Photography was a brand new technology whose advent really coincided with the Civil War. It was a useful (though problematic) means of capturing the history of the war but a far more widespread tool was that of painting. This exhibition includes imagery from the beginnings, outbreak, battles and aftermath of the war. It can be used as a visual timeline to trace the events of the war as well as to showcase differing perspectives which affected how these stories were presented.
Georgia Performance Standards for Social Studies SS8H5 The student will explain significant factors that affected the development of Georgia as part of the growth of the United States between 1789 and 1840. b. Evaluate the impact of land policies pursued by Georgia; include the headright system, land lotteries, and the Yazoo land fraud. c. Explain how technological developments, including the cotton gin and railroads, had an impact on Georgia‟s growth+ SS8H6 The student will analyze the impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction on Georgia. a. Explain the importance of key issues and events that led to the Civil War; include slavery, states‟ rights, nullification, Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850 and the Georgia Platform, Kansas-Nebraska Act, Dred Scott case, election of 1860, the debate over secession in Georgia, and the role of Alexander Stephens. b. State the importance of key events of the Civil War. c. Analyze the impact of Reconstruction on Georgia and other southern states, emphasizing Freedmen‟s Bureau; sharecropping and tenant farming; Reconstruction plans; 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the constitution; Henry McNeal Turner and black legislators; and the Ku Klux Klan. Georgia Performance Standards for Fine Arts Education VA8CU.1 Discovers how the creative process relates to art history. a. Identifies and analyzes universal themes, symbols, and ideas from diverse past and present cultures and interprets how factors of time and place (climate, resources, ideas, politics, and technology) influence meaning of artworks. c. Recognizes the varied reasons for making art throughout history, how history and culture have influenced art, and how art has shaped culture/history. d. Recognizes the unique contributions of past and/or present artists, art periods and movements, including but not limited to contemporary/historical art forms and Georgia artists.
After beginning a discussion of the Civil War, introduce the idea of images as primary and secondary sources. If desired, make lists or show examples of visual and written materials that can serve as either primary or secondary sources from which to draw information. Introduce the images (on the following page) to your students (the following page is designed to work either as a stand-alone or double-sided handout; though if the latter, advise your students not to turn it over until your direction). In small groups or as a class, ask students to engage in a discussion, guided by the questions listed. Eventually have students determine the chronological order for these images; be sure to ask for their rationale. Finally, look at the „Glimpses of the Civil War‟ sheet to learn more about each work and the artist who created it. Discuss the different ideas and perspectives they illustrate.