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Emilie Davis' Civil War
Emilie Davis was a free black woman living in Philadelphia during the Civil War. Her three diaries, written in 1863, 1864, and 1865, highlight her perspective on many important historical moments, such as, the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln’s assassination, and the Battle of Gettysburg. Comparing her diaries to other accounts and sources from the same time period will allow students to see the world in which that Emilie lived. As a woman in her early twenties, she was concerned with her personal goals, friends, and daily routines. Yet, layered within those accounts, is a world where racism is still very prevalent and violence is often not far away.
This unit will focus on African American education, the Battle of Gettysburg, and the Presidential election of 1864. These lessons were created by the Memorable Days Project at Villanova University. These lessons work in conjunction with the recent book, Emilie Davis’s Civil War, edited by Judith Giesberg. This book is a transcription, with annotations, of the original diaries. For more information on the diaries, visit https://davisdiaries.villanova.edu/
Topics
19th century
African American
Education
Civil War
Pennsylvania
Philadelphia
Women
Big Ideas
Perspective on Events
Essential Questions
What role does analysis have in historical construction?
Why is time and space important to the study of history?
Concepts
Historical skills are used by an analytical thinker to create a historical construction
Learning about the past and its different contexts shaped by social, cultural, and political influences prepares one for participation as active, critical citizens in a democratic society.
Competencies
Articulate the context of a historical event or action.
Contrast multiple perspectives of individuals and groups in interpreting other times, cultures, and place.
Background Material for Teacher
End of Unit Assessment
Have students compare and contrast newspaper articles written about Lincoln’s assassination to Emilie’s account of the incident and seeing his coffin:
Have the students answer the following questions:
Does her language suggest it is something that impacted her life? Why or why not?
How are the newspapers different from Emilie’s account?
#14
Plans in this Unit
Grade Level
High School
Standards/Eligible Content
8.1.6A
8.1.7A-B
PA Core Standards:
CC.8.5.9-12A
CC.8.5.9-12B
About the Author
These lessons were created by Dr. Judith Giesberg along with graduate students from Villanova University. The lessons were adapated to HSP's website by Education Manager Alicia Parks
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