Loading...The Civil War Era
Special Collection
This collection of video segments produced by KET provides examples of dance, music, drama, and visual art from the Civil War era.
The Lancers Quadrille, a popular social dance of the Civil War era, is explained by dance and music educator Jennifer Rose and performed by the Berea Festival Dancers.
Folk singers Rhonda and Sparky Rucker perform “Gospel Train,” a code-word song used in the Underground Railroad.
In a reader’s theater scene from George Aiken’s dramatization of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the escaped slave Eliza reunites with her husband, George, and their friend Phineas.
Dhana Bradley Donaldson and Priscilla Hancock Cooper present a “poetic concert” featuring the words of three African-American writers, including “Ain’t I a Woman?” the famous speech made by 19th-century abolitionist and feminist Sojourner Truth.
And, historian Kent Masterson Brown discusses the impor tance of the Battle of Perryville for the course of the Civil War and the importance of documenting history through the arts.
| RESOURCE | GRADE LEVEL | MEDIA TYPE |
|---|---|---|
The Civil War Era: About the Lancers QuadrilleDance and music educator Jennifer Rose explains the history of The Lancers Quadrille, including the origin of the dance and why it was popular in Civil War-era America. She also discusses the movements and sets of the dance. |
5-12 |
Video |
The Civil War Era: Battle of PerryvilleHistorian Kent Masterson Brown discusses the importance of the Battle of Perryville for the course of the Civil War. It was crucial because the Union Army successfully drove the Confederate Army from Kentucky and ended its attempt to recapture the state. |
5-12 |
Video |
The Civil War Era: Gospel Train“Gospel Train” is a code-word song used by slaves in the Underground Railroad, often sung just before an escape to alert others wishing to go that the time was near. In this segment, folk singers Rhonda and Sparky Rucker perform the piece on harmonica and guitar. |
5-12 |
Video |
The Civil War Era: The Lancers QuadrilleThe Berea Festival Dancers perform two sets of The Lancers Quadrille, a social dance that was popular in Civil War-era America. |
5-12 |
Video |
The Civil War Era: Uncle Tom’s CabinIn this scene from George Aiken’s dramatization of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, the escaped slave Eliza reunites with her husband, George, and their friend Phineas. She recounts how she crossed the Ohio River with their child while escaping from slave hunters. Their exaggerated language and performance are characteristic of melodramas. |
5-12 |
Video |
The Civil War Era: Words Like FreedomDhana Bradley Donaldson and Priscilla Hancock Cooper present a “poetic concert” featuring “Ain’t I a Woman?” the famous speech made by abolitionist and feminist Sojourner Truth; “Alabama Centennial,” a poem about the Civil Rights movement by Naomi Long Madgett; and Nikki Giovanni’s self-love poem, “Ego Tripping.” |
5-12 |
Video |
