From December 20, 1860 to June 8, 1861, eleven states seceded from the Union. Alabama seceded on January 11, 1861. Why did so many white Alabamians want to secede? Why did they believe the South could win the war? These are the essential questions at the heart of a lesson that may be used to introduce a unit on the Civil War. Class members examine a series of primary source documents to gain an understanding of the attitudes of white southerners in the early 1860s.

Concepts

secession, causes of the civil war, the united states civil war, fort sumter

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Assign groups to research the political climate of other states at the onset of the war

Classroom Considerations

• Although tightly focused on Alabama, the principles of the lesson could be adapted to apply to other southern states

Pros

• The 14-page packet includes background information for instructors, links to the primary source documents, a detailed plan, the newspaper article assignment, and a rubric for the article

Cons

• The resources focus only of the state of Alabama

Common Core

RI.9-10.1 RI.11-12.1 RH.9-10.1 RH.11-12.1