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Vivandieres: Women on the Front Lines of the Civil War
When people study the American Civil War, they often focus on soldiers, generals, and major battles. This focus leaves out a group of individuals who played a direct and practical role in army life. Among them were the vivandieres, women who lived and worked with...
Brewing History: Teaching About Civil War Coffee
As social studies educators, we often look for ways to make history relatable to our students. One such way is by exploring the everyday lives of people from the past, connecting their experiences to the present. Just as many of us start our day with a cup of coffee,...
The 54th Massachusetts Monument
Honoring Heroes: The 54th Massachusetts and the Monument That Tells Their Story If you ever visit Boston, you might see a beautiful bronze monument right across from the Massachusetts State House. It shows rows of determined soldiers marching off to war, led by a...
Celebrating Juneteenth: Teaching Freedom Through History and Primary Sources
Today, June 19th, marks a profound and pivotal moment in American history: Juneteenth. On this day in 1865, U.S. Army Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 in Galveston, Texas, marking the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation and...
The Death of Elmer Ellsworth
The Death of Elmer Ellsworth: A Union Martyr and the First Casualty on Virginia Soil On This Day – May 24, 1861 In the early days of the Civil War, long before the nation had fully grasped the scale of the conflict to come, the death of one young Union officer sent...
Thanksgiving at a Civil War Hospital
Thanksgiving during the Civil War wasn’t the extravagant feast we know today. But in 1864, even soldiers recovering in hospitals like Jarvis General in Baltimore experienced the comfort of a holiday meal. The Jarvis U.S. General Hospital was a military hospital...
The Death of Stonewall Jackson
On May 10, 1863, the 39-year-old Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson, one of the South's most fearless generals, passes away from pneumonia, one week after he was unintentionally shot by his own troops during the Battle of Chancellorsville in Virginia. Jackson frightened...
Abraham Lincoln’s Final Resting Place
On May 4, 1865, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, is laid to rest in Oak Ridge Cemetery, Springfield, Illinois. His journey to this final resting place was long and eventful, reflecting the immense respect and admiration he garnered throughout...