Civil War & Reconstruction

The Civil War (1861–1865) was the defining conflict in U.S. history, rooted in deep disagreements over slavery, states’ rights, westward expansion, and the future of the Union. Students examine the events that pushed the nation toward war—such as the Compromise of 1850, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, the Dred Scott decision, and the election of Abraham Lincoln—along with the formation of the Confederacy and the outbreak of fighting at Fort Sumter.

During the war, students study major turning points like Antietam, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, Sherman’s March, and Appomattox, while also analyzing wartime leadership, military strategy, and the experiences of soldiers and civilians. The Emancipation Proclamation and the role of Black troops highlight how the war evolved into a struggle over freedom and citizenship, not only union preservation.

Reconstruction (1865–1877) focuses on rebuilding the South and defining rights in the post-slavery United States. Students explore the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, debates between Presidential and Congressional Reconstruction, the rise of Black political participation, and the backlash that included Black Codes, sharecropping, and the growth of white supremacist violence. The resources on this page support primary source analysis, DBQs, projects, and assessments aligned to middle and high school U.S. History standards.