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 LESSON PLAN #4
THE CIVIL WAR
1850S TO 1860S

Objectives:

Students should understand that during the latter half of the nineteenth century, the changing social and political climate of the United States was reflected in history paintings and genre images of the abolitionist movement, the Civil War, and post-Civil War realities. They will learn about different avenues of social protest.

Slides:

Discussion:

Using the information provided in Introduction, Discussion, Looking Closely, Style, and Artist view The Last Moments of John Brown and The Trial of John Brown in relation to the time disparity between when the images where painted and the time of the event. How do you think many Americans felt about John Brown in 1859, 1884, and 1942? How might we learn more accurately how many Americans felt about John Brown in 1859? Consider that he was charged with treason and hung; can we assume that government actions represented popular opinion? Read newspapers accounts and poems from the time period. To get an idea of how some Americans felt about John Brown in 1884 examine The Last Moments of John Brown. This image was made into a print which was sold to many people, so we can assume that many people were inspired by or wanted to be reminded of his story. Why might an African-American artist in 1942 have painted John Brown's story?

Both The Trial of John Brown and The Bright Side were distributed widely, either as prints or in newspapers. Ask students to think about what life was like and how visual information was distributed before photographs could be easily and cheaply reproduced. Might they feel differently about a war if they were unable to see any graphic images of death, weapons, and violence?

Talk about slavery in America -- why some people felt it was necessary and others opposed it. Compare the different ways people fought for abolition: the Underground Railroad, periodicals that opposed slavery, slave revolts, legal protests and passionate oratory. What was John Brown's method of fighting slavery? How would your students fight for a cause? View The Bright Side and The Pension Claim Agent; using the information from Introduction and Discussion talk about some of the other causes of the Civil War and the role of free blacks and slaves in the Civil War. How might life be different for a soldier after the war who fought on the side of the North vs. the South?

Activity 1:

Act out the trial of John Brown. Choose one student to be John Brown and divide the class into two groups. Have one group represent the prosecuting side, the other the defenders of John Brown. The teacher can act as the judge or arbitrator and lead the debate. The students can ask questions of John Brown and they can debate about his methods of protest. After the details are argued for a time, the class can vote on his innocence or guilt and decide the degree of punishment, if any.

Activity 2:

After looking at the two slides of John Brown's trial and talking about his life, read aloud "Many Thousand Gone" and "John Brown's Body" with the class. Discuss what the songs mean. "Many Thousand Gone" was written by slaves and is based on an old African spiritual. It was used as a marching song among African-American soldiers who fought in the Union Army. "John Brown's Body" is sung to the tune of "Glory, Glory, Hallelujah," and was also sung by white Union soldiers.

MANY THOUSAND GONE

No more auction block for me,
No more, No more,
No more auction block for me,
Many thousand gone.

No more driver's lash for me,
No more, no more,
No more driver's lash for me,
No more, No more,

No more iron chain for me,
No more, no more,
No more iron chain for me,
Many thousand gone.

JOHN BROWN'S BODY

John Brown's body lies a mouldering in the grave,
John Brown's body lies a mouldering in the grave,
John Brown's body lies a mouldering in the grave,
But his soul goes marching on

Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!
Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!
Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!
His soul goes marching on

John Brown died so that the slaves might be free,
John Brown died so that the slaves might be free,
John Brown died so that the slaves might be free,
But his soul goes marching on

He's gone on to be a soldier in the army of the Lord,

He's gone on to be a soldier in the army of the Lord,
He's gone on to be a soldier in the army of the Lord,
And his soul goes marching on

The stars of heaven are looking kindly down,
The stars of heaven are looking kindly down,
The stars of heaven are looking kindly down,
On the grave of Old John Brown

Terms:

  • abolitionist: a person fighting to end slavery. Some abolitionists were free African-Americans, some were escaped slaves, and many were Caucasian. Famous abolitionists you might read about are Harriet Tubman, Fredrick Douglass, John Brown, and Sojourner Truth.
  • emancipation: the act of freeing a slave. Some slaves bought their freedom and others were freed by their masters. The Emancipation Proclamation, signed in 1863 by President Lincoln, officially ended slavery in America.

Suggested Reading:

Chang, Ina. A Separate Battle: Women and the Civil War. New York: Lodester Books, 1991.

Collier, James Lincoln and Christopher. With Every Drop of Blood: A Novel of the Civil War. New York: Delacorte, 1994.

Crane, Stephen. Red Badge of Courage. 1894. New York: Random House, Inc., 1980.

Freedman, Russell. Lincoln: A Photobiography. New York: Clarion Books, 1987.

Hamilton, Virginia. Many Thousand Gone: African Americans from Slavery to Freedom. New York: Knopf, 1993.

Hoobler, Dorothy, and Thomas Hoobler. Next Stop Freedom The Story of a Slave Girl. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Silver Burdett Press, 1991.

Murphy, Jim. The Boy's War: Confederate and Union Soldiers Talk About the Civil War. New York: Clarion Books, 1990.

Murphy, Jim. The Long Road to Gettysburg. New York: Clarion Books, 1990.

Introduction | One | Two | Three | Four | Five | Six | Slide List | Museum Visit