African Americans and the Civil War

Suitable for Schools · Grades 1–12

Culture & Identity • History

Image: The Gallant Charge of the Fifty Fourth Massachusetts (Colored) Regiment

This presentation explores the experiences and contributions of African Americans, free and enslaved, during the Civil War. It examines the challenges they faced while highlighting the soldiers who fought for the Union and freedom, and civilians who supported the war effort at home and in military camps.

Organizations may choose from one of the following focuses:

Soldiers, Citizens, and the Fight for Freedom
Explores the experiences and contributions of Black soldiers and civilians during the Civil War and their roles in the struggle for freedom.

Freedom Delayed: From the Battlefield to Juneteenth
Explores the complicated path from the Emancipation Proclamation and Black military service to the end of the Civil War and the arrival of emancipation in Texas on June 19, 1865.

Black Women on the Home Front and in Camp
Highlights the experiences and contributions of Black women who supported the Union cause as nurses, cooks, laundresses, teachers, spies, relief workers, and freedom seekers.

African Americans and the Civil War School Programs

Bring the history of African Americans and the Civil War to life through engaging, age-appropriate presentations designed for K–12 students.

Schools may choose from several topics exploring the experiences, contributions, challenges, and achievements of African Americans during the Civil War era. Each presentation is approximately 20 minutes, leaving time for an interactive activity and discussion.

All programs include a display of Civil War artifacts and reproduction items that give students an opportunity to connect with the history beyond the presentation.

Presentation Topics

Teachers and coordinators may select the topic most appropriate for their students:

Presentations and activities can be adapted to meet the age, grade level, and learning needs of each group.

Black Soldiers: Triumphs, Challenges, and Valor — Grades 6–12
African American Heroes of the Civil War — Customized for K-5, 6-8, 9-12
From Emancipation to Freedom: Laws, Proclamations, Orders, and Amendments — Grades 6–12
Black Delawareans and the Civil War — Customized for K-5, 6-8, 9-12
Juneteenth: The Long Road to Freedom — Grades 2–5
War and Play: Children During the Civil War — Grades 2–5
Black Women and the Civil War: At Home and in Camp — Customized for K-5, 6-8, 9-12

Activities

Interactive activities reinforce the presentation and encourage students to explore history through vocabulary, primary sources, photographs, historical figures, and critical-thinking exercises. Activities are selected according to grade level and presentation topic.

Grades 2–4

Word Search or Word Scramble: Review key vocabulary, people, and events from the presentation.
Who Am I? Identify historical figures using clues about their lives and accomplishments.
Fact or Fiction? Decide whether statements about the Civil War and African American history are true or false.

Grades 5–8

Primary Source Investigation: Examine a letter, newspaper article, military document, or other primary source. What can it tell us about the people and events of the time?
What If? Consider an important event or decision and discuss how history might have been different if something had changed.
Photo Analysis: Examine a historical photograph for clues about people, places, events, and life during the Civil War era.

Grades 9–12

Document Analysis: Examine a law, military order, proclamation, or other primary source. What does the language mean, and what impact did the document have?
Interpreting Historical Photographs: Analyze what a photograph reveals about its time period and consider its historical significance.
Opposing Views: Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass: Compare their words and perspectives on slavery, emancipation, Black military service, and the meaning of the Civil War.

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