2
10
16
-
https://edu.lva.virginia.gov/dbva/files/original/14c350fc9ef204f323a732a66bc0af94.jpg
08452def544d5f53288a426196db07bf
https://edu.lva.virginia.gov/dbva/files/original/8bb91ef5b3feda933ec8bc6c4f72e634.pdf
b99e842101dd091c23cf0767587339a7
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Civil War and Reconstruction
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1850-1877
Description
An account of the resource
<p>The Civil War was undoubtedly one of the most important events in American history. The war challenged not only the issue of slavery, but the also the balance of federal versus state powers and the power of constitutional government. In the end, not only did the war preserve the Union as Abraham Lincoln had spoken of, but it also freed nearly four million African Americans from enslavement. The war also highlighted stark differences in regions of the country. These differences ranged from political to religious to economic. The war saw an increase in battlefield news coverage and photography that visually presented military carnage in a way not seen before. The Civil War's outcome brought the first assassination of an American president.</p>
<p>During the postwar period known as Reconstruction the nation faced the challenges of readmitting formerly Confederate southern states back into the Union as well as integrating African Americans into the political, economic, and social fabric of the country. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were aimed towards providing full equality for African Americans, but faced opposition on many levels. Despite headway, the North and the South both had strong objections to Radical Reconstruction and full social and racial democratization. Many Americans opposed the idea of redistributing wealth and were still in favor of strong local rights and government. In some cases, Reconstruction increased the racial divide, giving rise to groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and spurring violence against African Americans.<br /><br />Learn more in the <a title="This external link will open in a new window." href="http://www.nchs.ucla.edu/history-standards/us-history-content-standards/united-states-era-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National History Content Standards</a>.</p>
Lesson Plan
A resource that gives a detailed description of a course of instruction.
Context
<p>Illustrated periodicals like <em>Harper's Weekly</em> were popular with Americans in the middle of the 19th century. After southern states formed the Confederate States of America, residents there could not easily receive newspapers and magazines printed in the northern states. The <em>Southern Illustrated News</em> was founded in 1862 in Richmond and remained in print, with some interruptions, until 1865. Illustrated periodicals often included political cartoons, which were popular and provided a visual way to express opinions and concerns. They are often satirical, using humor, exaggeration, irony, and ridicule to persuade a reader to think about current events from a particular point of view.</p>
<p>This political cartoon lampoons Lincoln’s revolving door of United States Army generals who had faced—and been defeated by—Confederate forces in Virginia. After General Winfield Scott retired at the beginning of the Civil War, several generals had been placed at the head of the Army of the Potomac or in charge of armies attempting to secure the Shenandoah Valley. In the cartoon, the “toys” have been stripped of their army general uniforms and located on a shelf with other former generals. Lincoln is shown holding the latest general puppet, Joseph “Fighting Joe” Hooker, who commanded the Army of the Potomac from January to June 1863.</p>
<p>The generals depicted are:</p>
<p>Winfield Scott, who was Commanding General of the United States Army until resigning in November 1861.</p>
<p>Brigadier General Irvin McDowell, who commanded the Army of Northeastern Virginia when it was defeated at the First Battle of Manassas (Bull Run) in 1861.</p>
<p>Major General John C. Fremont, who commanded the Mountain Department and was unable to defeat Confederate General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign in 1862. </p>
<p>Major General Nathaniel Banks, who was also unable to defeat Confederate General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson in the Shenandoah Valley Campaign in 1862. </p>
<p>Major General John Pope, who commanded the Army of Virginia at the time of its defeat at the Second Battle of Manassas (Bull Run) in 1862.</p>
<p>Major General George B. McClellan, who commanded the Army of the Potomac during the failed Peninsula Campaign to capture Richmond in 1862.</p>
<p>Major General Ambrose Burnside, who succeeded McClellan as commander of the Army of the Potomac but was relieved of command after his costly defeat at the Battle of Fredericksburg in December 1862.</p>
<p>Major General Joseph Hooker, who took command of the Army of the Potomac in 1863, but was defeated at the Battle of Chancellorsville two months after this cartoon appeared and resigned his post.</p>
<p><em>Citation: “Master Abraham Lincoln Gets a New Toy,” Southern Illustrated News, 28 May 1863, Richmond, Va.: Ayres & Wade, 1862-1865. Special Collections, Library of Virginia.</em></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>
Suggested Questions
<p><strong>Preview Activity</strong></p>
<p>Take a Look: Look at the political cartoon, what do you notice about the image? What does it tell you about the subject of the image?</p>
<p><strong>Post Activities</strong></p>
