A Union Army Captain Testifies Before the Freedmen’s Commission (with text supports)
In May, 1861, Union General Benjamin Butler offered military protection to runaway slaves in Virginia, declaring them wartime "contraband." In every region touched by the war, African-American men, women, and children flocked to the protection [...]
Who Freed the Slaves: Weighing the Evidence worksheet
This worksheet helps students evaluate different pieces of evidence to determine who freed the slaves, Abraham Lincoln or slaves themselves. The worksheet is part of the activity "Emancipation and "Contraband": Who Freed the Slaves During the Civil [...]
Analysis Worksheet: A Runaway Slave Predicts "Freedom Will Reign"
This worksheet helps students analyze a letter from John Boston, a runaway slave during the Civil War, to his wife.
Active Viewing: Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided
PBS American Experience’s Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided is a 6 episode mini-series available as a 3 DVD set. The following activity focuses on the causes and consequences of Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation through an active [...]
Who Freed the Slaves During the Civil War?
In this activity students analyze visual and textual evidence about "contraband" African-American slaves during the Civil War era. They compare the roles of African Americans, the Union military, and the policies of the Republican party in [...]