Examine a time of political division and upheaval— not unlike our own—using firsthand accounts. While study of the Civil War often takes center stage in the classroom, the 1850s and 1860s were a period of profound change in other areas of the United States. After evaluating a series of primary sources, including those related to the building of a transcontinental railroad and the purchase of Alaska, learners try to lay out a chronology of events during this tumultuous time. A writing prompt allows for further reflection.