Other Battlefronts game - African Americans & women in the Civil War, with text

The Civil War presented African-Americans and women with unique opportunities and challenges. For slaves, the North provided an opportunity to escape their bondage, enlist in the army, and return to fight their former oppressors. It gave free blacks a chance to fight for the freedom of their families. For women on both sides, the War provided many ways to contribute to the war effort – some acceptable to society, and others not as much so.

This simple yet highly engaging board game is designed to entertain and teach students about the choices and dangers faced by African-Americans and women during the war. Players battle racism, bullets, disease, hard choices and the risk of capture and re-enslavement as they try to survive the war. As they do so, they are required to read information cards, reinforcing learning while they have fun.

Students play against each other in small groups of 4-5 students. The game is simple to set up, instruct and play, and students immediately become engaged in competing with each other to become the first to reach 1865. Be prepared for noise!

Materials include:
* 8 pages of informative text (adapted from the chapter “Other Battlefronts” from my textbook“We Take Nothing by Conquest”);
* game instruction;
* game board;
* 24 play cards

Materials are provided as word documents and PDFs in one zip file.

You will need to provide a die and game markers for each group playing the game, and there is some setup time (about 30 minutes) in preparing the game board and the play cards for each group. I’ve played this game in my 8th grade class for years, and it never fails to be a big hit.

Created by Cliff Baker - Ye Olde History Emporium