The objective in Part 1 is to help classroom teachers find new and better ways to humanize the coming of war narrative. The conflict over slavery may well have been “irrepressible,” but nobody should teach this dramatic subject in ways that drain the dramatic elements of human choice out of the equation or make the Civil War seem inevitable. Moreover, by rendering complicating constitutional subjects such as the Dred Scott Case or the fugitive slave law in more human terms, teachers can actually help students find deeper insights into the underlying causes of the war.
Image of the Day–Dred Scott’s Family
Featured Document — John Brown Statement (1859)
Handouts–Slavery Through Dred Scott // Fugitive Crisis Timeline
Further reading –Dred Scott Decision // UGRR and Coming of War // Harpers Ferry Raid
GUEST LECTURE: Catherine Clinton on Harriet Tubman (33 mins.)
FEATURED VIDEO: Old Carlisle Courthouse (10 mins.)
