Civil War

Related Reading from the Discovery Techbook: Chapter 9, Section #4, Explore.

Resources for the Civil War:

American Battlefield Trust: Civil War

Battle of 1st Bull Run (1st Manassas)

Battle of Shiloh

Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg)

Battle of Vicksburg

Battle of Gettysburg

Battle of Appomattox Court House

Grant's Overland Campaign 1864

The Shenandoah Valley Stretching 180 miles from Harpers Ferry in the north to Rockbridge County in the south, Stonewall Jackson remarked in 1862 that "if this valley is lost, then Virginia is lost." The Shenandoah Valley hosted two campaigns during the Civil War, the first being Jackson's Valley Campaign in 1862 and then Jubal Early's Campaign in 1864. This endless fighting not only took a toll on soldiers, but also left a mark on the civilians whose farms hosted over 300 military engagements over the course of three years. 

Soldier Gear Learn about haversacks, canteens, ammunition, knapsacks, caps, coats, shirts, wool pants, shoes and of course, a musket. Civil War soldiers on both the Union and Confederate side had to be ready to march at a moment's notice, and therefore carried "their house" on their backs on battlefields, cities and towns across America.

The Friends of the Hunley On February 17th, 1864, the H. L. Hunley became the first successful combat submarine in world history with the sinking of the USS Housatonic. After completing her mission, she mysteriously vanished and remained lost at sea for over a century. For decades, adventurers searched for the legendary submarine. 

New Orleans in the Civil War Learn about the importance of New Orleans during the Civil War and learn about the Union occupation of the city.

The Seven Days Battles Learn about the importance Robert E. Lee's effort to push the Union Army of the Potomac out of Virginia.

Women in the Civil War Learn about the crucial role that women played both on and off the field during the Civil War.  

Civil War Medicine Historian George Wunderlich highlights the complexities and discusses the innovations in medical practices throughout the Civil War. This video is part of the American Battlefield Trust's In4 video series, which presents short videos on basic Civil War topics. 

Contraband (Former Slaves)  Learn about how the U.S. government and Union Army dealt with the enslaved the Union Army encountered as they pushed south.

New York Draft Riots The New York Draft Riots occurred in July 1863, when the anger of working-class New Yorkers over a new federal draft law during the Civil War sparked five days of some of the bloodiest and most destructive rioting in U.S. history. Hundreds of people were killed, many more seriously injured, and Black New Yorkers were often the target of the rioters’ violence. 

The Overland Campaign 1864 (Article) The Overland Campaign, some 40-odd days of maneuver and combat between the Rapidan and James Rivers, pitted the Civil War’s premier generals — Lt. Gen Ulysses S. Grant for the Union, and Gen. Robert E. Lee for the Confederacy — against one another in a grueling contest of endurance and guile. 

Andersonville Prison Camp Sumter, also known as Andersonville prison, housed 45,000 captured Union soldiers during the Civil War. Conditions at Andersonville were so horrific that 13,000 soldiers perished, many from overcrowding, starvation, and exposure. After the conflict, the Andersonville commander was put on trial for war crimes.