<p>Analyze: Explain the imagery and title of the cartoon as a tool of criticism. How might this depiction have influenced readers of the paper?</p>
<p>Social Media Spin: Create a social media post in which you create a meme or political cartoon based on the same events for a modern audience.</p>
<p>Another perspective: Write a response to the political cartoon in which Lincoln’s struggle to retain generals is seen in a sympathetic light. Be sure to present your information in a way which would persuade others to support Lincoln. </p>
Standards
Social Studies: VS.1, VS.7, USI.1, USI.9,
Art: 4.18, 4.19, 5.18, 5.19
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
“Master Abraham Lincoln Gets a New Toy,”
Political Cartoon, 1863
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1863
Government and Civics
Military History
Popular Culture
-
https://edu.lva.virginia.gov/dbva/files/original/862c5bb56e33417790f7740e112016d1.jpg
9513f91b734fe3223350255a1cddcbea
https://edu.lva.virginia.gov/dbva/files/original/c93bef224da239cbd4f9c33e066f07bf.pdf
9146ae4f0f0d2e2d738bc9ef9c1511c9
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Civil War and Reconstruction
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1850-1877
Description
An account of the resource
<p>The Civil War was undoubtedly one of the most important events in American history. The war challenged not only the issue of slavery, but the also the balance of federal versus state powers and the power of constitutional government. In the end, not only did the war preserve the Union as Abraham Lincoln had spoken of, but it also freed nearly four million African Americans from enslavement. The war also highlighted stark differences in regions of the country. These differences ranged from political to religious to economic. The war saw an increase in battlefield news coverage and photography that visually presented military carnage in a way not seen before. The Civil War's outcome brought the first assassination of an American president.</p>
<p>During the postwar period known as Reconstruction the nation faced the challenges of readmitting formerly Confederate southern states back into the Union as well as integrating African Americans into the political, economic, and social fabric of the country. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were aimed towards providing full equality for African Americans, but faced opposition on many levels. Despite headway, the North and the South both had strong objections to Radical Reconstruction and full social and racial democratization. Many Americans opposed the idea of redistributing wealth and were still in favor of strong local rights and government. In some cases, Reconstruction increased the racial divide, giving rise to groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and spurring violence against African Americans.<br /><br />Learn more in the <a title="This external link will open in a new window." href="http://www.nchs.ucla.edu/history-standards/us-history-content-standards/united-states-era-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National History Content Standards</a>.</p>
Lesson Plan
A resource that gives a detailed description of a course of instruction.
Context
On February 3, 1865, Confederate Vice President Alexander H. Stephens and two other commissioners met with United States President Abraham Lincoln on the steamship <em>River Queen</em> near Fort Monroe in Hampton. The meeting was a futile effort to end the Civil War. The Confederate contingent did not agree to Lincoln's demand that the Southern forces had to lay down their arms and agree to restore the Union.<br /><br />When news of the failed negotiations became known, many communities who supported the Confederate cause issued resolutions such as this one from residents of Powhatan County who gathered at the courthouse later in February 1865. In it, they expressed their objection to the proposed plan, praised the actions of the Confederate army, and pledged to support the war effort and the families of those fighting in the war. Two months later, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse. Charles Carter Lee, the president of the committee that wrote the resolution, was the eldest son of Revolutionary War hero Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee and the older brother of Robert E. Lee.<br /><br /><em>Citation: Powhatan County Citizens, Resolutions Adopted by a Meeting of the People of Powhatan, held in the Courthouse on February Court Day, 1865 [pledging loyalty to the cause of the Confederacy]. Broadside 1865.P6 BOX, Special Collections, Library of Virginia.</em>
Suggested Questions
<strong>Preview Activity</strong><br /><br />Scan It: Scan the transcription of the document. What word or phrases stand out to you? What do those word or phrases tell you about the people involved in writing the resolution? <br /><br /><strong>Post Activities</strong><br /><br />Up for Debate: Pretend you are a resident of Powhatan County. The county has called a meeting asking whether you still support the Confederate war effort or if you are ready for peace. What are your arguments? Why would you make those arguments? <br /><br />Social Media Spin: Create social media post in which summarize the document and your position on promoting the resolutions passed by Powhatan County residents.<br /><br />Analyze: In the third resolution, the residents pledge "our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honors" to continue the fight. Why might they have quoted this phrase from the Declaration of Independence (find it <a href="https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">online at the National Archives</a>)?
