African Americans in the Civil War:
Women of the Civil War: She Fights for Liberation and Freedom
Overarching Theme: Fighting for Our Liberation and Freedom
Overview
Along with African American men, African American women volunteered to serve
the United Sates during times of war. During the Civil War African American women
assumed roles as abolitionists, teachers, nurses, cooks, laundresses,
seamstresses, scouts, spies and even soldiers. In these roles, African American
women (both enslaved and free) took up the fight for liberty and freedom. In this
skills-based lesson module that is aligned to the Common Core State Standards
(CCSS) and supports literacy development, students will analyze a variety of
informational texts to learn more about the roles and responsibilities of African
American women who participated in the Civil War. They will also conduct research
on six significant African American women who risked their lives to see the
American ideals of liberty and freedom come to fruition: Charlotte Forten Grimke
(abolitionist/teacher), Mary Elizabeth Bowser (spy), Mary Touvestre (spy), Harriet
Tubman (nurse, scout, and spy), Susie King Taylor (nurse), and Cathey Williams
(soldier).
Content Focus
African American people have always challenged and fought for the American
ideals of freedom and justice.
Lesson Understanding
Students will understand that African American women played major and varied
roles in pursuing liberation and freedom for all during the Civil War.
Instructional Resources
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Modern-day African American soldier (image): http://4.bp.blogspot.com/yAdrLGtfelI/UQGHV3YiE6I/AAAAAAAANaU/Y9p5NwaTWuE/s640/041912politics-ptsd-female-soldier-2.jpg
Women in the Civil War: http://www.history.com/topics/women-in-the-civil-war
NPR recording, “Harriet (Tubman) the Spy”:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112384583
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DuSable Museum of African American History Civil War Art Collection:
 Harriet Tubman (1963), R. Furan, 947381:
http://civilwarinart.org/items/show/140
 Harriet Tubman (1964), Shirley Firestone, 947455:
http://civilwarinart.org/items/show/139
Venn diagram:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/reading/bestpractices/vocabulary/pdf/sr_allgo.pdf
Document analysis worksheet (image):
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/photo_analysis_workshee
t.pdf
Summarizing graphic organizer:
http://teacher.scholastic.com/reading/bestpractices/vocabulary/pdf/sr_allgo.pdf.
Photo essay how-to:
http://content.bandzoogle.com/users/JeffNicholson/files/U03_S14_Media.pdf
Sources/Additional Resources
Women in the Civil War
 History.com http://www.history.com/topics/women-in-the-civil-war
Charlotte Forten Grimke (abolitionist/teacher)
 PBS: http://www.pbs.org/onlyateacher/charlotte.html
 Women in History: Living Vignettes of Notable Women from US History:
http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/grim-cha.htm
 University of Minnesota:
http://voices.cla.umn.edu/artistpages/grimkeCharlotte.php
 Pennsylvania State University:
https://secureapps.libraries.psu.edu/PACFTB/bios/biography.cfm?AuthorID=1
54
 Biography.com: http://www.biography.com/people/charlotte-forten-11384
Mary Elizabeth Bowser (spy)
 Central Intelligence Agency: http://www.fas.org/irp/cia/product/civilwar.pdf
(see pp. 26–29)
 NBC News: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/43461045/ns/us_news-life/t/slavesfreedmen-civil-wars-forgotten-spies/#.UbZ2keDPXG4
 Smithsonian: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/WomenSpies-of-the-Civil-War.html?c=y&page=3&navigation=thumb#IMAGES
 Lakewood Public Library: http://www.lkwdpl.org/wihohio/bows-mar.htm
 Ohio State University:
http://ehistory.osu.edu/USCW/features/people/peopleviewmore.cfm?PID=86&end=315&ScriptToCall=bio.cfm
Mary Touvestre (spy)
 Central Intelligence Agency: http://www.fas.org/irp/cia/product/civilwar.pdf
(see pp. 26–29)
 Washington Post: http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-0104/opinions/36210729_1_uss-monitor-css-virginia-ironclad-ship
 Civil War Monitor: http://www.civilwarmonitor.com/front-line/a-slave-and-a-spy
 Star News:
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20110620/ARTICLES/110629995?p=4
&tc=pg
Harriet Tubman (scout, spy, and nurse)
 National Underground Railroad Freedom Center:
http://www.freedomcenter.org/underground-railroad/history/people/HarrietTubman
 History.com: http://www.history.com/topics/harriet-tubman
 Central Intelligence Agency: http://www.fas.org/irp/cia/product/civilwar.pdf
(see p. 26–29)
 Women’s Memorial.org:
