The Civil War and Reconstruction Online
July 31, August 1-2, August 7-8, 2012
Faculty and Staff
Matthew Pinsker, Brian C. Pohanka ’77 Chair in American Civil War History, Dickinson College
Email: pinskerm@dickinson.edu
Lance Warren, Education Coordinator and Course Director, Gilder Lehrman Institute
Email: warren@gilderlehrman.org
Summary and Objectives
The course will explore the Civil War and Reconstruction through lectures and discussion rooted in primary documents, web resources and digital history tools. Participants will engage in discussions with Professor Pinsker; watch guest lectures from the Gilder Lehrman Institute’s archives; and take a virtual field trip of Gettysburg Battlefield, while blogging about what they are learning and collectively mapping the locations of primary documents discovered along the way.
In order to receive one graduate credit in history from Dickinson College, participants will write a lesson plan unit that incorporates the various digital history tools they will learn how to use during the course. The lesson plan unit must be submitted by September 15, 2012, about one month after the last course meeting. Participants may use any lesson planning template they choose. Further details on format and scope will be discussed during the course.
Readings and Resources
- Drew Gilpin Faust, Mothers of Invention: Women of the Slaveholding South in the American Civil War
- James McPherson, For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought the Civil War
- Additional readings (see schedule below)
- Gilder Lehrman Institute, History in a Box: The Civil War
Schedule (all times are Eastern Standard)
Day 1 – July 31
10:00 a.m. Class convenes on WebEx for introduction to web tools to be used throughout the course
10:30-12:00 p.m. Lecture and discussion led by Professor Pinsker
Slavery and Secession
Image of the Day–Dred Scott’s Family
Featured Document — John Brown Statement (1859)
Handouts–Slavery Through Dred Scott // Fugitive Crisis Timeline
Further reading —Dred Scott Decision // UGRR and Coming of War // Harpers Ferry Raid
12:00-1:00 p.m. Digital History Pedagogy Workshop led by Lance Warren
Teaching with the Gilder Lehrman Home for History
1:00-4:00 p.m. Independent work
View guest lecture and featured video, review morning lessons and try blogging at course website
GUEST LECTURE: Catherine Clinton on Harriet Tubman (33 mins.)
FEATURED VIDEO: Old Carlisle Courthouse (10 mins.)
4:00-5:00 p.m. Reconvene for wrap up discussion with Professor Pinsker
Day 2 – August 1
10:00 a.m. Class convenes on WebEx for discussion of blogging completed during the prior day
10:30-12:00 p.m. Lecture and discussion led by Professor Pinsker
Why They Fought –Discussion of Soldier Motivations
Image of the Day–Men of Company E
See also House Divided record // Library of Congress record // Blog post by Andy Hall
Featured Document–Pvt. William E. Stoker Letter Home, October 3, 1862
Handouts– Civil War Overview // Humiston
Further Reading– Gary Gallagher on Civil War // A Texas Farmer’s Civil War // GLI Exhibit: I Take Up My Pen
12:00-1:00 p.m. Digital History Pedagogy Workshop led by Dean Eastman and Kevin McGrath, Beverly, MA
Teaching with PrimaryResearch.org
1:00-4:00 p.m. Independent work
View guest lecture, featured video, review morning lessons, experiment with word clouds, and blog at course website
For sample word clouds, see clickable model for Lincoln-Douglas Debates and then try out Wordle or another online source such as Tagxedo. Be prepared to comment on how you have used, or might plan to use, word clouds in your classroom during our 4pm EST wrap up session.
Also, during the independent time for Day 2 (or later in the evening), please email Matt Pinsker with any suggested links to collections of Civil War soldier diaries or letters that are available online and that seem valuable for classroom applications. Email pinskerm@dickinson.edu to help Matt build a section of the web guide that features collections such as the one House Divided put together for CSA Pvt. William E. Stoker.
GUEST LECTURE: James McPherson on Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief (30 mins.)
FEATURED VIDEO: Do They Miss Me at Home? (10 mins.)
4:00-5:00 p.m. Reconvene for wrap up discussion with Professor Pinsker
Day 3 – August 2
10:00 a.m. Class convenes on WebEx for discussion of blogging and/or word clouds completed during the prior day
10:30-12:00 p.m. Lecture and discussion led by Professor Pinsker
Emancipation
Image of the Day–Thomas Nast’s “Emancipation” (1863 / 1865)
Featured Document– Greeley Letter
Handouts– Contraband of War // 37th Congress // Emancipation and Law of War // Emancipation in Global Context
Further Reading– Emancipation Digital Classroom // James Oakes on Lincoln and Race // Bruce Levine on Confederate “Emancipation”
12:00-1:00 p.m. Digital History Pedagogy Workshop led by Robert Nelson and Scott Nesbitt, University of Richmond Teaching with Visualizing Emancipation
1:00-4:00 p.m. Independent work
View guest lecture, featured video, review morning lessons and experiment with custom maps from Google
For sample custom-made Google maps, see House Divided models and then experiment with trying to build your own map. For online tutorials, go here or consult this handout.
GUEST LECTURE: Allen Guelzo on the Emancipation Proclamation (38 mins.)
FEATURED VIDEO: Henry W. Spradley, Citizen (14 mins.)
4:00-5:00 p.m. Reconvene for wrap up discussion with Professor Pinsker
Day 4 – August 7
10:00 a.m. Class convenes on WebEx for discussion of mapping
10:30-11:00 a.m. Virtual field trip of Gettysburg Battlefield
Supporting Handouts —Gettysburg Day 1 // Gettysburg Day 2 // Gettysburg Day 3 // Gettysburg Maps // Bureau of Military Information // Understanding Lincoln’s Map // Gettysburg Revisions // Sam Wilkeson’s Gettysburg Address
11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Lecture and discussion led by Professor Pinsker
Politics of the War: Two fronts in 1864
Image of the Day: Richmond Bread Riot
Featured Document: Blind Memorandum
Handouts: Macaria
Further Reading: Catherine Clinton on Women and Homefront
12:00-1:00 p.m. Digital History Pedagogy Workshop led by William Thomas, University of Nebraska
Teaching with the Valley of the Shadow
1:00-4:00 p.m. Independent work
View guest lecture, featured video, review morning lessons, continue to experiment with Google maps and try to identify useful websites (or lesson ideas within websites) for the course Web Guide.
GUEST LECTURE: Ronald White on Abraham Lincoln’s Words (37 mins.)
FEATURED VIDEO: From Carlisle to Andersonville (14 mins.)
4:00-5:00 p.m. Reconvene for wrap up discussion with Professor Pinsker
Day 5 – August 8
10:00 a.m. Class convenes on WebEx for discussion of mapping project
10:30-12:00 p.m. Lecture and discussion led by Professor Pinsker
Reconstruction, Race, and Reunion
Image of the Day: Freedmen’s Monument
Featured Document: Reconstructing Constitution
Handouts: Race and Reunion
Further Reading: Eric Foner on Reconstruction Amendments // EXHIBIT: America’s Reconstruction // HarpWeek on Impeachment
12:00-1:00 p.m. Digital History Pedagogy Workshop led by Chris Bunin, Charlottesville (VA ) City Schools
Teaching with GIS mapping
1:00-4:00 p.m. Independent work
View guest lecture, review morning lessons and prepare to discuss ideas for individual Civil War Era lesson plans / unit based on digital resources
GUEST LECTURE: David Blight on Race and Reunion (55 mins.)
4:00-5:00 p.m. Reconvene for wrap up discussion with Professor Pinsker