Standards
VS.1, VS.7, USI.1, USI.9
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Resolutions Adopted by a Meeting of the People of Powhatan County, 1865
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1865
Military History
-
https://edu.lva.virginia.gov/dbva/files/original/791279a648511bf723578ea0a79d3e1a.jpg
00257395d50381899c92fb962d3b514e
https://edu.lva.virginia.gov/dbva/files/original/e21fc2cd8d51a354946fd65b849d407e.pdf
64bcaeb07274d49ab9f5b4c51a02231b
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Civil War and Reconstruction
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1850-1877
Description
An account of the resource
<p>The Civil War was undoubtedly one of the most important events in American history. The war challenged not only the issue of slavery, but the also the balance of federal versus state powers and the power of constitutional government. In the end, not only did the war preserve the Union as Abraham Lincoln had spoken of, but it also freed nearly four million African Americans from enslavement. The war also highlighted stark differences in regions of the country. These differences ranged from political to religious to economic. The war saw an increase in battlefield news coverage and photography that visually presented military carnage in a way not seen before. The Civil War's outcome brought the first assassination of an American president.</p>
<p>During the postwar period known as Reconstruction the nation faced the challenges of readmitting formerly Confederate southern states back into the Union as well as integrating African Americans into the political, economic, and social fabric of the country. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were aimed towards providing full equality for African Americans, but faced opposition on many levels. Despite headway, the North and the South both had strong objections to Radical Reconstruction and full social and racial democratization. Many Americans opposed the idea of redistributing wealth and were still in favor of strong local rights and government. In some cases, Reconstruction increased the racial divide, giving rise to groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and spurring violence against African Americans.<br /><br />Learn more in the <a title="This external link will open in a new window." href="http://www.nchs.ucla.edu/history-standards/us-history-content-standards/united-states-era-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National History Content Standards</a>.</p>
Lesson Plan
A resource that gives a detailed description of a course of instruction.
Context
<p>Prior to the Civil War, Virginia did not have a comprehensive public school system. Some localities provided some "free schools" or "charity schools" for the children of indigent white families. African Americans, free and enslaved, were excluded from these schools because it was illegal to provide them with an education.</p>
<p>After the end of the Civil War, Virginia adopted a new state constitution in 1869. The constitution, which was written at a convention that included two dozen Black men among the elected delegates, provided for the creation of a statewide system of public schools. The General Assembly adopted legislation establishing the school system for all children in 1870 and required that it be racially segregated despite protests from African American legislators.</p>
<p>As local officials in Alexandria County (renamed Arlington County in 1920) created school districts in 1870, they complied with the state law to segregate the schools, a practice that continued in public education in Virginia for many decades. This hand-drawn map was attached to an 1870 census of school-aged children. It shows Jefferson Township (in the vicinity of modern-day Crystal City) and the proximity of white and African American households—delineated on the map as W for "white" and C for "colored"—to each other. The effort to send the students in those households to separate schools resulted in districts with convoluted boundaries.</p>
<p><em>Citation: Jefferson Township School Census and Map, 1870, formerly part of the Alexandria County Superintendent of Schools Records, 1851–1920, Alexandria County/Arlington Court Records, Library of Virginia, now at the Arlington Public Library <a href="https://library.arlingtonva.us/center-for-local-history/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Center for Local History</a>.</em></p>
Suggested Questions
<p><strong>Preview Activity</strong></p>
<p>Take a Look: Looking at the map, what clues are provided to explain its purpose? Why would such a map be necessary in 1870 in Virginia?</p>
<p><strong>Post Activities</strong></p>
<p>Analyze: Cities and counties still draw boundaries for public school districts. Find your locality's school district maps online and look at the boundaries. Do the maps provide any clues as to why they are drawn that way? Compare a current map to the 1870 map. Are there obvious differences?</p>
<p>Current Connection: What is the purpose of a census? Why would a city or county want to have a census of the school-age population?</p>
Standards
VS.1, VS.8, USII.1, USII.3, GOVT.9
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Jefferson Township School District Map, 1870
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1870
African American History
Government and Civics
-
