The Montana Council for History and Civics Education

Era 5: Civil war and reconstruction (1850-1877)

MCHCE's mission to provide teachers with free, relevant, and accurate resources is realized through this website, which is also a gateway to colloquium materials provided at past TAH and MCHCE professional development programs. Additionally, through participation in MCHCE Professional Development, teachers are encouraged to create classroom curriculum from the content presented. These materials are then shared to teachers through our website. 

We have tried to follow a strict copyright policy. If you see an item posted that you feel infringes upon copyright, please Contact MCHCE immediately and the item will be removed.

Presentations

• America Through the Looking Glass by Professor Elliott West (notes taken during presentation)

• Cowboys and Entrepreneurs by Professor Elliott West (notes taken during presentation) 

• Freedom and Identity in the American West by Professor Elliott West (notes taken during presentation) 

• Chief Joseph and the Trials of Native America by Professor Elliott West (presentation notes) 

• The Greater Reconstruction by Prof. Elliott West (presentation notes)

• Wired to the World by Prof. Elliott West (PDF of Powerpoint) (presentation notes) 

• Derek Strahn and Dale Martin Bozeman Packet

• Derek Strahn Reconstruction and Bozeman, MT

• Thomas Nast, Thanksgiving Dinner

• Dale Martin The Civil War, Reconstruction, Montana, and Bozeman

• Walter Fleming Reservations and Reconstruction

• The Civil War in Photography by Dr. Frank Goodyear

• Indians in American Visual Culture by Dr. Frank Goodyear

• Photography and Reconstruction in the West by Dr. Frank Goodyear

• The Republican Economic Program by Robert Rydell, Jim Bruggeman, and Danice Toyias (Video) (Handout)

• Bonehunters and Tickpickers: Science on the Great Plains by Prof. Elliott West

• The West in the Civil War by Prof. Elliott West

• American Indians During the Civil War by Prof. Walter Fleming

Curriculum

• Thomas Nast and Reconstruction: Seriously Considered Through the Funnies (Primary Source-Based Lesson), by Bill Stoddart and Derek Strahn, Bozeman High School

• Chris Sink and Beth Boland Teaching With Historic Places: The Battle of Honey Ridge

• Danice Rolleri and Chris Sink: John Gast American Progress (Powerpoint) Gast Handout (PDF) John Gast Painting Analysis Activity PDF Word

• Michael Brody Concept Mapping

• Beth Merrick: Exhibit Design

• In the Valley of the Shadow: The Differences Slavery Made by Jim Bruggeman

• Reconstruction Report Card by Christine Sink

• The Freedman’s Bureau by Christine Sink

• Era 5 Instructional Plan Support: Biographies and Documents by Danice Toyias

• Jim Percoco on Joseph Pierce: Association to Commemorate the Chinese Serving in the American Civil War Lecture Presentation by Irving Moy on Joseph Pierce

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Resources on the Web

• From Cotton to T-Shirts: The Role of Cotton in the Civil War

• Teaching with Historic Places (Lesson Plans) 

• National Underground Railroad Museum and Freedom Center 

• From PBS: Reconstruction, The Second Civil War 

• The Dakota Conflict Trials of 1862: from the University of Missouri-Kansas School of Law 

• Mathew Brady Portraits: The National Portrait Gallery at the Smithsonian 

• U.S. Census Maps 1790-1930 

• Letters Home from an Iowa Soldier in the American Civil War: These letters are part of a collection written by Newton Robert Scott, Private, Company A, of the 36th Infantry, Iowa Volunteers. Most of the letters were written to Scott's neighborhood friend Hannah Cone, in their home town of Albia, Monroe County, Iowa, over the three year period that he served as Company A's clerk. 

• Civil War Uniforms 

• "The Meaning of July Fourth for the Negro" 

• Speech given by Frederick Douglass on July 5, 1852; Douglass (4th of July): Psalm 137:1 on Page 2 

• Douglass’ Letter to Former Master, September 3, 1848

• Civil War Treasures from the New York Historical Society (Images)

• Medicine in the Civil War

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Links and Resources
Library of Congress American Memory Collection Civil War Maps 

• Band Music from the Civil War Era 

• Civil War Maps (The Hotchkiss Map Collection) 

• A Civil War Soldier in the Wild Cat Regiment 

• Washington During the Civil War: The Diary of Horatio Nelson Taft 

• Selected Civil War Photographs