ikesdad
First Sergeant
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2016
- Location
- Western Slope
I have been given the "green light" from the college where I teach to develop a course on the ACW. Since this forum seems to be a repository of ACW experts, thought I would solicit opinions on a few things if I may.
Below is a "rough cut" of where I am heading...appreciate any feedback...
Week 1 - Setting The Stage: America's Path to Civil War - This lesson will go over the actual causes of the Civil War such as controversies surrounding Federalism, states' rights, debates over expansionism, effects of modernization, the status of the economy, and the feelings of sectionalism.
Week 2 - Fort Sumter and the Beginning of War - The war begins and both sides finalize their divisions by appointing a president, forming an army, and fighting the first battle (Bull Run).
Week 3 - A Tale of Two Leaders: President Lincoln and President Davis - This lesson investigates the political background of both men as well as their methods of leading the war.
Week 4 - The War Goes West and the Guerilla Campaign – This lesson looks at early battle successes for the Confederacy as in initial battles of 1861. The rise of Bushwhackers, Redlegs and Quantrill's Raiders. Battle of Wilson' Creek, Battle of Hemp Bale, Battle of Ball's Bluff and many other battles that took place during this first year.
Week 5 - 1862: A Pivotal Year (Antietam/Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation) - This lesson will review the major and bloody battles of this year with emphasis on Antietam and how that spurred Lincoln to issue his Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.
Week 6 - Napoleon's Legacy on Civil War Leadership - This lesson explores how Napoleonic warfare influenced the battlefield ethos of both Union and Confederate generals, particularly Lee and Grant. Seminal battles like Chancellorsville, the Wilderness Campaign and Cold Harbor will be used as a backdrop.
Week 7 - Christ in the Camp - This lesson explores the Camp Meeting Revivals and how the war fostered a spirit of evangelistic fervor, resulting in hundreds/thousands of conversions to Christ.
Week 8 - Civil War Technology - This lesson will cover topics such as civil war terminology, technology, battle names, life of a soldier and medicine. Particular attention will be given to the advent of the rifled musket, ironclad warships, the use fortifications, Civil War uniforms, rations, battlefield surgery, Clara Barton, etc.
Week 9 - Turning Point: Gettysburg - This lesson will cover the events leading to this decisive battle and how things changed for the Confederacy after Gettysburg.
Week 10 - The Civil War Home Front - This lesson will explore how the war affected non-combatants, as well as societal changes resulting from a "house divided."
Week 11 - African Americans in the Civil War - This lesson will explore slavery and how the war affected African Americans, the underground railroad, black troops in uniform, i.e. the 54th Massachusetts Regiment, etc.
Week 12 - The War in Popular Culture - This lesson will explore how the Civil War has become the most written about and dramatized conflict in American history. Additionally, we will look at how the CW has been portrayed in various thematic elements, i.e. plays, movies, reenactment organizations, etc.
Week 13 - Teaching the Civil War - This lesson will compare & contrast the current methods used to teach the Civil War in secondary academia. Attention will be given to the "Race, Class, Gender" paradigm versus the “military history” paradigm as interpretive filters for teaching on the CW. A review of quality/relevant textbooks and the use of digital/primary sources/games/videos/ as part of interactive curricula will also be included.
Week 14 - Reconstruction and Post-War Effects - This lesson will explore the after-effects of the war. Particular attention will be given to reconstruction efforts, the rise of the KKK, Jim Crow and the Freedmen's Bureau.
Primary Course Textbook(s): America's Great War by Brooks D. Simpson and/or The Longest Night: A Military History of the Civil War by David J. Eicher. Secondary Course Textbooks: Gettysburg: The Last Invasion by Allen C. Guelzo, Civil War Weapons and Equipment by Russ A. Pritchard and A Shattered Nation: The Rise and Fall of the Confederacy by Anne Sarah Rubin.
A can of worms just got opened.