https://edu.lva.virginia.gov/dbva/files/original/2640c729921e85117b4d4c30cf0f26b0.jpg
03569240ce6679aa4d1d07bc652d00f1
https://edu.lva.virginia.gov/dbva/files/original/44a7d65214debfbb8e56395a5bbecf3e.pdf
b65f2320b1bc142dddcf4f5cfddf12d3
https://edu.lva.virginia.gov/dbva/files/original/b3a869010c6cccd64f05fb65b6afc700.pdf
d13068c34ceb5a18df8a06cbbf1c8e36
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Civil War and Reconstruction
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1850-1877
Description
An account of the resource
<p>The Civil War was undoubtedly one of the most important events in American history. The war challenged not only the issue of slavery, but the also the balance of federal versus state powers and the power of constitutional government. In the end, not only did the war preserve the Union as Abraham Lincoln had spoken of, but it also freed nearly four million African Americans from enslavement. The war also highlighted stark differences in regions of the country. These differences ranged from political to religious to economic. The war saw an increase in battlefield news coverage and photography that visually presented military carnage in a way not seen before. The Civil War's outcome brought the first assassination of an American president.</p>
<p>During the postwar period known as Reconstruction the nation faced the challenges of readmitting formerly Confederate southern states back into the Union as well as integrating African Americans into the political, economic, and social fabric of the country. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were aimed towards providing full equality for African Americans, but faced opposition on many levels. Despite headway, the North and the South both had strong objections to Radical Reconstruction and full social and racial democratization. Many Americans opposed the idea of redistributing wealth and were still in favor of strong local rights and government. In some cases, Reconstruction increased the racial divide, giving rise to groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and spurring violence against African Americans.<br /><br />Learn more in the <a title="This external link will open in a new window." href="http://www.nchs.ucla.edu/history-standards/us-history-content-standards/united-states-era-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National History Content Standards</a>.</p>
Lesson Plan
A resource that gives a detailed description of a course of instruction.
Context
<p>Prior to the Civil War, enslaved men and women were not legally allowed to marry. However, during slavery many men and women did consider themselves to be married despite the lack of legal protection and recognition, which meant that husbands and wives could be sold away from each other. After the establishment of the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Land (generally known as the Freedmen's Bureau) in 1865 to supervise and manage all matters related to refugees, freedmen, and lands abandoned or seized during the Civil War, the Commissioner ordered county court clerks in Virginia to record the marriages for formerly enslaved couples. In February 1866, Virginia's General Assembly legalized existing marriages between formerly enslaved men and women, in part to prevent their formerly enslaved children from becoming wards of the state. The law authorized men to identify their wives and legalize their marriages and to identify and legitimize their children, but did not provide the ability for women to identify their husbands.</p>
<p>This cohabitation register, or as it is properly titled, "Register of Colored Persons of Roanoke County, State of Virginia, cohabiting together as Husband and Wife on 27th February 1866," was the legal vehicle by which formerly enslaved people legitimized both their marriages and their children. As a result, the surviving spouses and children could inherit property from their deceased spouse or parent in the event that they did not leave a will. This is the first page of the Cohabitation Register for Roanoke County and shows a variety of personal information about the men and women listed here. These records are often the first time that a former slave appeared officially in the public record, and they provide invaluable family information for African American genealogists.</p>
<p><em>Citation: Roanoke County (Va.) Register of Colored Persons Cohabiting Together as Husband and Wife, 27th February 1866, p. 1, Cohabitation Registers Digital Collection, Library of Virginia.<br /><br /><br /></em><a href="https://lva.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/collectionDiscovery?vid=01LVA_INST:01LVA&inst=01LVA_INST&collectionId=81120570040005756" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">See other Cohabitation Registers online</a>.</p>
Suggested Questions
<p><strong>Preview Activity</strong></p>
<p>Scan It: Scan the document. What information is provided on the document? Why might such a document have been necessary?</p>
<p><strong>Post Activities</strong></p>
<p>Analyze: What kinds of demographic information can be found in this document? How might it be helpful to someone trying to trace his or her family history? <br /><br />Another Perspective: The information contained in the registers provides information to families seeking their genealogy and ancestral history. Why might it be difficult for the descendants of enslaved people to find such information in public records? Consider what recordkeeping was like for enslaved people prior to the Civil War and how that may impact a genealogical search.</p>
