Category Archives: Uncategorized

Few battles of the American Civil War provide a better illustration of the importance of topography and geography in a military campaign than the Chattanooga Campaign. The topography of the area surrounding Chattanooga, and the Confederate occupation of the high … Continue reading →

According to the College Archivist, this may well be the very first preserved photograph of Dickinson College –at least the earliest one that can be accurately dated. There are several early photographs of West College (above) and East College that … Continue reading →

The New York Times “Disunion” series actually has several terrific and readable pieces on Civil War photography and art.  Students in History 288 received assignments for just three of them.  But each raises important issues about the impact of photography on the … Continue reading →

Abraham Lincoln was not trained as a military man.  He once joked that as a young Illinois militia officer during the Black Hawk War, the only “live, fighting” enemies that he had attacked were mosquitoes.  Yet, he was a remarkably self-confident … Continue reading →

Due by March 11, 2016   Objective Students are required to create a custom-made Google map that helps document a Civil War battle using first-hand testimony and then to describe this map in a short (1,000 word) blog post.   … Continue reading →

Built in 2011 for the House Divided Project by undergraduate Brenna McKelvey, this map details the cavalry movements of Confederate General JEB Stuart during the Gettysburg campaign in 1863.  Stuart’s absence at the beginning of the battle (July 1-3,1863) was … Continue reading →

Dred Scott might be the most famous slave in American history.  In Battle Cry of Freedom, James McPherson certainly spends a significant amount of time analyzing the eleven-year-long freedom suit which culminated in Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857).  Yet McPherson focuses on … Continue reading →

In this video close reading, Prof. Pinsker argues that an under-appreciated turning point of the Civil War occurred on Tuesday, August 23, 1864.  That was not the date of a battle, but rather of a unique political decision.  President Lincoln wrote … Continue reading →

Here are an assortment of handouts distributed during the summer 2015 Underground Railroad seminar sponsored by the Gilder Lehrman Institute: Gateway Stories Frederick Douglass Henry Box Brown Lessons John Brown’s Raids Handout –Defining UGRR Slavery Law & Resistance Constitution and … Continue reading →