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Find a Harper's Weekly newspaper article- event connected to movie.  Link it here.

Write a paragraph comparing/contrasting this event to the similar event in the movie.

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We Believe that the most exciting way to study the Civil War, is to watch the war unfold on the pages of Original Harper's Weekly Newspapers. Harper's Weekly was the most popular newspaper during the Civil War, and it featured stunning illustrations, and in depth stories on all the important people and events of the war. Below, for your research and enjoyment, we present this work in progress. Presently 1861 through 1864 are completed, and the 1865 issues through May are complete.

(Newspaper Thumbnails take you to the Complete Paper)

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We Believe that the most exciting way to study the Civil War, is to watch the war unfold on the pages of Original Harper's Weekly Newspapers. Harper's Weekly was the most popular newspaper during the Civil War, and it featured stunning illustrations, and in depth stories on all the important people and events of the war.

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Write about fact vs, fiction comparison, some "dramatic license" to make the movie more entertaining, a song, etc.

Link any online source that you used to learn more.

Write a paragraph, showing your thinking as a Civil War historian.

http://www.historyplace.com/films/index.html

http://www.teachwithmovies.org/whats-new.htm

http://www.onlygoodmovies.com/educational/civil-war/

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Explore movies based on true stories as we pit History vs. Hollywood. See photos of the real people, watch interviews and learn the truth behind movies based on real stories.

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"Letters from a Slave Girl" Mary E. Lyons

If you enjoyed the movie "12 Years a Slave", or if you just want to know more, the book "Letters from a Slave Girl is the one to read. The book is based off of actual letters written by Harriet Jacobs, a girl born into slavery. Harriet's master taught her to read and write. In the movie, Solomon knew how to read and write. Harriet had hope that her master would free her after her death, but instead she is passed on to her master's daughter. In the movie, Solomon hopes that someone will prove that he is a free man. Both the book and the movie are based off of actual experiences that real slaves went through. The book is helpful in understanding what it was like on the plantations for slaves.

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I would not recommend this movie for entertainment purposes. The beginning of the movie was confusing. The lighting throughout the movie was dark, making it difficult to see. There were long periods of time with no speaking and no action. During these times, people were basically just standing around doing nothing.

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The movie "12 Years a Slave" is mainly about the injustice of man on another man.

In "12 Years a Slave", Solomon is born a free man. He works hard like everyone else. Two white men offer him a job to play an instrument in the circus. They drug him, and sell him to slave traders. This act was cruel, and Solomon was separated from his family for 12 years. When he is sold to the traders, he tries to explain to the man in charge that he is a free man. The man doesn't listen, and whips him instead. On one of the plantations that he ends up on, he has a bad relationship with the carpenter. The carpenter gets mad, and starts to beat him. When Solomon defends himself, the carpenter tries to hang him. Solomon does not deserve this type of punishment, and everyone knows this.

Solomon Northup is a free black man. He lives in New York with his family. He plays the violin to make a living. Brown and Hamilton, white men who work with a circus, offer Solomon a job as a musician. He takes the job and travels with them to Washington D.C., where they drug and sell him to a slave trader named Theophilus Freeman. Freeman gives Solomon a new identity, that of Platt, a runaway slave from Georgia. In New Orleans, Platt is sold to plantation owner named William Ford. Ford likes Platt, and gives him a violin to play. Platt and the carpenter, John Tibeats, do not get along, and eventually get into a fight. Afterward, Tibeats tries to hang Platt, but gets caught and leaves him to hang with feet barely touching the ground for hours. Ford sells Platt to Edwin Epps in order to save his life. Platt meets a slave named Patsey at his new plantation. Epps rapes Patsey often, and his wife beats her out of jealousy. Cotton worms ruin the plants, so Epps leases his slaves in order to make money. Platt makes money playing violin at a wedding, and tries to use the money to send a letter to his friends in New York. The man who was supposed to send his letter betrayed him, and Epps becomes very angry. Patsey is caught going to another plantation to get soap, and Platt is forced to whip her. Platt and Samuel Bass, a Canadian abolitionist, begin working on a gazebo. Bass agrees to send Platt's letter, and shortly after, a sheriff arrives with Platt's friends. Solomon returns to his home, and sees his family fully grown.

