Tasks:
- Begin class by returning to letters written by Civil War soldiers.
- Identify the affordances (strengths) and limitations (weaknesses) of using letters as a primary source for understanding the past. Generate a list as a whole class.
- Small group discussion focused on letters:
- How do the soldiers view emancipation?
- Are the soldiers hopeful or fearful about the future?
- Focus on central inquiry: How do Lincoln's speeches reflect the changing goals and course of the war?
- What did the Emancipation Proclamation do?
- Changed the goal of the war; Union has a cause that moves beyond simply saving the Union
- Transition to discuss Gettysburg Address.
- Contextualize the Address by identifying key moments that led Lincoln to speak.
- Battle of Gettysburg & Battle of Vicksburg - both battles occurred in 1863, which is the turning point in the war. After 1863, the Confederacy began slow and steady retreat.
- Small group answer: How does Lincoln define the Union?
- Assign the Second Inaugural Address.
- Be prepared to discuss: How does Lincoln restore the Union?