http://www.womensmemorial.org/Education/BBH1998.html
 Civil War Saga: http://civilwarsaga.com/harriet-tubman/
 Civil War.org: http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/biographies/harriettubman.html
 Biography.com: http://www.biography.com/people/harriet-tubman9511430/videos
 NPR: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112384583
 America’s Library.gov:
http://www.americaslibrary.gov/aa/tubman/aa_tubman_spy_1.html
 Smithsonian: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/WomenSpies-of-the-Civil-War.html
Susie King Taylor (Nurse)
 New Georgia Encyclopedia:
http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1097
 Susie (Baker) King Taylor:
http://telegraph.civilwar.org/education/curriculum/Gifted%20and%20Talented/
CWPT%20Gifted%20Curriculum%20-%20Susie%20King%20Taylor.pdf
 Ohio State University:
http://ehistory.osu.edu/world/articles/ArticleView.cfm?AID=42
 BlackPast.org: http://www.blackpast.org/?q=aah/taylor-susan-susie-bakerking-1848-1912
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Buffalo Soldiers Research Museum:
http://www.buffalosoldiersresearchmuseum.org/research/women.htm
William Cathaey/Cathey Williams (Buffalo Soldier)
 BuffaloSoldier.net:
http://www.buffalosoldier.net/CathayWilliamsFemaleBuffaloSoldierWithDocum
ents.htm
 Legends of America: http://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-cathywilliams.html
 Buffalo Soldiers Research Museum:
http://www.buffalosoldiersresearchmuseum.org/research/women.htm
 Sangres.com: http://www.sangres.com/history/cwilliams/#.UbZy0eDPXG4
 National Park Services:
http://www.nps.gov/goga/forteachers/upload/BS_PrimarySources_2008-0118_med.pdf
Lesson Plan
Women of the Civil War: She Fights for Liberty and Freedom
Grade Level(s)
9–12 (high school; can be adapted to middle school)
Unit and Time
Frame
80 minutes + 120 minutes for the Extended Learning Activity
Common Core
Learning
Standards
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Lesson Goals
Materials/Resour
ces
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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.W.7: Conduct short as well as more sustained
research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating
understanding of the subject under investigation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.2: Determine the central ideas or information of
a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source
distinct from prior knowledge or opinions. (Middle School)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-12.2: Determine the central ideas or information
of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key
events or ideas develop over the course of the text and make clear the
relationships among the key details and ideas. (High School)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.7: Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts,
graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and
digital texts. (Middle School)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-12.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of
information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually,
quantitatively, and in words) to address a question or solve a problem.
(High School)
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a
range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on
others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
Increase students’ understanding of the roles and responsibilities of African
American women who participated in the Civil War and fought for the
American ideals of liberty and freedom for all.
Help students make connections between this period and today.
LCD projector/screen or whiteboard
teacher computer with laptop
paper (notebook, loose-leaf, copier, construction)
journal/spiral-bound notebook (optional)
computer (for student research)
Key Terms and
Concepts
Cult of womanhood: ideals that confined women to devoting their lives to
creating a clean, comfortable, nurturing home for their husbands and children.
Abolitionist: a person who wanted to end slavery.
Emancipation Proclamation: proclamation issued on January 1, 1863, that freed
enslaved persons in the rebel states and announced that African Americans would
be accepted into the US Army and Navy.
Black dispatchers: members of the intelligence unit during the Civil War. These
individuals were spies and spymasters.
Interdisciplinary
Connections
Art: Students will analyze one of two works of art that are part of the DuSable
Museum of African American History’s Civil War collection and create a photo
essay based on the topic.
