The Civil War brought out many emotions for both the North and the South. Friends, families and even states were torn apart. After completing this webquest, you will be able to describe what it was like to be a Confederate or Union soldier.
Introduction
Dear Citizen of the United States of America,
As you know, yesterday, the Confederates attacked Fort Sumter in South Carolina (our first state to secede our nation) which was held by the Union troops. Our new country has been suffering many conflicts in the past years.
There were three main conflicts. The first conflict was about the taxes being charged in incoming goods called tarriffas about thirty years ago. The Tarriff Act was passedon eurpean goods to encourage the South to buy the North's products. Southerners did not like having to choose betweenhigh taxes on imported goods or paying high prices on goods that the North had made. Although the taxes have changed, Southerners remember how the North treated them.
The second conflict dealt with politics., After centering our government in Washington, DC., the North was gaining more power as their population increased. The Southerners decided that this was not fair. In order for fairness to exist for all states, the South thought it would be reasonable if each state created their own set of laws. They call it "States' Rights."
The last quarrel that you have probably been hearing a lot about lately, is the issue of slavery. You have seen how big the cotton plantations are in the sSouth. Southerners need a lot of field hands to help produce the main crop of cotton. They also need their slaves to perform household chores while they are overseeing the plantations. With this cheap or free labor, the Southerners easily make a profit. After all, slavery has been a part of their way of life for over 200 years. On the other side of the coin, the North does not approve of Southerners owning slaves. Slaves are humans. Humans are not supposed to own other humans. They think this is terribly wrong. The South does not llike the North telling them what they can and cannot do. The constitution guaranteed the right to own property and protect against seizure of property. To a Southerner, a slave is property.
This letter is to inform you that you and your best friend have been called off to battle on opposing sides.
Office of the Army
Task
As you know, your government has put you and your friend on opposing sides. It is important to you and your friend to remain in contact. You both agree that the best way of keeping in contact is to write each other letters.
Together, you must pick a battle that you both are fighting and tell each other in you own perspective of the battle. You really want your friend to know, feel and see what you are going through. Your letter must include the following:
The name of the battle and the details of it:
About how big is your unit?
What kind of weapons you are using?
Who was your leader(s) in this battle?
Your living conditions:
Explain your feelings about the war.
Do you agree or disagree about the cause of the battle you are fighting?
If you were given a choice to fight on a different side, would you change sides? If so, why?
Process
Determine what battle you are going to fight in. Here are your choices:
Click on one of the links below to get an overview of the battle. After looking at the battles, decide which battle you wish to participate in.
Go to your resource page and do research on your battle. Take notes what you need to include in your letter. Review the criteria.