Student Resources:

• Secession and the Start of the Civil War Essay
• Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee on Leaving the Union, 1861 Primary Source

Scaffolding Note: There are two options for the essay portion of this lesson. Handout A is for higher level readers while Handout B is better suited for readers at a lower reading level.

Engage

• Begin class by asking students whether they identify themselves more with the city or state they live in, or with the United States. For example: Would you consider yourself first and foremost a Californian, or an American? Allow a few students to answer and explain their reasoning.
• Once students have answered, explain that this question was on the minds of many Southerners on the eve of the Civil War. They needed to decide if they would join their states as they seceded from the Union or stay loyal to the Union.

Explore

• Hand out Secession and the Start of the Civil War Essay and read through it as a class.

Scaffolding note: Use our Modes of Reading document as a tool to help you guide your
students through reading essays depending on your classroom needs.

• Have students write a few questions that come to their mind as they read. Discuss these questions once reading is finished.
• Hand out Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee on Leaving the Union, 1861 Primary Source. As students read, they should highlight passages that answer the guiding question: What were the underlying causes of the Civil War?
• Once finished, they should answer the Comprehension Questions.

Assess & Reflect

• Return to the original Engage question from the start of class. Ask students if they’ve changed their thinking. Be sure to emphasize that Davis was an ardent defender of the unjust system of slavery, which played a huge role in his decision to be a leader of the secession movement. Lee’s letter, on the other hand, demonstrated that his reasons for leaving the Union were focused primarily on not being able to fight against his home state.
• Have students write a paragraph or two that provides context and evidence to support what they believe drove individuals to decide whether to join the secession movement or not.