Civil War Crossroads Worksheet
Name: Date:
Class Period:
Indiana Standard 8.1.22–8.1.24 U.S. History Inquiry Dossier
Civil War Crossroads
Turning Points, Strategic Documents, and Presidential Directives (1861–1865)
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Part 1: Primary Source Analysis — Lincoln's War Aims
Source A: Emancipation Proclamation Jan 1, 1863
“...all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free... And I further declare that such persons of suitable condition will be received into the armed service of the United States.”
Key Context: Issued under war powers following Union tactical victory at Antietam.
Source B: The Gettysburg Address Nov 19, 1863
“...we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Key Context: Dedication of Soldiers' National Cemetery following the bloodiest battle of the war.
1. Transformation of War Aims: How did the Emancipation Proclamation shift the war from strictly preserving the Union into a fight for human freedom? What military advantage did it provide the Union?
2. The "New Birth of Freedom": According to Lincoln in the Gettysburg Address, why was the Civil War a global test for democratic government?
Part 2: Strategic Turning Points (1862–1864)
Battle of Antietam Sept 1862
Bloodiest single day in American history (~23,000 casualties). Halted Lee's first northern invasion in Maryland.
Outcome: Prevented British/French recognition of the Confederacy; gave Lincoln victory to issue Emancipation Proclamation.
Battle of Gettysburg July 1–3, 1863
Three-day clash in Pennsylvania ending with the failure of Pickett's Charge. Over 50,000 combined casualties.
Outcome: Crushed Confederate offensive capability in the East; Lee never invaded the North again.
Siege of Vicksburg July 4, 1863
Grant's 47-day siege forced Confederate surrender of the fortified stronghold on the Mississippi River.
Outcome: Union gained complete control of Mississippi River, severing Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana from the Confederacy.
3. Strategic Synthesis: Historians frequently call the first week of July 1863 the "turning point of the war." Connect the simultaneous victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg to explain why the Confederate defeat became irreversible.
Indiana Standard 8.1.25 & 8.1.26 State History & Final Surrender
Indiana's Frontline & Union Victory
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Part 3: Indiana's Pivotal Contributions (IAS 8.1.25)
Indiana was one of the first states to respond to Lincoln's call for troops, ultimately sending over 208,000 soldiers—over 74% of the state's military-age men, the second highest proportion of any northern state.
Gov. Oliver P. Morton
Known as the "Soldiers' Friend," Morton turned Indiana into an arsenal. When anti-war Democrats in the legislature refused to fund military operations, Morton secured private loans and federal money to equip Hoosier regiments and established Camp Morton in Indianapolis.
Key Role: Executive mobilization & prisoner-of-war camp logistics.
Morgan's Raid (1863)
In July 1863, Confederate Gen. John Hunt Morgan crossed the Ohio River into southern Indiana with 2,400 cavalrymen. They fought the Battle of Corydon (July 9), raiding Salem and Versailles before fleeing. Over 65,000 Hoosier militia mobilized within 48 hours to defend the state.
Key Role: The only major Civil War battle on Indiana soil.
28th Regiment USCT
Formed in Indianapolis in early 1864, the 28th United States Colored Troops was Indiana's only Black regiment. They fought with extraordinary bravery during the Siege of Petersburg, Virginia, charging into the fiery Battle of the Crater and suffering heavy casualties while defending the Union cause.
Key Role: African American military heroism & civil rights milestone.
4. Home Front & Morgan's Raid: Why did the rapid response of 65,000 Indiana citizens to Morgan's Raid prove critical to the Union home front?
5. The 28th USCT: How did the service and sacrifice of Black Hoosiers in the 28th USCT challenge racial prejudices during and after the war?
Part 4: Historical Argumentation — Road to Appomattox (IAS 8.1.26)
Historical Context: On April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House, effectively ending the war and preserving the Union.
6. Claim-Evidence-Reasoning (CER): Which factor contributed most decisively to the ultimate Union victory: (A) superior industrial mobilization & logistics (e.g., Morton's Indiana), (B) military strategy and turning points (e.g., Gettysburg/Vicksburg), or (C) political leadership & moral war aims (Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation)? State your claim and support it with two pieces of evidence from this worksheet.
Claim:
Evidence 1 & Reasoning:
Evidence 2 & Reasoning:
