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We are studying the Civil War in Bigger. It has weighed heavily on my children (as it should upon all of us).

My question is this...How do I *explain* that the states of the confederacy (we are in GA) *thought* they were fighting for a "just cause" when it seems so unjustifiable?

I mean, is it just a matter of the culture in which they grew up? What factors weigh in here?

Thanks!!

Don't forget that the Civil War, though it is presented as a war over slavery, was also (and to some more importantly) about States' Rights. That is an issue that has been very much erased by many, if not most, history books. And frankly, it is an issue that is becoming much more important in America today. With the ages of your kids, that might be a bit difficult to convey. So, I would just talk to the aspect of how God uses all things to bring about His glory. There are so many bad things throughout the history of the world that we will never truly understand, but that God has used to bring people to Him and to bring glory to Himself. Blessings.

Jennifer

Good Point!

school4princesses wrote:Don't forget that the Civil War, though it is presented as a war over slavery, was also (and to some more importantly) about States' Rights. That is an issue that has been very much erased by many, if not most, history books. And frankly, it is an issue that is becoming much more important in America today. With the ages of your kids, that might be a bit difficult to convey. So, I would just talk to the aspect of how God uses all things to bring about His glory. There are so many bad things throughout the history of the world that we will never truly understand, but that God has used to bring people to Him and to bring glory to Himself. Blessings.

Jennifer

I'd love to do some personal study about this. Do you happen to know of any books that draw this states rights issue out?

I highly recommend the fictional book Across Five Aprils. It brings out a lot of aspects of the war that are often forgotten like the fact that even Lincoln's own party often despised him and thought he was a fool. It's more for middle schoolers or upper elementary, but it might be a good read for you to draw from. I also think it is important to bring out the economic issues. One thing that was mentioned in Across Five Aprils is that although the abolitionists were doing the right thing, no one had made a plan for what would happen to the slaves after they were freed. This became a huge issue even among those who did not support slavery. It was widely known that race would be a factor in hiring individuals and there wasn't an effective plan thought up to deal with the large amount of unemployed individuals or a way to help the southern plantations adjust their finances in order to pay workers. Slavery was a horrible thing, but once it was instituted getting out of it created some really high hurdles.

Ladies,

This is a good question, on a very difficult topic. While the issue of slavery was definitely one cause of the Civil War, states' rights was another big factor. Industrialization and legislation having to do with that was another factor. Tariffs were another factor. As far as Bigger Hearts goes, some of those factors are briefly mentioned, but for young children the issue of slavery is the most understandable cause of the war and that is where more emphasis is placed. We liked the Eggleston text for its biographical portrayal of some of those involved in the war and of their childhoods too. For example, Bigger Hearts does a good job of portraying what a Godly person and general Robert E. Lee was and tells stories to demonstrate his character and caring spirit.

As we move into Rev2Rev, there is a deeper discussion of both sides of the Civil War with much greater focus given to the issues. Lincoln is portrayed very humanly, and generals on both sides of the war are also portrayed humanly as well. The text we use in Rev2Rev to cover the Civil War was written much closer to the end of the Civil War, as it is a reprint of an older text, and it gives a fuller picture of the war than you may read in many other sources. The audio of Lincoln also gives a fuller picture of him and those with whom he interacted. Books like Gabriel's Horses give a terrific view of southern life from the perspective of those who life in the south. This one happens to be about a freed slave and his son who both work with race horses on a southern plantation during the time of the Civil War.

The book Lee and Grant at Appommattox (which we schedule within our extension pack) is another book with a good view inside the end of the war and into the personalities of Grant, Lee and even Custer. Diana Waring's perspective on the Civil War is another good piece of Rev2Rev that adds a larger perspective of the war within the worldwide context. Iron Scouts of the Confederacy is another terrific book from the southern perspective that we schedule within DITHR, and Shades of Gray (in DITHR also) gives a perspective of the South and divisions within a family after the war on those who joined the fight and those who didn't. The extension pack also has a Newberry award-winning photobiography of Lincoln, which really gives a fuller picture of the lead-up to the war, the war itself, and the days directly after the war ended. So, you can see you will definitely not get a one-sided view of the Civil War as you work through the HOD guides.

We pray that the stories scheduled within our guides will open up discussion between you and your children about these important topics. We have had wonderful discussions with our own children on these very things this year as we've traveled through Rev2Rev and Bigger Hearts (as we are doing both of these guides this year).

Blessings,
Carrie

It is good to hear how we will delve into this in future guides.

I just wanted to thank everyone for their response. We also reside in GA and just completed the Civil War Unit last week, with much the same discussion as OP. We decided to spread it out over 2 weeks, so I will pull out Across Five Aprils (on the shelf) and some of the REVtoRev sources (my older son is doing this ).

OP - If you have Discovery Education they have some great videos on there. One that we enjoyed and found very helpful discussing the causes of the war is
The American Civil War: The causes of war (link removed per board rules by board moderator) It also has 2 more in the series (The American CW: The war years, The American CW: Reconstruction).

Blessings,
Adrienne

Do you have to pay to subscribe to that video service?

Adrienne,

From what you've shared, I am thinking that the kiddos with which you are discussing this topic are currently at the age where they are doing Bigger Hearts. If this is true, then I wouldn't recommend jumping into a difficult book like Across Five Aprils, which we actually don't schedule in any of our HOD guides, or any of the other books that we do save for Rev2Rev or upper levels of DITHR, as they are most definitely for an older, more mature audience.

We actually chose not to include Across Five Aprils in our HOD guides, even though it is a common pick in other curriculums. We felt the mature content, style of writing, and use of wording chosen by the author were barriers to including it in our guide. If you're wanting to read it for your own knowledge, it would be a good pick in that capacity. Or, if you are prepared to screen it as you read, explaining as you go, you may be able to read it aloud (but only to an older child, as lissiejo already mentioned). I would be really hesistant to hand it to a child of any age to read on his/her own as it meanders quite a bit and gets pretty heavy. While you will know best what books will fit your family, I did want to give you a heads-up if you are seeking to delve more deeply into this topic.

Blessings,
Carrie

Carrie - Thanks, yes I intend to use these books for myself in order to have a deeper understanding and be better prepared for discussions with my 7 & 9 yr olds. HOD tends to create a thirst for more in my ds9

By the way, my ds11 LOVES, LOVES, LOVES RevtoRev and we are excited about MtoM. He has learned so much. I just wish I had the time to read all the books too.

MrsRandolf - Discovery Education is free for homeschoolers in GA from August to June. If you want more info. send me a private message.

Blessings!