TOPIC 5.9 Government policies of the Civil War

Black Soldiers, Fort Pillow, & Public Memory

KC-5.3.I.B …Lincoln’s decision to issue the Emancipation Proclamation reframed the purpose of the war…Many African Americans fled southern plantations and enlisted in the Union Army…

Objective 1: Students will learn about the contributions of Black soldiers to the War effort.

Objective 2: Students will compare primary sources that detail the massacre at Fort Pillow and use their knowledge to critically analyze the current Tennessee State Parks’ Fort Pillow Museum as part of a “virtual tour” of the site.

This Key COncept in An Antiracist classroom:

“Let the Black man get upon his person the brass letters U. S., let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder, and bullets in his pocket, and there is no power on earth or under the earth which can deny that he has earned the right of citizenship in the United States.” - Frederick Douglass

“Nothing can be changed until it is faced.” - James Baldwin

Confederate “Lost Cause” mythology continues to obscure the truth about America’s past and prevents acknowledgment of injustice that must happen before racial reconciliation is possible. The men under Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest committed a horrible atrocity against Black soldiers stationed at Fort Pillow on April 12, 1864. However, Forrest continues to be celebrated by state governments in the South and their monuments veil the simple and horrific truth about the incident. Students who visit the site are greeted with Confederate flags and five romantic paintings of Forrest. They are led into a movie theatre that explains that the “northern spin-doctor press” created a “melodramatic” story that prevented healing between the North and South. Signs leading to the site blame victims of the massacre and signs at the sight refer to the event as a “controversy” rather than a massacre. One sign declares a “Confederate Triumph.” The names of the 15 dead Confederates are honored on the same plaque as the 192 Black soldiers that they massacred. Americans must learn to become critical thinkers when they visit historic sites and those skills must begin in the classroom.

Notes

The “Warm-Up” for this lesson includes a brief 5-minute lecture that introduces students to must-know content for topic 5.9 and a brief background of Black military service in previous American wars. Beyond the introduction, this lesson is skills-based and student-driven. Before students can take their “virtual museum tour,” students need to read the pertinent facts and primary sources that will reveal the truth about the massacre. After analyzing sources, students will move through the musuem’s entrance and different exhibits as they critically analyze museum content. They will continually be asked to compare the facts they have learned with museum claims.

Short on time?: If you are short on time, you can cut out slides #26-36 (and questions #16-18 on the handout). These center on Nathan Bedford Forrest and controversies surrounding his involvement. Since Forrest continues to celebrated by state governments throughout the South, I believe that this content is relevant and important. This section includes this Dr. Foner quote, (of APUSH textbook writing fame) “Nathan Bedford Forrest was a homicidal criminal.” As with all lessons on the site, everything is in Google Docs and Slides so you can easily edit to fit your students and time constraints.