HisStory Plans – 1800’s Part 2

Continuing our HisStory plans for the 1800’s.

In addition to the primary resources we will use for our study, we will also utilize biographies and other living histories, some from the Sower series, some from CLP, some from the Leaders in Action series – see our HisStory Biographies Resources & Recommendations for more links. Others may be from the “Christian Heroes” and “Heroes” of History series by Janet and Geoff Benge, as well as a few old originals I’ve picked up. Other links on our HisStory Resources & Recommendations pages for the 1800’s.

The children will each choose different ones to read. We will obviously not cover all of these. These will cover People (listed in no particular order) such as Robert E Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Lewis and Clark, Noah Webster, Adoniram Judson, Francis Scott Key, Daniel Webster, Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Samuel F.B. Morse, Johnny Appleseed, Jed Smith, Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, Abraham Lincoln, J.E.B. Stuart, Clara Barton, Harriet Tubman, Booker T Washington, David Livegstone, George Washington Carver, Matthew Fontaine Maury, William Carey, Hudson Taylor, George Mueller, Amy Carmichael, Florence Nightingale, Dwight Moody, Charles Spurgeon, Fanny Crosby – and I haven’t even listed the scientists and other important names such as Robert Fulton, Louis Pasteur, Helen Keller,  Louis Braille and I could go on and on. (Yes, I really do have biographies on all of these and others, some of them more than one.)

There are just a few I want to look at in more depth. We will probably read those aloud. Others we will just read short biographical sketches. Others the children will choose and read on their own.

Living histories we will include as read alouds are:

• Of Courge Undaunted by James Daugherty
• Our Flag Was Still There by Tracy Leininger
• The Alamo, the California Gold Rush, and the Pioneers will be studied through living histories – perhaps not full books unless time allows.

• Boys of ’61 by Charles Coffin may be more detailed than we choose to pursue on the war itself. But we will use parts of it.
• Christ in the Camp by J. William Jones – may not use all of this either and it will probably be used by high schoolers.
• Oliver Optic’s fictional works from this time period are loved by our children.
• With Lee in Virginia will probably be listened to since we have that on audio.
• Democracy in America by Tocqueville and other primary source documents will be included too, mainly by high schoolers.

Videos we’ll watch/ audio we’ll listen to include:

• God’s and Generals (video) is a family favorite
• The Civil War Debate (video) between Marshall and Wilkins
• Warriors of Honor (video) are a couple others we’ll take a look at.
• Gettyburg (video)
• Yankees vs. Rebels (audio)
• Historical Devotionals (audio) by Little Bear Wheeler – now also available as download files

We plan to spend more time on the Civil War and “Reconstruction” than any other thing in this time period, looking at the causes and effects.

Literature is the “handmaiden of history”. It shows us the Ideas of the times. We have far more Literature we’d like to read from this time period than we will get to. Some prominent authors we’ll choose from include, Dickens, Eliot, Austin, Wilder, Twain, Cather, Optic, London, and a few others, as well as poets. Many of our favorite Lamplighter Publishing “Rare Collectors Series” are from this time period. I’ll list some of these resources we choose at another time.

Also we will include science, the arts, music, architecture, etc. from the time period.