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Civil War Music

Web-based Content

Civil War Music

Grade Levels

10th Grade, 11th Grade, 12th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade, 9th Grade

Course, Subject

US History 1850-Present, History
Related Academic Standards
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  • Big Ideas
    Historical context is needed to comprehend time and space.
    Historical interpretation involves an analysis of cause and result.
    Perspective helps to define the attributes of historical comprehension.
    The history of the United States continues to influence its citizens, and has impacted the rest of the world.
  • Concepts
    Biography is a historical construct used to reveal positive and/or negative influences an individual can have on the United States society.
    Comprehension of the experiences of individuals, society, and how past human experience has adapted builds aptitude to apply to civic participation.
    Conflict and cooperation among social groups, organizations, and nation-states are critical to comprehending society in the United States. Domestic instability, ethnic and racial relations, labor relation, immigration, and wars and revolutions are examples of social disagreement and collaboration.
    Conflict and cooperation among social groups, organizations, and nation-states are critical to comprehending the American society.
    Historical causation involves motives, reasons, and consequences that result in events and actions.
    Historical causation involves motives, reasons, and consequences that result in events and actions. Some consequences may be impacted by forces of the irrational or the accidental.
    Historical comprehension involves evidence-based discussion and explanation, an analysis of sources including multiple points of view, and an ability to read critically to recognize fact from conjecture and evidence from assertion.
    Historical literacy requires a focus on time and space, and an understanding of the historical context of events and actions.
    Historical literacy requires a focus on time and space, and an understanding of the historical context, as well as an awareness of point of view.
    Historical skills (organizing information chronologically, explaining historical issues, locating sources and investigate materials, synthesizing and evaluating evidence, and developing arguments and interpretations based on evidence) are used by an analytical thinker to create a historical construction.
    Human organizations work to socialize members and, even though there is a constancy of purpose, changes occur over time.
    Learning about the past and its different contexts shaped by social, cultural, and political influences prepares one for participation as active, critical citizens in a democratic society.
    Long-term continuities and discontinuities in the structures of United States culture provide vital contributions to contemporary issues.
    Long-term continuities and discontinuities in the structures of United States society provide vital contributions to contemporary issues. Belief systems and religion, commerce and industry, innovations, settlement patterns, social organization, transportation and trade, and equality are examples continuity and change.
    Social entities clash over disagreement and assist each other when advantageous.
    Textual evidence, material artifacts, the built environment, and historic sites are central to understanding United States history.
    United States history can offer an individual discerning judgment in public and personal life, supply examples for living, and thinking about one’s self in the dimensions of time and space.
    United States history can offer an individual judicious understanding about one’s self in the dimensions of time and space.
  • Competencies
    Analyze a primary source for accuracy and bias and connect it to a time and place in United States history.
    Analyze the interaction of cultural, economic, geographic, political, and social relations for a specific time and place.
    Apply the theme of continuity and change in United States history and relate the benefits and drawbacks of your example.
    Articulate the context of a historical event or action.
    Construct a biography of an American and generate conclusions regarding his/her qualities and limitations.
    Contrast how a historically important issue in the United States was resolved and compare what techniques and decisions may be applied today.
    Contrast multiple perspectives of individuals and groups in interpreting other times, cultures, and place.
    Evaluate cause-and-result relationships bearing in mind multiple causations.
    Summarize how conflict and compromise in United States history impact contemporary society.
    Synthesize a rationale for the study of individuals in United States history.

Description

Both North and South used music extensively during the Civil War to rally troops, as recreation, to march by, and many other reasons. Frequently both sides would borrow each other’s tunes or lyrics. It was not uncommon for each side to serenade the other, or for battle to stop while an impromptu concert was held.

Probably the most famous Civil War era song was Julia Ward Howe’s "Battle Hymn of the Republic", which used the tune of the abolitionist song, "John Brown’s Body". However, there were many other songs that both sides knew well.

In this activity, students will examine lyrics of songs of both sides, and make conclusions about the lyrics.

Web-based Resource

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Civil War Music

Content Provider

PBS

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