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What does this movie teach you about the Civil War?  Describe how the film contributed to you learning about the subject.

Write a paragraph as a student of Civil War history.

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Discuss in what ways was the film least satisfying. What parts did you not like as well? How could it be better? What might you change?

Write a paragraph as a film critic.

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Find another first-hand account, map, newspaper article, document connected to the movie.

Write a paragraph explaining how it contributes to your understanding of the movie.

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The American Civil War: A collection of free online primary sources

Susan Birkenseer

The American Civil War began in 1861, lasted until 1865, and was ruinous by any standard. Within months of President Lincoln's inauguration, seven southern states began the secession from the Union and declared the Confederate States of America. This split in the fabric of the country began a bitter war, concluding in the death of more than 750,000 soldiers. When the South finally surrendered, the Confederacy collapsed, and slavery was abolished. To understand the conflict, take a look back at the primary documents that highlight decisions of generals, the everyday drudgery of soldiers, and the photographic images of battle.

Hundreds of websites offer insight into the American Civil War. This guide is not comprehensive, but it highlights a diverse collection of free websites of primary sources for the study of the war. These websites include digitized newspaper archives for both the Union and Confederate sides of the struggle, collections of letters and diaries, digitized photographs, maps, and official records and dispatches from the battlefields.

Newspapers

Brooklyn Daily Eagle (1841-1955). An important daily newspaper, the Eagle was unusual for its time since it covered national as well as regional news. The archive is searchable, can be browsed by date, and includes zooming capabilities to see the tiny text up close. The archive is maintained by the Brooklyn Public Library. Access: http://bklyn.newspapers.com/title_1890/the_brooklyn_daily_eagle/.

Chronicling America. This site offers access to multiple newspapers from both the Confederate and Union states. Over 1,400 newspapers are in the archive, but not all of them are from the Civil War years. Examples of newspaper titles include: Memphis Appeal (1857-1886), Chattanooga Rebel (1862-1865), New York Sun (1859-1916), and New York Daily Tribune (1842-1866). Search across the newspapers for a range of contemporary stories from both sides of the war. From the Library of Congress. Access: http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/#tab=tab_newspapers.

Harper's Weekly. The archive of this popular weekly newspaper highlights only the Civil War years. The site is searchable and is arranged chronologically with thumb-nails of the front pages. All pages from the 1861-1865 Civil War period have been scanned including the engravings and illustrations. From the Lee Foundation. Access: http://www.sonofthesouth.net/leefoundation/the-civil-war.htm.

Richmond Daily Dispatch (1860-1865). This paper was published from the Confederate capital and has a digitized and searchable online archive of 1,384 issues. The site is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Access: http://dlxs.richmond.edu/d/ddr/index.html.

Maps and photographs

Civil War Maps. Nearly 3,000 maps are included in this online composite of three collections from the Library of Congress, the Virginia Historical Society, and the Library of Virginia. Search by keyword and narrow with the facets to the left of the results page. Access: http://www.loc.gov/collection/civil-war-maps/about-this-collection/.

Diaries and letters

Civil War on the Western Border: The Missouri-Kansas Conflict, 1855-1865. A collection of letters, photographs, and diary entries that document a lesser-known conflict of the time. The resources are scanned and transcribed. When possible, the letters also show connections to other related people and events. This site is a result of collaboration with Kansas City-area libraries, historical societies, and museums. Access: http://www.civilwaronthewesternborder.org/.

Dispatches and battles

Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library. This site from Mississippi State University contains the first 31 volumes of The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant published by Southern Illinois University Press, and includes his military papers from the Civil War. Also included are photographs and prints from the life of Grant, including photographs from the war. The volumes are searchable as well as browsable. Access: http://digital.library.msstate.edu/cdm/usgrantcollection.

Copyright © 2015 Susan Birkenseer

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The American Civil War: A collection of free online primary sources | Birkenseer | College & Research Libraries News

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Susan Birkenseer The American Civil War began in 1861, lasted until 1865, and was ruinous by any standard. Within months of President Lincoln's inauguration, seven southern states began the secession from the Union and declared the Confederate States of America.

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Find a scholarly historical source- something that a historian would use (journal, college website, professional).

Write the title and author at the top.

Link it here. Write a paragraph explaining how this source contributed to your understanding of the movie.