldiers During the Civil War In 1862, President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation opened the door for African Americans to enlist in the Union Army. Although many had wanted to join the war effort earlier, they were prohibited from enlisting by a federal law dating back to 1792.
Civil War Soldiers' Stories It is virtually impossible to measure the human costs of the Civil War, the hardships and suffering it caused. What we do know is that millions of people grieved for the loss of loved ones.
The Freedmen Hundreds of thousands of African Americans in the South faced new difficulties.
Reconstruction and Rights When the Civil War ended, leaders turned to the question of how to reconstruct the nation. One important issue was the right to vote, and the rights of black American men and former Confederate men to vote were hotly debated.
Part of
- Primary Source Sets
- Lesson Plans
- Presentations
Additional Navigation
-
Teachers Home
The Library of Congress offers classroom materials and professional development to help teachers effectively use primary sources from the Library's vast digital collections in their teaching.
- Analysis Tool & Guide
To help your students analyze these primary sources, get a graphic organizer and guides.
Presentation U.S. History Primary Source Timeline
When the Civil War ended, leaders turned to the question of how to reconstruct the nation. One important issue was the right to vote, and the rights of black American men and former Confederate men to vote were hotly debated. In the latter half of the 1860s, Congress passed a series of acts designed to address the question of rights, as well as how the Southern states would be governed. These
acts included the act creating the Freedmen's Bureau, the Civil Rights Act of 1866, and several Reconstruction Acts. The Reconstruction Acts established military rule over Southern states until new governments could be formed. They also limited some former Confederate officials' and military officers' rights to vote and to run for public office. (However, the latter provisions were only temporary and soon rescinded for almost all of those affected by them.) Meanwhile, the Reconstruction acts
gave former male slaves the right to vote and hold public office. Congress also passed two amendments to the Constitution. The Fourteenth Amendment made African-Americans citizens and protected citizens from discriminatory state laws. Former Confederate states did not get congressional representation until they adopted this amendment. The Fifteenth Amendment guaranteed African American men the right to vote. Most of the documents in this section are related to the right to vote and
how voting actually occurred in Southern states. Other rights are also discussed in some of the documents. As you read the documents, weigh the various arguments that are made. Also, look for similarities with issues or concerns that have been raised in more recent U.S. history.Documents
Part of
- Primary Source Sets
- Lesson Plans
- Presentations
Additional Navigation
- Teachers Home
The Library of Congress offers classroom materials and professional development to help teachers effectively use primary sources from the Library's vast digital collections in their teaching.
-
Analysis Tool & Guide
To help your students analyze these primary sources, get a graphic organizer and guides.