In 1863 life forever changed for African American slaves when the Emancipation Proclamation was announced. An interesting video clip shows two actors reading excerpts from the Emancipation Proclamation and a letter by a slave named Annie...

Take a look at where it all began: Fort Sumter. Individuals learn about the history of Fort Sumter, the location of the first battle of the Civil War. Fort Sumter was also important to the defense of the Confederate city of Charleston....

The Civil War ended slavery, but how did the government enforce the Thirteenth Amendment? Scholars learn about the creation of the Freedman's Bureau, the department's responsibilities, and experiences of African Americans who the program...

The Battle of Antietam was the deadliest day of the Civil War. An eye-opening video is filmed at the Antietam battlefield and provides pupils with an overview of the battle. Academics learn the military strategy General Lee and McClellan...

The Gettysburg Address was a short speech—only about two minutes in length—but its reach has been long. Video segments from a panel of scholars, an historian talking about the printing of the speech, a re-enactment of the speech, and a...

Discover the history of Memorial Day. An engaging video describes how the holiday came to be, what its original name was, and how we commemorate the national holiday currently. 

An informative video shares the history of the national holiday, Mother's Day. Follow along to find out how one mother came up with the idea during the Civil War and her daughter finalized the details to make their efforts come to...

While the end of the Civil War marked the end of slavery with the Thirteenth Amendment, the questions of the Reconstruction remain unanswered today. Slavery first became a matter of debate at the Constitutional Convention. Today, we...

Life was precarious for free and enslaved African Americans, as demonstrated by the tragic Dred Scott decision. The Supreme Court case not only denied an enslaved man's petition for freedom, but also claimed that African Americans—free...

How did economic issues lead to war? Viewers watch an AP review video to examine one of the main causes of the American Civil War, the Tariff of Abominations. They examine the issues concerning the economies of the North and South prior...

Historians examine Lincoln's early views on slavery at the outbreak of the Civil War. [2:49]

Why did President Lincoln refuse to officially recognize the Confederate States of America? Video segment explores the horrors of the battle of Gettysburg and President Lincoln's personal contempt for the Confederate States of America....

Video clip tells about the impact of novelist Harriet Beecher Stowe on the abolitionist movement. [5:17] Supplemental material for both students and teachers is included.

A comprehensive list of Civil War era songs arranged by year. Many of these are little-known. Hear the song and read the lyrics. Requires QuickTime.

Watch an animated version of General Sherman's March through the South during the Civil War in 1864 and 1865. Click on the boxes to get more information. [3:27]

The History Channel offers a comprehensive look at the struggle for Civil Rights beginning with the earliest black immigrants in the 1400s to African American gains in the late 20th century. Links to related video clips are included. [2:33]

This video examines common soldiers defending their purpose in the Civil War and civilians, raising the question of whether the Union actually won the war. [28:25]

Short video [1:11] on Abraham Lincoln animated and narrated with humor. Support materials for students include background essay on Lincoln and fact sheet to accompany video.

In this video excerpt, the content of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address is examined and explained by former President Bill Clinton and Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. [1:33]

Would Reconstruction have been different had Abraham Lincoln lived to oversee it? Lincoln's views on slavery throughout his presidency are examined in this video segment. [2:57]

What changed Lincoln's mind about slavery? Examine President Abraham Lincoln's mixed motivations for issuing the Emancipation Proclamation. [4:38]

Learn how with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation the war merged with the abolitionist cause. The Proclamation had included an unexpected clause: at last, black men could enlist in the armed services of the United States. [2:52]

Fort Monroe in Virginia was a Union stronghold during the Civil War. Through a tour of the Casemate museum on the grounds of the fort, we learn that it had a front row seat for the battle between the ironclad ships the Monitor and the...

This is an overview of naval activity during the War between the States. It highlights the signifcance of sea power during the war as well as the use of ironclad vessels. [2:00]