About Unit 9

💭 Essential Question: To what extent did the Civil War redefine the role of government, freedom, and national identity in the United States?

Unit 9: The Civil War unit explores how long standing tensions over slavery and national identity erupted into a violent and transformative conflict. The unit begins by analyzing secession documents and the variety of perspectives held by Northerners to understand how competing ideologies fractured the nation. Students then compare Union and Confederate strategies, resources, and goals to evaluate how these differences shaped the war's progression and outcome. Through a range of primary sources, students examine the evolving role of political leaders like Abraham Lincoln, as well as the contributions of women, free Black Americans, Indigenous people, and religious minorities. The unit culminates with an investigation into the meaning of freedom through a Curated Research Paper. Throughout the end of the unit, students consider how the Civil War redefined the role of government, freedom, and national identity in the United States.