Learning Plan
1. Hook: Using an LCD projector, show the picture of a modern-day African
American female soldier (http://4.bp.blogspot.com/yAdrLGtfelI/UQGHV3YiE6I/AAAAAAAANaU/Y9p5NwaTWuE/s640/041912politics-ptsd-female-soldier-2.jpg) on a screen or whiteboard. Allow a few
minutes for the students to observe the image and respond to the following
questions:
 What is your initial impression of the picture?
 Based on what you have observed from the picture, list three things
that you might infer about this soldier.
 What questions does this picture raise in your mind?
Have students share their responses with an “elbow partner” (the person
next to them) and call on a few students to share their responses with the
rest of the class.
2. Building Background Knowledge: Share with students that they are
going to learn about the roles and responsibilities of African American
women who participated in the Civil War as abolitionists, teachers, nurses,
cooks, laundresses, seamstresses, scouts, spies, and even soldiers. Direct
students to read the background essay “Women in the Civil War”
(http://www.history.com/topics/women-in-the-civil-war), and respond to the
following questions:
 Why would women want to participate in the Civil War?
 What were some of the roles and responsibilities that women had in
the Civil War?
Go over the students’ responses by conducting a whole-group discussion.
3. Art Analysis: For this learning activity, to understand that African American
women played major and varied roles in pursuing liberation and freedom for
all during the Civil War, students will analyze one of two works of art that
are part of the DuSable Museum of African American History’s Civil War
collection. Allow students to work in pairs to complete this activity. Either
project the images listed below on a screen with an LCD projector and/or
provide a color copy of one of the images to each pair. Either allow
students to choose their own image or assign one to them to ensure an
even distribution of the images. Have students complete the document
analysis worksheet
(http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/photo_analysis_wo
rksheet.pdf):
 Harriet Tubman (1963), R. Furan, 947381:
http://civilwarinart.org/items/show/140
 Harriet Tubman (1964), Shirley Firestone, 947455:
http://civilwarinart.org/items/show/139
Go over students’ responses as a whole-group discussion.
4. Informational Text Analysis: Using a Venn diagram, direct students to
compare (determine the similarities and differences) the photo of the
modern-day female soldier discussed at the beginning of this lesson
module with the painting of Harriet Tubman analyzed in the previous
activity. A copy of the Venn diagram can be accessed at
http://teacher.scholastic.com/reading/bestpractices/vocabulary/pdf/sr_allgo.
pdf
Allow time to conduct a whole-class discussion on the similarities and
differences of the two images.
5. Document Response: Students will learn more about Harriet Tubman’s
role as a spy by listening to the NPR recording “Harriet (Tubman) the Spy”
(http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112384583) and
creating an identity chart that includes words and phrases that best
describe Harriet Tubman. See graphic organizer pictured below:
To wrap up this activity, call on a few students to share their words and
phrases with the rest of the class.
Assessment
Venn diagram, document analysis worksheet, summarizing graphic organizer
Extensions
(Homework and
Projects)
Extended Learning Activity: For this extended learning activity, students will
research six African American women who participated in the Civil War (Charlotte
Forten Grimke, abolitionist and teacher; Mary Elizabeth Bowser, spy; Mary
Touvestre, spy; Harriet Tubman, nurse, scout, and spy; Susie King Taylor, nurse;
and Cathey Williams, soldier) and create an electronic photo essay (using
PowerPoint) that reflects their understanding of the roles and responsibilities of
African American women who participated in the Civil War. The photo essay
should consist of a series of photos with captions arranged to tell how these
women (in their various roles) fought for the American ideals of liberty and
freedom for all. To learn more about how to do a photo essay, go to the following
link: http://content.bandzoogle.com/users/JeffNicholson/files/U03_S14_Media.pdf
Divide the class into six groups and assign each group a woman to
research. Have the groups conduct research using the web links in the
Sources/Additional Resources section of this lesson module. Direct
students to record their information on the summarizing graphic organizer.
(For a printable version of the summarizing graphic organizer, go to
http://teacher.scholastic.com/reading/bestpractices/vocabulary/pdf/sr_allgo.
pdf). Have students locate appropriate pictures for the topic online and use
those images in their photo essay.
Allow time for each group to present its photo essay to the rest of the class.