簡史：美國內戰

In this one time course we will be looking at the American Civil War (1861-1865) in a brief overview. This means that students do not need to come to class with any prior knowledge about this conflict. 

We will look into why the war started, why both sides fought, and what changed in American society. The topic of slavery will come up, due to it's centrality to why the war was even fought. Slavery will, however, only be discussed in the context of how the people of that time viewed it, both North and South, how it influenced why people decided to fight, or not, for their sections cause, and what happened to that institution following the end of the war. The main focus of the class will be looking at other aspects of the conflict in greater detail. Like how the various battles in the two main theaters of war fed off of each other. How even when great battles like Gettysburg and Vicksburg, nicknamed the "Most Glorious Fourth," did not necessarily mean that everyone understood the war had reached a turning point. We will look briefly at how there were troubles at home, for both sides, that hurt morale, or took troops away from, the armies that were busy fighting on the front lines. At the end of the course, students should have a better grasp as to how all of these moving pieces fit into the larger story of the American Civil War.

Due to length of the class, this course will utilize a Google Slides presentation, containing no imagery that could be considered disturbing to younger viewers. There will be a couple of primary sources that will be used to show why people fought, and I will have discussions questions posed throughout the lesson, giving students an opportunity to show what they have learned. Questions are welcomed throughout the lesson and may be used as a means to start a discussion with the rest of the class.