Civil War Recruitment Posters

Background Reading

Historical Overview: Civil War Recruitment Posters

The firing on Fort Sumter in April of 1861 began a long and bloody battle over the future of the United States. On both sides, men joined the cause either through patriotism or conscription. In the North, support for the war was mixed. Some disagreed with Lincoln’s aims while others wanted him to do more to end slavery and free enslaved African Americans. Despite the sometimes polarized opinions, there was overwhelming support for the cause initially in April of 1861. Northern men clamored to join as many believed it would be a short war. However as the war waged and the death toll rose, fewer men volunteered for the cause. By 1862, recruiters tried to woo white men to the ranks of the Union Army through posters appealing to their sense of duty and honor, stoking their egos, promising monetary incentives, and guaranteeing the support of their families should they die in battle. For example, in 1862, a broadside titled “The Glorious 9th!” aimed at Irishmen assured enlistees that “the nation provides also a handsome pension for you if disabled, and for your wives and little ones if you fall at the post of duty. What employer, let us ask, does the like?” Unfortunately, by 1863, the National Conscription Act would create immense tension between the upper class and poor and working class white men that would negate the efforts of recruiters. For the price of $300, wealthy men could buy their way out of military service leaving the poor and working class white men to be forced to fight. The violent anti-draft riots that followed would target not just military offices, but Black communities as well.

African Americans and other men of color also served in the Union Army, but their reasons for serving and experiences would be vastly different than their white counterparts. In total, 215,000 Black soldiers, 50 Chinese men (under the “white” classification as there was no racial classification for them in the 1860s), and 3,503 Native Americans fought in the Union Army. About 3/5th of the African Americans who served in the military were formerly enslaved men. Men from the Black community were eager to join the Union army as a means to fight back against slavery, but they faced significant hostility. Racism, individual and systemic, led to deep resistance at the prospect of Black and white units. And by 1862, recruitment efforts had stalled Union wide, anti-draft riots raged, and the military was in desperate need of men to fill the ranks. This led the Union Army to create all Black units such as the 54th Massachusetts Regiment commanded by Robert Gould Shaw. The 54th was the first all Black unit raised in the North and it capitalized on the passage of the Emancipation Proclamation at the end of 1862 to recruit newly freed Black men. In taking a closer look at this Enrollment Roll of Company A of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment in 1863, it is clear that men came from all over the east coast, not just Massachusetts, to join the newly formed all Black units. Men from New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and as far as North Carolina, enlisted in the 54th.

Black men who joined the Union Army did so at great risk. They fought not only in battle, but discrimination at the hands of the Union Army. They were regularly underpaid, lacked supplies and medical care, and denied promotions and medals for their service. Recruitment posters regularly promised $13/month for service, the same as for white soldiers. But in actuality, Black soldiers were regularly paid $10/month and charged $3 for their clothing while their white counterparts were given an additional allowance for their needs. The Massachusetts 54th and its sister company the 55th regularly protested the unequal pay. Refusing to fall in for inspection, disobeying orders, and writing to Black newspapers in the North detailing the treatment, led to court-martials and even executions. In addition to unequal pay and accommodations, African American units typically performed the least desirable jobs such as constructing buildings, digging trenches, serving on docks, and driving wagons. These humiliating and exhausting jobs were often accompanied by harsh punishments for perceived slights to white officers. Most significantly, Black soldiers risked their very lives to fight for the Union. Should they be captured by the Confederate Army, they would have been sold into slavery or executed on the spot. 

For additional secondary reading and primary source material, please see the Additional Resources tab.

