What We Are Studying- Leading Up to the Civil War

We just recently began one of our favorite studies of  the Civil War.  We will be learning about this time period for the next several months.  For the next couple of weeks we are reading and discussing the time period leading up to the war.  We have so many great resources that I thought I would share with you.

Aaron and Jordan, 14 and 18 years old, will be reading The War Between the States:  America's Uncivil War by John J. Dwyer.  This 38 chapter volume is jam-packed with lots of great pictures, maps, quotes and other information you will not get from any other resource.  Dwyer has a handful of other well-known historians who contributed to this  undertaking.  The boys will be working through the study guides for each chapter and adding quotes and maps to their notebooks.

In addition to the above text the boys will be reading Sounding Forth the Trumpet by Peter Marshall.   Marshall, being from Massachusetts, takes a decidedly Northern view of the war.  We feel that it is important that we learn from both sides as every story has different versions.  Dr. Marshall  has meant a lot to us in our studies of American history.  We have been privileged to meet him and had him sign all of our books that he wrote.  Jeff made several programs with him about segments of American history for American Family Radio.  They are probably still available for sale.  If you are interested, leave me a comment and I will point you in the right direction.

In our group time we are reading:

Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Facts the Historians Leave Out by John S. Tilley
Sojourner Truth:  American Abolitionist by W. Terry Whalin

Tonight we will watch an A & E Biography Frederick Douglass.


We have a stack of books from the library to read through in this next week as well.

Kaelan will read Harriet Beecher Stowe:  Connecticut Girl by Mabel Cieland Widdemer, a Childhood of Famous Americans book.  I will read Henry Clay by  Helen Stone Peterson, a Discovery Book to Kaelan and Jackson.  Other books to read through in this stack are-

Aquila's Drinking Gourd:  A Story of the Underground Railroad by Pamela Kell
Escape to Freedom;  The Underground Railroad Adventures of Callie and William by Barbara Brooks Simon
Harriet Beecher Stowe and the Beecher Preachers by Jean Fritz
Frederick Douglass:  Abolitionist and Author by Norma Jean Lutz
The Story of the Underground Railroad by R. Conrad Stein
The Abolitionist Movement by Elaine Landau

I am still typing up our full lesson plans for this unit, but if you would like a copy I would be glad to share with you.

Of course we still have phonics, math, language and science to cover each day, not to mention the piano, violin and all those chores we do!  Time to gather my little (and big) chicks around and get our group learning time going!