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Handout
Other

Encyclopedia of American Foreign Policy: Civil War Diplomacy

For Students 9th - 10th
An article by noted historian, Kinley Brauer, discusses the role of foreign policy for both the North and the South in the Civil War. An interesting, and often forgotten, aspect of the war.
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Handout
Other

Civil War Diplomacy: Cotton Diplomacy

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about the Confederacy's attempt to manipulate the supply of cotton to England in an attempt to gain England's support of its war effort. Written by Kinley Brauer, noted historian.
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Primary
Yale University

Avalon Project: Constitution of the Confederate States of America

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource features text of the Constitution of the Confederate States of America.
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Website
Other

Georgia Info: Georgia in the Civil War

For Students 9th - 10th
Links to many sites that deal with Georgia in the Civil War including information on the politics in Georgia, battles fought there, and Georgia regiments who fought in the war. Compiled by the Digital Library of Georgia.
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Handout
US Department of State

Office of the Historian: The Trent Affair, 1861

For Students 9th - 10th
Find out about the diplomatic crisis between the United States and Great Britain at the beginning of the Civil War, why it was important to the North and South, and how it was resolved.
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Primary
University of North Carolina

Documenting the American South: John Hill Hewitt, "War"

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
This gives the history of the Civil War from its beginning to the Battle of Richmond in poetic verse written by John Hill Hewitt (1801-1890 CE). The introduction firmly establishes the sourthern sympathies of the writer.
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Primary
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Primary Source Set: Secession of the Southern States

For Students 9th - 10th
This collection uses primary sources to explore the secession of southern states from the United States prior to the Civil War.
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Handout
Civil War Home

Home of the American Civil War: Secession of the Southern States

For Students 9th - 10th
Scroll through this article to "Secession in the Upper South" to find out what was happening in southern states that had not yet seceded before April, 1861, and what convinced these states to secede. From an article by William L. Barney...
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Handout
Civil War Home

Home of the American Civil War: Jefferson Davis

For Students 9th - 10th
A biographical profile of the President of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis (1808-1889). From "Confederate Military History."
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Primary
University of North Carolina

Unc: First Person Narratives of the American South

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
A unique collection of first-person accounts, this concentrates on all the populations of the South, such as ex-slaves, enlisted men, middle-class women, displaced plantation owners. The works are sorted by the author's name. To search...
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Website
Other

Marshall University: Rosanna Blake Library of Confederate History

For Students 9th - 10th
Online exhibition of an extensive collection of historical Confederacy artifacts.
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Handout
Library of Congress

Loc: Today in History: November 8: The Trent Affair

For Students 9th - 10th
Paintings and a brief explanation of the parties involved in the Trent Affair and its importance in diplomacy at the beginning of the Civil War. From the Library of Congress.
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eBook
University of North Carolina

The Partisan Leader: A Novel & an Apocalypse of Original

For Students 9th - 10th
Originally published in 1836, this novel was republished in the Confederate States of America in 1862 with a new preface. The 1862 edition is reproduced here in html format.
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Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: "A Nation Divided: North vs. South" by Us history.org

For Students 7th - 8th
The American Civil War was fought within the United States from 1861 to 1865. The election of President Abraham Lincoln in 1860 increased tension between the North and South. Lincoln's political party was interested in stopping the...
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Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Money Tells a Story

For Students 3rd - 4th
A learning module that begins with "Money Tells a Story by Carol Baldwin, accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. The text can be printed as a PDF or assigned online through free teacher...
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Handout
The History Cat

The History Cat: Southern Secession: The Secession Crisis

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes the events leading up to the secession of the Upper South and the formation of the Confederate States of America, including the attack on Fort Sumter.
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Graphic
Other

Confederate War Department: Secession of the Southern States and Territories

For Students 9th - 10th
A table listing the fifteen states and territories that became part of the Confederacy, along with their dates of secession ordinance passage and admission into the Confederate States of America. Each state name links to a transcription...
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Primary
Yale University

The Avalon Project: Declaration of the State of Texas to Secede From the Union

For Students 9th - 10th
Text of the causes which impel the State of Texas to secede from the Federal Union.
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Primary
Digital Public Library of America

Dpla: Secession of the Southern States

For Students 9th - 10th
This primary source set uses documents, illustrations, and maps to explore events and ideas that drove the formation of the Confederate States of America and the United States' descent into civil war. Includes a teacher's guide.
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Handout
Civil War Home

Home of the American Civil War: Overview of Confederacy

For Students 9th - 10th
Provides an overview of the Confederate States of America from its establishment in 1861 through its abolishment in 1865.
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Website
Other

Dilemmas of Compromise: Secession Stalls

For Students 9th - 10th
Brief description of how the movement to secede from the Union was stalled by the state of Virginia. Click on "Dilemmas of Compromise" to understand this site in context.
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Whiteboard
ClassFlow

Class Flow: Secession

For Teachers 6th - 8th
[Free Registration/Login Required] This flipchart describes events leading to secession, including John Brown's Raid, Lincoln's election, and South Carolina's break with the Union. It also includes information on the first states to...