Introduction
The Civil War is often thought of as a "nation divided." The goal of this website and instructional unit is to illuminate, through primary and secondary source analysis, the internal struggle President Abraham Lincoln faced between his own beliefs, and what was deemed necessary to preserve the Union. President Lincoln was a "man divided." Abraham Lincoln was a man like any other and at the onset of the Civil War faced immeasurable amounts of pressure from both the Democrat and Republican parties. The president was forced to plan for and react to situations no one should have to face while maintaining the interest of the reunification of the nation as his primary objective. The decisions he made often conflicted with his personal beliefs and he sought council from his advisers. In the end, he did what he thought was best for the country as a whole. President Abraham Lincoln, although his thoughts were divided in many ways, managed to reunite the country, abolish slavery, and bring the bloodshed that was the American Civil War to an end. "Now he belongs to the ages."
-Daniel Caudle
-Daniel Caudle
This Website is Designed for Multiple Purposes
- Provide students with an understanding of Abraham Lincoln as a man of principle that was forced to make tough decisions to preserve the Union.
- Introduce students to various multimedia platforms.
- Have students analyze, evaluate, and perform close reads of primary and secondary texts.
- Provide Students the opportunity to create their own multimedia historical research project.
- Provide educators with a complete, five lesson unit that contains all of the resources needed to teach the material.
What Educators and a Historian are Saying About Abraham Lincoln: A Man Divided
"Daniel Caudle's exciting, new multi-media resource, "Abraham Lincoln: A Man Divided," offers teachers and students a host of well-organized resources for tackling the study of Lincoln's leadership at the outset of the Civil War. Caudle helps bring alive the tensions of the Sumter crisis in 1861, while analyzing the difficult decisions to go to war in a fresh and eminently teachable light."
Matthew Pinsker, Pohanka Chair for Civil War History, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA
"The Abraham Lincoln: A Man Divided website provides a comprehensive buffet of lesson plans for teachers and students. The lesson plans provide many avenues to engage students. The use of music lyrics provides a different way to approach academic material, which can engage students more effectively. The lessons also utilize technology and multi-media to engage students more authentically in learning. The lessons also allow students to teach each other and examine documents, as well as make decisions about exactly what they want to learn. The scaffolding within and between the five lessons provides the kind of scaffolding essential to build the needed student learning. The website provides a great way to create interactive and engaged learning where teachers and students get to make decisions about how and what to learn."
Dr. Paul Gray, Arkansas Teacher of the Year
"The Civil War is one of the darkest periods in American history. The long lasting impacts of that conflict are still being seen today within our country. Mr. Caudle's website illuminates this period with intense focus on the primary figure in the conflict, Abraham Lincoln. Using a plethora of quality source materials and rich videos, Mr. Caudle engages students in the issues Lincoln faced in leading a divided nation. Students will be left with an admiration of and respect for Lincoln and his resolve to bring the nation back together."
Dr. Christopher Barnes, Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Russellville School District
"After reviewing Mr. Caudle’s website of lesson plans titled Abraham Lincoln, A Man Divided, I found it a valuable source with easily accessed information. I especially appreciate how the interface includes technology that today’s youth will find engaging as they learn history through song and film while also reading on their individual nearpod devices. As an author of Civil War history, including a compilation of source documents of the war in Arkansas titled Tattered Glory and an award winning four volume set of novels based on the history book, I am delighted with this resource that Mr. Caudle has made available for the classroom. I think teachers and students will greatly benefit from this insightful look at not only a nation divided, but the man as well."
Nancy Dane, Award Winning Civil War Author
Matthew Pinsker, Pohanka Chair for Civil War History, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA
"The Abraham Lincoln: A Man Divided website provides a comprehensive buffet of lesson plans for teachers and students. The lesson plans provide many avenues to engage students. The use of music lyrics provides a different way to approach academic material, which can engage students more effectively. The lessons also utilize technology and multi-media to engage students more authentically in learning. The lessons also allow students to teach each other and examine documents, as well as make decisions about exactly what they want to learn. The scaffolding within and between the five lessons provides the kind of scaffolding essential to build the needed student learning. The website provides a great way to create interactive and engaged learning where teachers and students get to make decisions about how and what to learn."
Dr. Paul Gray, Arkansas Teacher of the Year
"The Civil War is one of the darkest periods in American history. The long lasting impacts of that conflict are still being seen today within our country. Mr. Caudle's website illuminates this period with intense focus on the primary figure in the conflict, Abraham Lincoln. Using a plethora of quality source materials and rich videos, Mr. Caudle engages students in the issues Lincoln faced in leading a divided nation. Students will be left with an admiration of and respect for Lincoln and his resolve to bring the nation back together."
Dr. Christopher Barnes, Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Russellville School District
"After reviewing Mr. Caudle’s website of lesson plans titled Abraham Lincoln, A Man Divided, I found it a valuable source with easily accessed information. I especially appreciate how the interface includes technology that today’s youth will find engaging as they learn history through song and film while also reading on their individual nearpod devices. As an author of Civil War history, including a compilation of source documents of the war in Arkansas titled Tattered Glory and an award winning four volume set of novels based on the history book, I am delighted with this resource that Mr. Caudle has made available for the classroom. I think teachers and students will greatly benefit from this insightful look at not only a nation divided, but the man as well."
Nancy Dane, Award Winning Civil War Author
Created by Daniel Caudle, as part of "Understanding Lincoln," a course taught by Professor Matthew Pinsker of Dickinson College.
Daniel teaches U.S. History and AP Government and Politics in Arkansas. He has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Social Studies Education from Arkansas Tech University, a Master of Science degree in Educational Leadership, and a Post Master's Certificate in Curriculum and Instruction from Arkansas State University. Contact: [email protected]
Daniel teaches U.S. History and AP Government and Politics in Arkansas. He has earned a Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Social Studies Education from Arkansas Tech University, a Master of Science degree in Educational Leadership, and a Post Master's Certificate in Curriculum and Instruction from Arkansas State University. Contact: [email protected]