War and Politics:
Lincoln, Virginia and the Election of 1864
How did the bloody military stalemate in Virginia affect the presidential election of 1864?
Also, how did candidates and generals respond to events during that long summer?
Published Classroom/Lesson Plan Material
Civil War Trust - Election of 1864 Lesson Plan: Comparison of the election's two main candidates and an analysis of Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
NEH's Edsitement - Lincoln & Wartime Politics Lesson: Analyze primary sources to determine if Lincoln's performance as a wartime president justified his reeelection
National Parks Service - Petersburg, A City Under Seige Lesson: Using map skills, students will identify the key objectives of Union forces during the seige
PBS and Ken Burns' The Civil War - Civil War in Your Hometown Lesson: Research the Civil War through local history analysis
Education Portal - Overland Campaign Summary Videos: Grant's Grand Strategy re-created with cartoons and reading summaries
Useful Assignments and Activities
Listed below are several classroom assignments and activities that can be used
in correlation with this website, or as separate sources on the American Civil War.
Student Created DBQ Project Worksheet: In pairs, students create a Document-Based Question pertaining to the Election of 1864 or some other relevant Civil War topic.
Six Degrees of Separation Worksheet: Using the worksheet, students link the Overland Campaign and Lincoln's Re-Election using a chronological series of events. This worksheet focuses on Contextualization, one of the Historical Thinking Skills at the heart of the Revised AP US History Curriculum.
Fremont Cartoon Analysis Worksheet: Using OPTIC analysis stratgey, students analyze an image and then complete a series of multiple choice questions (modeled after the Revised AP US History Curriculum).
McClellan Broadside Analysis Worksheet: Using OPTIC analysis stratgey, students analyze an image and then complete a series of multiple choice questions (modeled after the Revised AP US History Curriculum).
Wartime Election Analysis Project: Students analyze three different wartime presidents (Lincoln,Wilson,FDR) and the effect of their policies on their re-election bids. This is a group analysis/writing project.
Choosing Sides - Call for Volunteers: Students analyze two primary sources on Lincoln's call for volunteer troops in July 1864. After examining the perspective/argument of each, students decide which is "right."
Choosing Sides - Lincoln's Re-Election: Students analyze two primary sources on the possibility of Lincoln winning re-election. After examining the perspective/argument of each, students decide which is "right."
Crash Course US History Civil War Videos: These videos, narrated by John Green, are a great summary of key points from the Civil War/Reconstruction Era. The guided viewing worksheets (below) are meant to be used as not only a viewing guide, but also a starting point for classroom discussion.
- Election of 1860 (Video #18) Worksheet
- Civil War Part 1 (Video #20) Worksheet
- Civil War Part 2 (Video #21) Worksheet
- Reconstruction (Video #22) Worksheet
Facebook Project Template: Have students create a Facebook Page for one of the leaders in the Overland Campaign or the presidential election proceedings (see Biographies/Sources page).
Choice Board: For differentiated learning, use this chart. Have students pick one activity or complete a Tic-Tac-Toe line to cover a variety of learning styles and creative methods. This template can be applied to a series of topics, usually following an assigned reading or lecture.
AP PARTY! Primary Source Analysis Worksheet: Analysis questions to assist students with understanding the context and and significance of primary source documents (particularly helpful with DBQ's)
Photo Analysis Worksheet: Courtesy of the National Archives, helps students gain primary source analysis skills (particularly helpful for DBQ's)