Close Reading Questions

Document-specific Inquiry Questions and Glossaries

	Document Title	Inquiry Questions	Document Glossary
1	To arms! To  arms! : Men of Massachusetts! Your country is in danger!, [Boston: 1862]	What are some of the words the poster uses to try and convince the reader to enlist? What does it suggest will happen if men do not join? What is the purpose of referring to battles from the American Revolution?	Righteous: having high moral standards   Erred: make a mistake   Quota: an amount to contribute Stint: restriction
2	Major Gen. Banks’s Grand Expedition!: 2d Mass. Cavalry!, Boston, 1862	Who is Major Gen. Banks and why would his name inspire people to enlist? What type of men are they seeking to enlist? Which positions are of higher importance? Which positions are lower? How do you know? What are some of the benefits stated to joining this Cavalry Battalion?	Cavalry: unit in the army that fights on horseback   Battalion: large unit of the army Light Weights: Smaller, lighter men whose horses could run faster than heavier men and horses
3	Proclamation by Governor John Andrew, Boston, 25 May 1862	What are the authors trying to do by citing the Governor and Commander in Chief right at the start? How does this poster characterize the Confederacy? In what ways is the language of this recruitment poster different from the others? What do you think happened that inspired this particular poster?	Wily: deceitfully gaining an advantage  Barbarous: brutal Horde: large group of people Menace: someone who causes harm, a threat, dangerous Avenge: cause harm in response to a wrong done to someone else Brethren: fellow men, of the same group Zeal: with great energy or enthusiasm Foe: enemy
4	The Glorious 9th! Irishmen to the Rescue! Irish Americans of Massachusetts!, [1862?] Adapted doc	What is this poster promising Irish Americans in return for their enlistment?  Other than financial incentives, what are some of the ways the poster tries to encourage Irish men to join? How does it try to appeal to them?	Indomitable: cannot be defeated Valor: courage Untarnished: not losing its value or respectability Prowess: skill or expertise Sanctuary: place of safety Erect: build Contemptible: hateful Despotic: tyrannical Impeded: stop Pension: payments made after an injury or death Ample: large Mustered: collected or assembled Quota: an amount to contribute
5,6	To Colored Men. 54th Regiment! Massachusetts Volunteers, of African Descent, Boston, J.E. Farwell & Co., [1863] & Now in Camp at Readville! 54th Regiment!, Boston, [1863?]	What words stand out on this poster? Why do you think the author did this? In what ways is this poster aimed at Black men different from the others focused on white men? How is the compensation different for Black enlisted men that their white counterparts? Knowing what you do about the treatment of African Americans around the time of the Civil War, can you make a prediction about whether they received the compensation promised?	Descent: family origins Bounty: money paid to encourage enlistment

Suggested Activities

Activity 1 - Poster Analysis

In this activity, students have the option to use GoogleSlides to record their work:

• GoogleSlides 
• GoogleSlides (Scaffolded)

Teacher Directions Grades 9-12

The goal of this inquiry activity is for students to interact with the primary sources, identify linguistic patterns that are used to persuade the reader, and brainstorm why individuals would have enlisted in the Union Army. Before this lesson, it might be helpful to have an introductory lesson on persuasive writing features so students have a common language to refer to.

Some persuasive writing features to consider: provides evidence to convince, uses emotive language, has rhetorical questions, uses connective phrases (therefore, however, moreover), challenges reader to disagree, written in present tense, tries to establish trust with the reader, identifies the benefits for the reader, etc.

1. Place all 6 sources in the center of large poster paper around the classroom. 

a. Depending on your students, you might consider pre-writing/gluing the questions on each poster so students only need to fill in boxes.

2. Divide students into 6 groups, giving each group a unique color marker. They will use this marker color on each poster they encounter.

3. In Round 1 students complete the “At a glance” section of the analysis. 

4. Groups then shift to a NEW poster and source.

5. In Round 2, students take time to review the thinking of the previous group and add their own observations to the “At a glance section” as they discuss the source. Then they turn to complete the “When you look closer” section.

6. Groups then shift to a NEW poster and source.

7. In Round 3, take time to review the thinking of the previous group and add their own observations to the “At a glance” and “When you look closer” sections as they discuss the source. Then they turn to complete the “Analyze…” section.

8. As a class, record on the board the common tactics the poster authors use. Then students answer in an exit ticket: What tactics did the authors of the Massachusetts recruitment posters use to persuade their audiences.

Alternative Activities

Students can navigate the same process laid out above, but use digital GoogleSlides to record their answers.

Teacher Directions Grades 3-5

The goal of this inquiry activity is for students to interact with the primary sources, identify linguistic patterns that are used to persuade the reader, and brainstorm why individuals would have enlisted in the Union Army. Before this lesson, be sure that students are familiar with persuasive writing features.