<p> </p>
Standards
VS.1, VS.7, USI.1, USI.9, USII.1 USII.3, VUS.1, VUS.7
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Roanoke County Cohabitation Register, 1866
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1866
African American History
Government and Civics
-
https://edu.lva.virginia.gov/dbva/files/original/bb5dc62a230ff53f078f51d31531c74f.jpg
762864b4e87be1367a2b20eadadd5d8a
https://edu.lva.virginia.gov/dbva/files/original/2dbf29dd26e7113af46a7583b5f32f34.pdf
a7fababb8676832b4172a73760a63492
https://edu.lva.virginia.gov/dbva/files/original/386dc19aa7c8f9a4184a64111de66e5e.pdf
b9e919e0960d074c348e5a1d7e4621e5
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Civil War and Reconstruction
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1850-1877
Description
An account of the resource
<p>The Civil War was undoubtedly one of the most important events in American history. The war challenged not only the issue of slavery, but the also the balance of federal versus state powers and the power of constitutional government. In the end, not only did the war preserve the Union as Abraham Lincoln had spoken of, but it also freed nearly four million African Americans from enslavement. The war also highlighted stark differences in regions of the country. These differences ranged from political to religious to economic. The war saw an increase in battlefield news coverage and photography that visually presented military carnage in a way not seen before. The Civil War's outcome brought the first assassination of an American president.</p>
<p>During the postwar period known as Reconstruction the nation faced the challenges of readmitting formerly Confederate southern states back into the Union as well as integrating African Americans into the political, economic, and social fabric of the country. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were aimed towards providing full equality for African Americans, but faced opposition on many levels. Despite headway, the North and the South both had strong objections to Radical Reconstruction and full social and racial democratization. Many Americans opposed the idea of redistributing wealth and were still in favor of strong local rights and government. In some cases, Reconstruction increased the racial divide, giving rise to groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and spurring violence against African Americans.<br /><br />Learn more in the <a title="This external link will open in a new window." href="http://www.nchs.ucla.edu/history-standards/us-history-content-standards/united-states-era-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National History Content Standards</a>.</p>
Lesson Plan
A resource that gives a detailed description of a course of instruction.
Context
<p>Hiring out enslaved men, women, and children was a common business arrangement among Virginians during slavery. This practice, which occurred in rural and urban areas, enabled owners of slaves to profit from their labor when they could not employ all of their enslaved workers at their own homes, farms, or businesses. Men and boys were often hired out to work on farms, in tobacco factories, and on railroads, while women and girls were often hired out for household labor like cooking, laundry, or childcare. Industries such as the Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond and the salt mines in the Kanawha Valley (now in West Virginia) employed skilled and unskilled enslaved people to augment their workforce.</p>
<p>Each year, thousands of men, women, and children were hired out with contracts that set the terms and price of their labor. Slave owners charged higher prices for skilled laborers. The employers of the individual being hired out were to provide food, housing, and clothing, and were to maintain the health of the enslaved person, although that did not prevent harsh treatment or poor care. Hiring out was so prevalent that pre-printed forms were developed to simplify the process. In this contract, Susan Monroe and James M. Colson agreed to hire a man named Adolphus for $800 from his owner, Miss S. J. Walthall. They agreed to pay her the sum of $400 on July 1, 1865 and on January 1, 1866, and promised not to take Adolphus outside of the state. The agreement was effectively nullified in April 1865 after the end of the Civil War. It is not known what happened to Adolphus after he gained his freedom.</p>
<p><em>Citation: "$800. Petersburg, Va., January 2, 1865: We promise to pay to Miss S.J. Walthall…," 1865, Broadside Collection, Special Collections, Library of Virginia.</em></p>
Suggested Questions
<p><strong>Preview Activity</strong></p>
<p>Scan It: Scan the document. What do you think is the purpose of this document? Why?</p>
<p><strong>Post Activities</strong></p>
<p>Analyze: Take a close look at this contract. Who is Adolphus? Who is hiring him out? What are the parties involved obliged to do? Why do you think the clause that he was "not to be carried out of the State of Virginia" was included?</p>
<p>Think About It: What do you think might have happened to Adolphus after he was freed? Do you think he continued to work for Monroe and Colson as a free man? Why or why not? What else could he have done instead?</p>
