Lesson Activity: "The (Fort) Monroe Doctrine," Grades 6-12

Contrabands

Lesson Activity: "The (Fort) Monroe Doctrine," Grades 6-12

1861

Lesson Activity

This Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs lesson activity focuses on analyzing a political cartoon about contrabands during the Civil War. The 1861 political cartoon depicts enslaved people running in droves toward Fortress Monroe where they could seek refuge as "contrabands" (formerly enslaved escaped refugees) of war. Fort Monroe was the headquarters of the Union Army Commander, Benjamin Butler, in Virginia. The cartoon also shows a Confederate slave owner attempting to recapture an enslaved man. The lesson activity includes the political cartoon, a brief description and questions that encourage students to analyze the primary source. The lesson questions are suitable for grades 6-12.

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Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs

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