Presidential Visions: Lincoln vs. Davis

US History The Civil War Presidential Visions: Lincoln vs Davis
Students learn about the inaugural addresses of Lincoln and Davis delivered just before the start of the Civil War. Then, they learn about the Gettysburg Address and the second inaugural address of Abraham Lincoln. Finally, students rewrite for a younger audience one of the speeches discussed in this experience.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

1:1 Devices
Teacher Pack

The Pack contains associated resources for the learning experience, typically in the form of articles and videos. There is a teacher Pack (with only teacher information) and a student Pack (which contains only student information). As a teacher, you can toggle between both to see everything.

Here are the teacher pack items for Presidential Visions: Lincoln vs. Davis:

Preview - Scene 1
Exploros Learnign Experience Scene Navigation


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Overview

In this experience, students learn about the inaugural addresses of Lincoln and Davis delivered just before the start of the Civil War. Then, they learn about the Gettysburg Address and the second inaugural address of Abraham Lincoln. Finally, students rewrite for a younger audience one of the speeches discussed in this experience.

Students will collaborate in small groups for scene 2 to scene 4.

Objectives:​

  • Analyze Lincoln’s first and second inaugural addresses.
  • Explain the Gettysburg Address.
  • Describe the ideas contained in Davis’s inaugural address.


The election of 1860 determined that Abraham Lincoln would become president. With this news, southern states began to secede from the Union and together they formed the Confederate States of America. The Confederacy elected Jefferson Davis as its new president and proceeded with a plan to create a governing body separate from the North.​

Objectives:

  • Analyze Lincoln’s first and second inaugural addresses.
  • Explain the Gettysburg Address.
  • Describe the ideas contained in Davis’s inaugural address.


Political cartoon depicting people pulling at a map of the US

Lincoln and Davis fight over a map of the United States


Both Lincoln and Davis delivered inaugural speeches that addressed the conditions of a country on the brink of war.


Imagine that you are elected president during this troubled period leading up to the Civil War. What might you say in your inaugural speech?

Post your answer

Discuss with students some of their responses. Explain that in this experience students will be learning about a number of different speeches given by both Davis and Lincoln.


Divide students into their small groups for the next three scenes. When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.


End of Preview
The Complete List of Learning Experiences in Civil War Unit.
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US History The Civil War The End of the War
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US History The Civil War The Emancipation Proclamation
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US History The Civil War The Election of 1860
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US History The Civil War The Rise of the Republican Party
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Conflicts over Slavery
US History The Civil War The Outbreak of the Civil War
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US History The Civil War Uncle Tom's Cabin
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US History The Civil War Presidential Visions: Lincoln vs Davis
Presidential Visions: Lincoln vs. Davis
US History The Civil War Civil War Leaders
Civil War Leaders
US History The Civil War Civil War Soldiers
Civil War Soldiers
Would you like to preview the rest of this learning experience, and get access to the entire functioning US History Through 1877 course for your classroom? Sign up using your school email address below.
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