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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

Chapter 8: 1860-1877

Was the Civil War Fought Over Slavery?

Did Abraham Lincoln Exceed His Presidential Powers during the Civil War?

To What Extent Did American Principles Become a Reality for African Americans during Reconstruction?

Use this primary source imagery to analyze major events in history.

J.B. Elliott, Scott’s Great Snake (Anaconda Plan), 1861

Use this primary source text to explore key historical events.

Daniel Emmett’s “Dixie” and Julia Ward Howe’s “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” 1859 and 1861

The Homestead Act of 1862

Mathew Brady, The Dead of Antietam Photography, 1862

Images of Total War: Sherman’s March to the Sea, 1865

Cartoon Analysis: The “Rail Splitter” at Work Repairing the Union, 1865

Comparing Views of the Freedmen’s Bureau, 1866

Andrew Johnson’s Veto of the Civil Rights Act, 1866

Cartoon Analysis: Thomas Nast on Reconstruction, 1869–1874

Chapter 8 of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, BRI's U.S. History Curriculum Resource, invites students to explore if the Civil War helped create a more perfect Union.

Did the Civil War help create a more perfect Union?

Chapter 8: 1860-1877 Inquiry Organizer

Answer Key for Chapter 8 of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness

Chapter 8 Answer Key

The Civil War and Reconstruction transform the U.S.

Chapter 8 Introductory Essay: 1860-1877

Why was Fort Sumter the beginning of the Civil War?

Fort Sumter and the Coming of the War

What was the impact of the battle of Antietam on the Civil War?

The Battle of Antietam

Explore the impact of the Vicksburg and Gettysburg battles.

Gettysburg and Vicksburg: July 4, 1863

Why were some opposed to a draft during the Civil War?

The Draft and the Draft Riots of 1863

Explores the life and bravery of Robert Gould Shaw.

Robert Gould Shaw and the Fifty-fourth Massachusetts Regiment

How did women contribute to the war efforts on both sides?

Women during the Civil War

Explores the story of Mary Chesnut and her Civil War diary.

Mary Chesnut’s War

Was Clement Vallandigham's free speech rights violated?

Clement Vallandigham and Constitutionalism

Was Sherman's policy of "total war" justified?

William Tecumseh Sherman and Total War

How did O.O. Howard fight for the rights of recently freed slaves?

O. O. Howard and the Freedmen’s Bureau

How did the KKK suppress black rights in the 1860s and 1870s?

The Ku Klux Klan and Violence at the Polls

By the end of this section, you will explain how Lincoln’s leadership during the Civil War impacted American ideals over the course of the war

Abraham Lincoln and Emancipation

By the end of this section, you will explain the various factors that contributed to the Union victory in the Civil War.

Grant and Lee at Appomattox

By the end of this section, you will explain the effects of government policy during Reconstruction on society from 1865 to 1877.

The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

Use this Lesson once students have a strong understanding of the rights of African Americans both before and after the passing of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments. It would also be helpful for students to have read the O. O. Howard and the Freedmen’s Bureau and The Ku Klux Klan and Violence at the Polls Narratives.

The Emergence of Black Codes DBQ

Use this Lesson in conjunction with the Abraham Lincoln and Emancipation Decision Point to have students analyze Abraham Lincoln's rhetoric throughout his presidency. 

The Rhetoric of Abraham Lincoln DBQ

Use this Lesson alongside The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson Decision Point to introduce students to the concept of impeachment and how it has been used throughout U.S. history.

Comparing Impeachments across U.S. History

This lesson should be used at the end of the unit to review key events and ideas from the Civil War and Reconstruction Era.

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Chapter 8: 1860-1877

Overview