The Educational Companion is an interactive teaching tool that complements a visit to the Center yet also stands alone as a valuable classroom teaching tool.  With the assistance of numerous nationally recognized historians, we have developed a variety of resources to further your understanding of the American Civil War and its legacies.  Each section contains rich video presentations concerning the Civil War and questions and lesson plans that can support your classroom curriculum.

The Companion Offers:

• an introduction to the center's permanent exhibit In the Cause of Liberty. Key themes are expanded to heighten your understanding of the era.
• audio and video presentations of scholar perspectives and primary document readings that introduce users to the thoughts and viewpoints of those who witnessed the Civil War first hand.
• insights and analyses of numerous historical resources including Runaway Slave Advertisements, Maps, Diaries, Letters, and Images.
• three outstanding archives hosted by the Virginia Center for Digital History. Learn about and access numerous resources detailing various aspects of the Civil War, including:
  
  1. The Geography of Slavery- A digital collection of advertisements for runaway and captured slaves and servants in 18th- and 19th-century Virginia newspapers.
  2. The Valley of the Shadow- The archives tell the story of major national political events that occurred between 1859 and April 1870.
  3. Civil Rights TV- Television News of the Civil Rights Era, 1950-1970, in streaming video format.

The Educational Companion offers background and perspective on this crucial era of our nation’s history.  Whether you use it for your own understanding or in the classroom, we think it will heighten your appreciation of the Civil War and, we hope, suggest some useful and engaging ways to teach it.