Civil War Resources

For your project you will research United States Civil War. Start with these databases and encyclopedias, then move onto the web sites. Dont forget about books. There are many books in the 973.7 non-fiction that are great resources!

DATABASES:

At the EHS Media Center web site, scroll down to databases and choose GALE. At the GALE home page, click on DISCOVERING COLLECTION. Next, click on the button on the left side of the screen that says US History and from that list click on "United States Civil War, 1861-1865" or "United States history, 1817-1861" or "United States history, 1865-1901". You can also search by keyword at this site.

Also try the ABC-CLIO databases at the school site. Choose American History and then enter your search terms in the box in the upper right hand corner. The "Eras" tab is another place to look. Click on that and you'll find links to information about the Civil War. This site is a great place to start, lots of solid information for your project.

ENCYCLOPEDIAS:

There are two online encyclopedias at the EHS Media Center web site, take a look at those before going to Wikipedia.

WEBSITES:

Background and Causes of the War
American Military History
Online version of a 1988 book designed to help "[U.S] officers and soldiers an awareness of our nation's military past." Features an overview of battles, including the War of 1812, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Includes maps. From the Center of Military History (CMH), United States Army.

The Civil War: A Film by Ken Burns
Ken Burns' Emmy® Award-winning documentary brings to life America's most destructive - and defining - conflict. The Civil War is the saga of celebrated generals and ordinary soldiers, a heroic and transcendent president and a country that had to divide itself in two in order to become one. Find maps, historical documents, a fact sheet and biographies at this site.

Civil War@Smithsonian: Collecting, Preserving, Remembering the National Experience
This site, produced by the National Portrait Gallery, provides information and pictures from the Smithsonian Institution's extensive collections on the United States Civil War. The collections represented include slavery and abolition, Abraham Lincoln, weapons, leaders, cavalries, navies, the surrender at Appomattox, and the life and culture of the time. A bibliography of resources and timeline of events relating to the war are also available.

Index of Civil War Information Available on the Internet
The layout is simple and sparse, but if you're studying the U.S. Civil War a fine way to begin is to explore the Index of Civil War Information available on the Internet by Dick Weeks. There are dozens of categories to choose from that will lead you to a bevy of web resources on multiple Civil War topics.

Political and Social Catalysts for the War
American Civil War Causes
The American Civil War was the result of a variety of causes ranging from slavery and states rights to industrialization and societal change.

What Caused the Civil War?
There were many reasons for a Civil War to happen in America, and political issues and disagreements began soon after the American Revolution ended in 1782. Between the years 1800 and 1860, arguments between the North and South grew more intense.

Major Political and Military Leaders
US Civil War Generals
Indexed alphabetically, this site lists confederate and union generals from the United States Civil War. Find brief listings with birth and death dates, years of service, branch of service, bibliographies of further readings, and in some cases Web sites. Union officers promoted to Brigadier General by brevet appointment but not promoted further are not included in this index.

Events and Battles
The American Civil War
The official National Park Service (NPS) American Civil War web site"The approaching Sesquicentennial of the American Civil War (2011-2015) offers the current generation of Americans a most important opportunity to know, discuss, and commemorate this country's greatest national crisis." Includes historical background material, links to "over 70 parks in the National Park System which have resources that are related to the history of the Civil War," lesson plans, and more. Lots of great photos.

Crisis at Fort Sumter
An "interactive historical simulation and decision making program" that allows the user to make decisions just as President Lincoln had to at the beginning of the Civil War. With an explanation of events and advice from the official advisors, the user chooses a course of action based upon the information provided. A fascinating exercise in history, public policy, and the political process. From a history professor at Tulane University.

The Gettysburg National Military Park Virtual Tour: The Battle of Gettysburg
An illustrated history of this U.S. Civil War battle fought in July 1863. Includes images from the battle sites, diagrams of the attacks, biographies, eyewitness accounts, a bibliography, and related material. From the National Park Service.

The History Place - U.S. Civil War 1861-1865
At The History Place, an easy to use timeline with many photos and interesting quotes.

Home of the American Civil War
Among the many topics covered here are biographies and photos of a great many of the major players; battle details and maps; overview of the war; information on available medical care; the navy and the naval war; the army, its organization, and conditions for soldiers. Also included is a section of "Civil War Potpourri," which contains many diverse subjects from boys in the war to the ethnic make-up of the troops, as well as one that presents various essays written about the war. This is a well-organized, comprehensive site and would be an excellent resource for student reports.

Military Battles and Campaigns
"Maps showing campaigns of major military conflicts including troop movements, defensive structures and groundworks, roads to and from sites of military engagements, campsites, and local buildings, topography and vegetation.... [Many of the] maps provide information ... not available elsewhere." Most maps are of the United States. Includes themed collections on the American Revolution and the Civil War. Searchable and browsable. From the American Memory Project of the Library of Congress.

Naval War
Shotgun's Home of the American Civil War
Ever thought about how the Merrimac came to be? Just one of the things you'll find out here. Great place to learn about the Naval aspects of the late Rebellion.

Civilians and Miscellaneous
American Civil War
An extensive directory of links to information on the United States Civil War. Includes Civil War slang, recipes and other aspects of home life, data about African Americans (in the "Colored Troops" section), details about prisons and prisoners; diaries, letters, and memoirs; archives; and how women, Canadians, Native Americans, and others served during the conflict. From a professor of finance with an interest in this period of history.

Civil War Battlefield Medicine
Information about battlefield medicine in "a time before the doctors even knew about bacteriology and were ignorant of what caused disease." Provides common Civil War medical terms, a look at Civil War dentistry, medical history for Civil War generals, details about surgery and amputations, and related documents. Includes a bibliography and statistics. From eHistory.

Civil War Life
"An online library of stories and articles about civilian life during the Civil War." Includes excerpts from the journal of Louisa May Alcott, letters, reproduced portions of a magazine for children, a poem by Clara Barton, a lesson in dancing the quadrille, and stories and songs (some audio files) of the Christian Commission, an important relief agency.

Civil War Maps: Civil War Maps, 1861-1865
"This presentation contains approximately 2,240 Civil War maps and charts and 76 atlases and sketchbooks." Includes related essays. Searchable, and browsable by place, subject, creator, and title. From the American Memory Project of the Library of Congress

Civil War Photographs
This collection of 1,118 Civil War photographs can be searched by keyword, browsed by subject, or viewed by year. There is a list of represented photographers (most of the photographs were made under the direction of Matthew Brady), a brief article on how photographs of the era were made, bibliographies, related links, and an essay, Does the Camera Ever Lie? , about how the photographer got his desired message into his pictures. Administered by the Library of Congress.

The Gettysburg Address
Contains digitized images and transcriptions of two early drafts of the speech delivered by President Abraham Lincoln. Includes translations of the speech in many languages, related correspondence, information on the preservation of the speech, and the "only known Photograph of President Lincoln at the dedication of the Civil War cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, November 19, 1863." From the Library of Congress.

Intelligence in the Civil War
This illustrated report about intelligence activities in the U.S. Civil War provides "a look at some of the highlights of how the North and the South gathered and used their information, the important missions, and the personalities. From this special view, the focus is not on the battlefield, but on a battle of wits." Includes a list of suggested readings. From the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Women Soldiers of the Civil War
Article discussing and documenting several of the possibly hundreds of women who served as soldiers in both the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. From the spring 1993 issue of Prologue, the quarterly journal of the National Archives.

Updated 10/2009