Why is the American Civil War significant? 2J America: A Nation Divided, c1845–1877

Why is the American Civil War significant? Good learning: Outlined the structure of this module. Great learning: Explained what the American Civil War was. Even better: Evaluated why the American Civil War is a significant event in American History. Key Words: Union Confederate

Welcome to History (Again)! Leanne Lush (LLUSH) Work Part-Time (Monday mornings, all day Tuesday and Thursday and Friday afternoons) Email: Leanne.Lush@thomroth.ac.uk Follow us on Twitter @TRC_HISTORY (interact with polls/links/materials). Follow our Blog https://trchistory.wordpress.com/ This will be one of our main ways of communicating with you outside class Flipped Leaning MUST be done for the following week New this year…TRCHistory! Please find and follow! 3

VERY FEW OF YOU WILL DO AN AS EXAM Course content TUDORS AMERICA 1st YEAR Henry VII Henry VIII Origins of the American Civil War 1845–1861 VERY FEW OF YOU WILL DO AN AS EXAM 2nd YEAR Edward VI Mary I Elizabeth I The American Civil War 1861-65 Reconstruction 1865-1877 Tudors: 1x 2hr30 exam 1 x extract question AND 1 out of 3 essays America: 1x 2hr30 exam 1 x source question AND 1 out of 3 essays Coursework American Civil Rights Movement Anti-Semitism A written piece of 3,000-3,500 words (20% of overall grade) 4

What is the exam like? This is different to the Tudor exam in that you will be focusing on a shorter period of History, therefore making this a DEPTH study. Just like the Tudor exam you will be expected to look at look at some sources for the first part and then answer 2 essay style questions. HOWEVER, the Tudor exam your essay questions are not based around six key questions and therefore more difficult to predict.

Books in the LRC

Paperwork Just like with the Tudor topic you will have your History planner and your overview sheet of the topic. REMEMBER you are expected to bring these to lesson and use the overview sheet to help you find any work that you might miss. 7

FLYING START Over the last week you were asked to create a timeline American History from 1820 to 1861. You were given a list of events to place in chronological order, research and summarise. Class discussion: What you feel were the key turning points in the relations between the North and the South. The trigger cause of the war itself. The point in which you felt the civil war was inevitable. TASK: Compare your timeline with your partner and add on any extra information using a different colour pen.

So what was the American Civil War? Based on your flying start homework you should have hopefully come across what you think the American civil War actually was. write me a definition of what the American Civil War was. The war fought in the United States between northern (Union) and southern (Confederate) states from 1861 to 1865, in which the Confederacy sought to establish itself as a separate nation. The Civil War is also known as the War for Southern Independence and as the War between the States. TASK: Write a brief definition for the American Civil War.

So why is the American Civil War significant? The American Civil War and Reconstruction that followed still have an enormous impact on modern day America. Issues such as regional differences, states rights and loss of so many American lives (more than in all Wars before and since combined) are significant. The issues of race and slavery however are the ones that cause the greatest controversy and tension and it is here that it can be argued that many of the modern day problems stem from America’s failure to deal with its past.

Historical Controversy The way the Civil War is presented, taught about and viewed is not uniformed in the USA. Northern Perspective Southern Perspective The War was fought by the rebel states in the South in an attempt to safeguard and continue the practice of slavery. The Confederate States prime motivation was preservation of slavery and the rebellion against the Union was unlawful. During reconstruction the South displayed its continued racist outlook with the ‘black codes’, creation of groups such as the KKK and creation of segregation continuing to treat black Americans as second class citizens. This is the perspective that most people would agree with, it is the Confederacy that is to blame for the War and the heroes are Lincoln and his generals who destroyed slavery and saved the Union. The War was about states rights and the minority (the South) was forced to take drastic action (secede) due to the overbearing actions of the majority (the North). It was the North and not the South that instigated a military struggle. The Confederacy fought bravely against overwhelming odds. Terrible suffering and economic ruin where the results of the War for the South, followed by an imposed and corrupt Reconstruction that went against American values and continued to see the economic ruin of the South. To some in the South the Confederates were the underdogs fighting to defend their homes from a powerful and violent aggressor. 11

Why can these views continue? Why might people continue to hold these strongly differing views? Could the uniformed teaching about the Civil war be imposed across the USA? How do you think black Americans’ are likely to feel about this period of American history?

Civil War in the News Last summer there was much in the press about the Confederate Flag and calls for it to be no longer flown on state buildings in the South and whether the flag has racist connotations and continuing links to slavery: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23705803 Why do people want to fly the flag (based on the video clip)? The Confederacy fought to keep people in slavery, and soldiers flying the Confederate Flag massacred Black Americans. Consider reactions to the flying of the Nazi swastika flag. Should the Confederate Flag be seen in the same way? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23705803 – use the video clip half way down the article to answer the first question

Civil War in the News This year there has been much controversy over the removal of statues and monuments in the South that commemorate Generals and leaders of the Confederacy such as General E. Lee’s statue in Charlottesville. Protests to keep the statues have been supported by extremist groups such as the KKK and neo-Nazi groups. There have been violent clashes including people being killed. The Presidents response has been seen as being highly controversial especial as he seemed to view the protestors and counter protestors as being the same ‘violence on many sides’.

Commemoration of Slavery vs. Confederacy In the South there remains memorials/ statues etc. that commemorate the Confederacy and its leaders but there is a notable lack of sites/ memorials that commemorate slavery and the suffering of Black Americans. This suggests that America is still to come to terms with this element of its history. Contrast this to Germany where the history of oppression of the Jews and others under the Nazis is acknowledge and all German students visit the camps and learn about the Holocaust as part of their education.

BBC Article Watch the following video and think about the following questions: List some of the evidence that supports the idea that racism still exists in modern day America. What are the issues surrounding the police and black Americans? What are some of the limitations with these solutions? (look at what is said by some white Americans and what their problems are) 4. Bryan Stevenson says ‘Narrative of racial differences have been created by centuries of slavery’. What does he mean by this? 5. How does the removal of monuments deal with the underlying causes of racism? 6. How is the teaching of the Civil War, slavery and segregation also contributing to racial problems? http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40966800 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-40966800 – mainly watch last clip which is 15 minutes long

What does this continued building of statues suggest to you? This graph illustrates that the majority of memorials to the Confederates were not constructed immediately after the war but instead in the early stage of the 20th Century. This period saw the height of segregation of the reemergence of the KKK. The film ‘The Birth of a Nation’ which was pro-KKK was a box office success. Another development links to schools in the 1950s and 1960s at the time they were being de-segregated

Do you agree: THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR IS IMPORTANT IN HELPING US UNDERSTAND WHAT IS HAPPENING IN AMERICA TODAY?