During the years it was being fought, people in the North called it the War of the Rebellion, while

in the South it was known as the War Between the States.  It was only after the war had been over for some time that most people in both sections began to call it the Civil War, perhaps a curious name for a very uncivil series of conflicts that took the lives of over 600,000 on both sides. Even more interesting is the fact that, nearly 150 years after Gen. Robert E. Lee’s surrender to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, the Civil War remains the most remembered event in United States history. 

According to historian Robert Tracy McKenzie, “Americans have churned out nearly a book or pamphlet a day on the subject since Lee surrendered to Grant” and the veritable tsunami shows no sign of abating. Each year, modern-day armies of thousands dress in Union and Confederate uniforms to “re-enact” some of the war’s principal battles. Why is this so?  It is very possible that many Americans sense that the Civil War marked the end of one era of United States history and the birth of modern America.  To be sure, the nation technically came into being in 1776 when the former colonies approved a Declaration of Independence from Great Britain.  In many ways, however, the country had not yet become a modern nation. As we shall see, that did not happen until the period that comprises (Unit III) 1850-1877.  And although that process was not completed in 1877 and would take even more years to fully accomplish, by 1877 the people of the United States were dramatically different from their ancestors who approved the Declaration of Independence only 101 years before. 

The theme of THE EMERGENCE OF THE MODERN NATION is a useful one for those of us

who teach students about the 1850-1877 period.  As with all other themes created and used by teachers, this one is particularly helpful in arranging, learning, and understanding the key trends, events, people, and primary documents of the period.  As you learn each of these, you might think about how that trend/event/person/source “fits” into the large picture of THE CREATION OF THE MODERN NATION.  Also, you will gain an understanding of what those disparate parts of history actually mean, and why it is important to know them.  

            Calendar of Events

Unit III (Civil War / Reconstruction Era) Exam Review

Unit III (Civil War / Reconstruction Era) Graphic Organizer -- page 1

Unit III (Civil War / Reconstruction Era) Graphic Organizer -- page 2

10/11

(Unit II) Exam (31 multiple choice questions, 3 short answer questions)

Homework -- CN (Chapter 6 / Sections 1 & 2)

10/12

Slavery Perspectives

  Slave Stories I (read / answer questions)

  Slave Stories II (read / answer questions)

10/13

Review -- (Chapter 6 / Sections 1 & 2)

Lecture -- #2 1820-1860:  Increasing Sectionalism & the Road to the Civil War

Class time for homework prep

Homework -- CN (Chapter 7 / Sections 1 & 2)

10/14

Review -- (Chapter 7 / Sections 1 & 2)

Lecture -- #3 The Civil War 1861 - Emancipation Proclamation

Watch -- Civil War (Selected events)

Homework -- CN (Chapter 7 / Section 3)

10/17

Review -- (Chapter 7 / Section 3)

Lecture -- #3 The Civil War Emancipation Proclamation - Conclusion

Watch -- Civil War (Selected events)

Homework -- CN (Chapter 7 / Section 4)

10/18

Review -- (Chapter 7 / Section 4)

Lecture -- #4 Reconstruction  (1865 -- 1877)

Creating a Plan to Reconstruct the Union After the Civil War

Homework -- CN (Chapter 7 / Section 5)

10/19

Review -- (Chapter 7 / Section 5)

Lecture -- #5 The Successes & Failures of Reconstruction

Black Codes

10/24

Unit III Exam Review

“Take Charge of Your Education!”

10/25

(Unit III) Exam (41 multiple choice questions, 3 short answer questions, and 1 essay)

Homework -- Read (Chapter 8 / Sections 1 - 3)