This website was created for a 2016 Gilder Lehrman/Adams State course, "Understanding Lincoln". It is entirely educational in scope, and all images, videos and sources have been cited in the bibliography. If there is any party who does not desire to see their material on this webpage, please contact me using the contact button below, and it will be removed.
This site is designed for use for secondary level students. It is not intended to necessarily be a scholarly statement on Lincoln and Civil Rights during the Civil War, but rather as a vehicle for students to learn about the topic using primary sources and the insights of some historians. It is designed to guide the student through some major questions Lincoln faced as President during the war, and then have the student determine whether Lincoln was correct in his suspension of habeas corpus. Part of the design of this site is not to analyze entire documents if they discuss topics not pertinent to a focus on civil liberties, but to stick with the parts focused on civil liberties. It is not a close reading in its entirety, and was not designed to be so purposefully, but it hopefully uses the techniques and philosophy of a close reading. It has also purposefully avoided passing judgement on Lincoln's actions, or overly analyzing the documents. This is due to the desire for students to come to their own decisions, with editorial content acting as a guide and filling in the blanks historically. It is also designed to use the occasional vocabulary word that could provide what could be a new word for the average student, although it is mostly designed to be accessible. After completion of the website, students will be given a follow-up essay, to answer the following questions: Was Abraham Lincoln's suspension of Habeas Corpus Constitutional? Why or why not? Did Lincoln make the correct decision in suspending some civil liberties? Does it set a dangerous precedent or not?
Part of the idea behind the website is to gather data from students as they progress through the website. Do they find Lincoln's argument about habeas corpus compelling? Do they agree with Roger Taney's decision in Ex parte Merryman? By collecting data as students go, and then analyzing said data, it can be useful, particularly with class discussion. Asking questions like "Why do 75% of you think a state has a right to secede?" or "Did Vallandigham have a right to make that speech?" can lead to deeper questions that relate back to viewing Lincoln and Civil Liberties within the broader scope of American history and current events. Class discussion is the bedrock of my teaching, and every tool I use as a teacher is ultimately designed with the hope of a lively and intelligent discussion about what we have learned.
Benjamin Feld
East Montpelier, Vermont
2016
This site is designed for use for secondary level students. It is not intended to necessarily be a scholarly statement on Lincoln and Civil Rights during the Civil War, but rather as a vehicle for students to learn about the topic using primary sources and the insights of some historians. It is designed to guide the student through some major questions Lincoln faced as President during the war, and then have the student determine whether Lincoln was correct in his suspension of habeas corpus. Part of the design of this site is not to analyze entire documents if they discuss topics not pertinent to a focus on civil liberties, but to stick with the parts focused on civil liberties. It is not a close reading in its entirety, and was not designed to be so purposefully, but it hopefully uses the techniques and philosophy of a close reading. It has also purposefully avoided passing judgement on Lincoln's actions, or overly analyzing the documents. This is due to the desire for students to come to their own decisions, with editorial content acting as a guide and filling in the blanks historically. It is also designed to use the occasional vocabulary word that could provide what could be a new word for the average student, although it is mostly designed to be accessible. After completion of the website, students will be given a follow-up essay, to answer the following questions: Was Abraham Lincoln's suspension of Habeas Corpus Constitutional? Why or why not? Did Lincoln make the correct decision in suspending some civil liberties? Does it set a dangerous precedent or not?
Part of the idea behind the website is to gather data from students as they progress through the website. Do they find Lincoln's argument about habeas corpus compelling? Do they agree with Roger Taney's decision in Ex parte Merryman? By collecting data as students go, and then analyzing said data, it can be useful, particularly with class discussion. Asking questions like "Why do 75% of you think a state has a right to secede?" or "Did Vallandigham have a right to make that speech?" can lead to deeper questions that relate back to viewing Lincoln and Civil Liberties within the broader scope of American history and current events. Class discussion is the bedrock of my teaching, and every tool I use as a teacher is ultimately designed with the hope of a lively and intelligent discussion about what we have learned.
Benjamin Feld
East Montpelier, Vermont
2016