About the Civil War

When Abraham Lincoln was elected president in 1860, the country prepared for war. Mr. Lincoln was determined to abolish slavery and keep the United States together, but eleven southern states seceded from the Union to form the Confederate States of America.

The first shots of the Civil War were fired on April 12, 1861, when Confederate soldiers bombarded U.S. Army troops at Fort Sumter on the South Carolina coast.

For some wonderful books about the Civil War, click books.
 

Civil War Links

The Civil War Center at LSU
http://www.cwc.lsu.edu
An extensive index of Civil War information on the Internet.

Valley of the Shadow
http://valley.vcdh.virginia.edu
Explore the timeline which is wonderful for researchers. It is in calendar format and runs from 1859 to 1867. There are major events and little stuff like an ice storm in Franklin County which froze a farmer on his way to the barn. Great for writers.

Camp Life
http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/gettex/
Fascinating details about the day-to-day life of soldiers and officers. Photographs of objects in the Civil War Collections from Gettysburg National Military Park make history come to life. Be sure to explore the section on battling boredom.

Chamberlain Collection
http://www.curtislibrary.com//pejepscot/joshbiog.htm
Be sure to explore the research files, correspondence and internet resources.

Fife and Drum Photographs
http://www.geocities.com/cwfifedrum/

Abraham Lincoln Online
http://www.netins.net/showcase/creative/lincoln.html

The Civil War
http://www.historyplace.com/civilwar/index.html
The History Place has developed a complete timeline of the Civil War  for students with links on key battles and events.

Three Days at Gettysburg
http://www.rockingham.k12.va.us/EMS/Gettysburg/Gettysburg.html
An in-depth look at the events of Gettysburg. A wonderful resource for students and teachers.

Civil War Clipart
http://www.jewish-history.com/Clipartgallery/clipart.htm
A collection of clipart including weapons, uniforms and Civil War Leaders. Some clipart from this source was used to create this site.

Music of the War Between the States
http://users.erols.com/kfraser/
A wonderful source for songs written and sung during the Civil War.

Lee's Retreat Tour
http://civilwartraveler.com/virginia/va-retreat/retreat.html

Selected Civil War Photographs
http://rs6.loc.gov/ammem/cwphome.htm
From the Library of Congress collection.

Civil War Books

There are many books about the Civil War which young people can read and enjoy while they learn more about this fearsome war. Here are some of my favorites: Here are some of my favorite survival stories: Reviews   My Brothers' Keeper   FAQVirtual Tour   Activities Order
 
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