Educators and Students

School Workshops and Community Group Presentations

Dr. Alexander T. Augusta: African American Civil War Doctor

Explore federal records that illuminate the life of the highest ranked black officer during the Civil War and the first African American to hold a medical commission in the Union Army. Witness the struggle waged against slavery, segregation, and discrimination by one man armed only with a scalpel and a pen.

IN THIS WORKSHOP OR PRESENTATION THE PARTICIPANTS WILL:

  • Investigate the role of black officers in the Civil War through federal records.
  • Consider the impact of a black civil war medical officer on racial discrimination.
  • Engage in a document analysis activity featuring relevant records from the National Archives.
  • Become familiar with the history, location, holdings, education and volunteer programs of the National Archives and Records Administration .


This workshop meets the following curriculum standards:

  • DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA GRADE 7-12 STANDARDS
    • Grade 11
      Content Standard 1: Students understand chronological order and spatial patterns of human experiences, by placing the stories of people and events in the context of their own time and place.
  • MARYLAND GRADE 7-12 HISTORY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE STANDARDS
    • History
      • Indicator Statement: Analyze the institution of slavery and its influence on the United States and Maryland societies
      • Indicator Statement: Analyze how tensions escalated between the North and d the South before the Civil War
      • Indicator Statement: Identify key events and turning points of the Civil War using historical inquiry
  • VIRGINIA GRADE 7-12 HISTORY AND GOVERNMENT STANDARDS
    • Civil War and Reconstruction: 1860-1877
      VUS. 7 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the Civil War and Reconstruction Era and its importance as a major turning point in United States history.

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The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration
8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001
Telephone: 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272