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The Civil War and the African American Experience Through Letters

New class
Ages 14-18
Live One-Time Class
In this one-time class, students will learn about the United States Colored Troops, read letters written by USCTs during the Civil War, discuss nineteenth century letter-writing conventions, and write a letter in the same style.
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:
(75 reviews)

Live video meetings
Meets once
3-8 learners per class
90 min

What's included

1 live meeting
1 hrs 30 mins in-class hours

Class Experience

US Grade 9 - 12
"The Civil War and the African American Experience Through Letters" is an engaging, informative, and interactive one-time, 90-minute class that highlights the service of African American men in the Civil War by more closely looking at the means, motives, and messages present in their letters.  This is a wonderful opportunity to cover U.S. history standards, while incorporating oral language, reading comprehension, and writing standards.

Our class kicks off with a brief presentation about the United States Colored Troops and their role in the Civil War. As a group, we will read and analyze one letter written by a soldier in the USCT, paying particular attention to the writing conventions and characteristics of his letter.  Students will then move to the Breakout Room.  Working in small groups, participants will review a virtual soldier's packet that includes a transcribed letter or letters, an image of the original letter (if available), a picture of the soldier or regiment (if available), and any other visual aids that help to formulate each soldier's personal story.  Group members will read the soldier's letter, pair it with the biographical information included, and return to the class to briefly present on their findings.  I will move about each group giving additional information on each soldier that may not be included in the packets (i.e.  their fate after or during their service).

"The Civil War and the African American Experience Through Letters" also covers the guidelines for writing a nineteenth-century letter. Working in small groups in the Breakout Room, students will refer to a soldier's letter and write a short response in the accepted epistolary form.  Students will then have the opportunity to share their letters with the class.  

Additionally, students in this class will have the chance to view Civil War replica writing implements, books, and papers soldiers used to write letters; to learn more about the schools set up in USCT camps for instruction in reading and writing; and to discover how USCT soldiers sent mail and wired money to loved ones during the Civil War. 

"The Civil War and the African American Experience Through Letters" is also an engaging way to more closely look at African American service in the Civil War while gaining a deeper understanding of the letter writing tradition during this period in American history.

Learning Goals

Students will increase their understanding of the role African American men played in the Civil War through analysis of their letters.  Students will learn about nineteenth-century epistolary (letter-writing) standards and conventions used by men in the USCT.  Students will broaden their writing skills using nineteenth-century letter writing standards to scribe a soldier's letter.

Other Details

Parental Guidance
This course studies African American service in the Civil War. This course will discuss slavery, emancipation, and war. This course looks at the historical connection between these three topics from a literary and epistolary lens.
Supply List
Students will receive letters and images for the soldiers discussed in class.  Students do not need to purchase any materials for this class.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
We will use primary source documents in the form of soldiers' letters from the National Archives. Additionally, I transcribed twenty-one letters written by Pvt. Alonzo Reed of the 102nd Michigan USCT and submitted those transcriptions to Duke University's David Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library, where the original letters are housed. We will also analyze these letters in class. Students will also use enlistment rosters and service records - both primary source documents, as well - from both the National Archives and genealogical databases.

Meet the teacher

Joined April, 2020
5.0
75reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
This class is a fun and engaging way to explore a topic that is often rushed through in literature courses.  The natural progression of nineteenth-century literature and history should include study and analysis of one of the most critical moments in our nation's history.  I hold a Ph.D. in English Literature and Language with a specialization in Nineteenth-Century African American and American Literature, Epistolary Theory, and African American Epistolary Literature.  Additionally, my area of research and scholarship centered on letters written from African American soldiers who served in the USCT.  In 2017, I transcribed twenty-one letters written by Pvt. Alonzo Reed of the 102nd Michigan USCT and submitted those transcriptions to Duke University's David Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library, where the original letters are housed.  I have published articles on this topic in peer-reviewed journals and books, and have presented at conferences, workshops, museums, and educational institutions.  My personal connection to the topic and my cross-curricular approach makes this a unique course and learning experience.  My third great-grandfather escaped a Virginia plantation and joined the 29th Illinois USCT.  Using archival and genealogical resources, I was able to learn more about family, state, and national history.  This class offers this same opportunity for young learners.  For each soldier's letter analyzed, I try to create a more complete picture of the individual in an attempt to bridge the gaps of space and time by turning an abstract soldier into a named, real person. 

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