Standards
VS.1, VS.7, VS.8, USI.1, USI.8, USI.9
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Adolphus, Contract to Be Hired Out, 1865
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1865
African American History
Economics
-
https://edu.lva.virginia.gov/dbva/files/original/a3e5113726c3ec5372401c2a85563934.jpg
7185fc71b165d7447a0378c128b06a0b
https://edu.lva.virginia.gov/dbva/files/original/3333c62f48256da69ea7fe03eeb5b28a.pdf
cf585f0fc1c464eb5b25ccfbdf3505e6
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Civil War and Reconstruction
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1850-1877
Description
An account of the resource
<p>The Civil War was undoubtedly one of the most important events in American history. The war challenged not only the issue of slavery, but the also the balance of federal versus state powers and the power of constitutional government. In the end, not only did the war preserve the Union as Abraham Lincoln had spoken of, but it also freed nearly four million African Americans from enslavement. The war also highlighted stark differences in regions of the country. These differences ranged from political to religious to economic. The war saw an increase in battlefield news coverage and photography that visually presented military carnage in a way not seen before. The Civil War's outcome brought the first assassination of an American president.</p>
<p>During the postwar period known as Reconstruction the nation faced the challenges of readmitting formerly Confederate southern states back into the Union as well as integrating African Americans into the political, economic, and social fabric of the country. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were aimed towards providing full equality for African Americans, but faced opposition on many levels. Despite headway, the North and the South both had strong objections to Radical Reconstruction and full social and racial democratization. Many Americans opposed the idea of redistributing wealth and were still in favor of strong local rights and government. In some cases, Reconstruction increased the racial divide, giving rise to groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and spurring violence against African Americans.<br /><br />Learn more in the <a title="This external link will open in a new window." href="http://www.nchs.ucla.edu/history-standards/us-history-content-standards/united-states-era-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National History Content Standards</a>.</p>
Lesson Plan
A resource that gives a detailed description of a course of instruction.
Context
<p>Using the data from the 1860 census, this map was created in 1861. It shows the distribution of enslaved Virginians in each of the state's counties, with the darker shades showing the counties with the highest percentage of enslaved men, women, and children. In 1860, Virginia had a population of almost 500,000 enslaved people, the nation's highest. The map shows that a vast majority of Virginia's enslaved population lived east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Many of the counties in the tobacco-growing region, such as Nottoway and Amelia, had population majorities of slaves rather than white residents. The table on the left lists the precise number of white and enslaved residents in each county.</p>
<p>This map was drawn by Edwin Hergesheimer and published by Henry S. Graham in Washington, D.C., in 1861. In the bottom left-hand corner is the notice that copies of the map were "Sold for the benefit of the sick and wounded of the U.S. Army." A personal inscription on the bottom right-hand corner reads: "Presented to the Honorable the Secretary of the Navy by his obedient servant W. R. Palmer," who was a captain in the Topographical Engineers of the U.S. Army.</p>
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<em>Citation: E. Hergesheimer, Map of Virginia Showing the Distribution of its Slave Population from the Census of 1860, C. B. Graham, Lithographer (Washington, D.C.: Henry S. Graham, 1861), Library of Virginia.</em>
Suggested Questions
<p><strong>Preview Activity</strong></p>
<p>Look at It: Look at the map. What information does it provide? Why might someone want to have this information at the time this map was produced and sold?</p>
<p><strong>Post Activities</strong></p>
<p>Analyze: From this map, which Virginia counties had the highest slave populations? Which had the lowest? Using your knowledge of Virginia history and geography, why might this be the case? The far western counties of Virginia broke apart to create the new state of West Virginia in 1863. Does this map suggest any reasons for that outcome?</p>
<p>Be the Journalist: Step into the role of journalist in 1861. Write a brief description of the map and explain its purpose to an audience who may be uninformed but interested in the information shown here. Why might this map have been sold "to benefit the sick and wounded of the U.S. Army" in 1861?</p>
Standards
Social Studies: VS.1, VS.7, VS.8, USI.1, USI.9, VUS.1, VUS.7<br />Art: 4.1, 5.1
Dublin Core
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Title
A name given to the resource
Distribution of Virginia's Slave Population, Map, 1861
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1861
African American History
Government and Civics