Some persuasive writing features to consider - provides evidence to convince, uses emotive language, has rhetorical questions, uses connective phrases (therefore, however, moreover), challenges reader to disagree, written in present tense, tries to establish trust with the reader, identifies the benefits for the reader, etc.

1. Place 3 sources in the center of large poster paper around the classroom. Source 1, Source 2, Source 3

a. Depending on your students, you might consider pre-writing/gluing the questions on each poster so students only need to fill in boxes.

2. Divide students into 6 groups, giving each group a unique color marker. They will use this marker color on each poster they encounter. Each group will visit 3 posters by the end of the activity.

3. In Round 1 students complete the “At a glance” section of the analysis.

4. Groups then shift to a NEW poster and source.

5. In Round 2, students take time to review the thinking of the previous group and add their own observations to the “At a glance section” as they discuss the source. Then they turn to complete the “When you look closer” section.

6. Groups then shift to a NEW poster and source.

7. In Round 3, take time to review the thinking of the previous group and add their own observations to the “At a glance” and “When you look closer” sections as they discuss the source. Then they turn to complete the “Analyze…” section.

8. As a class, record on the board the common tactics the poster authors use. Then students answer in an exit ticket - What tactics did the authors of the Massachusetts recruitment posters use to persuade their audiences?

Alternative Activities

Students can navigate the same process laid out above, but use digital GoogleSlides to record their answers.

Activity 2 - Enlistment Roll Analysis

Teacher Directions Grades 9-12

The goal of this inquiry activity is for students to take a closer look at an enlistment roll for the 54th Regiment, a Black company in the Civil War. It is also an excellent opportunity for them to work with raw data and practice placing that data into a spreadsheet and learning to create pie and bar charts. 

Teacher introduces the enlistment roll to the class. Consider starting with the original document and have students work through some of the intricacies of old documents before giving the transcription.

Identify the key headers and help students navigate around the document. Focus the discussion on the Name, Location, and Mustered In sections as students won’t be working with these in their data sets. This exercise will force students to look deeper into the source and will help with the whole class conversations later.

Questions to guide the discussion:

• What do you notice about the original document? What colors do you see? Does it remind you of other documents?
• What are some of the headers at the top of the document?
• What names are familiar to you? Any names surprise you? Do all the individuals have last names? What do you think the last name Freeman means (line 28, 58)
• What do you think the “X mark” means? What does that tell you? Why do you think so many of the enlisted signed with an X?
• What city names do you recognize? Why do you think there are so many NOT from Massachusetts if this is a Massachusetts based Regiment?
•  Why do you think some of the men were rejected? What were some of the reasons given?

This is an opportunity to discuss some important points about Black Americans during this time. Students will probably notice the term “colored” instead of “Black.” It will be necessary to give context to that term and remind students it is not a word used in our vernacular today. And impress upon them the power that words hold and that some terms should not be used today.

Also explain to students the use of the “X Mark” for some of the men. Share with students about the inequities of education for Black men and women at this time. In particular, that the majority of enslaved persons were forbidden from attending school or learning to read and write. Therefore, for those unable to write, a X was their means of signing their name.(More information)

2. In pairs or in small groups, have students enter data into a spreadsheet (Teacher Key). Students will be working with three columns - Age, Occupation, and Marital Status.

          a. Students should use the term “unknown” for any blank sections.

3. Teacher should then demonstrate creating a pie or bar chart as a whole class using one of the categories (Teacher Key)

4. After the demonstration, students then convert their remaining data into charts using the procedure established by the teacher. (Teacher Key)

          a. Additional activity, students can use Google MyMaps to plot the locations listed as well (Teacher Key).

5. As a wrap up, the teacher draws a chart on the board with 3 columns - Observations, Questions, Patterns - and guides students through a discussion of each. Although, consider leaving some of the questions unanswered as a springboard for additional research.

 Some questions to ask:

• Age: What was something you noticed about the ages of the enlisted? Anything surprise you? What was the most common age at which men enlisted? Why do you think that age was so common? Do you notice any patterns?
• Occupation: What are some of the most common occupations for those who enlisted?     Are there any occupations you don’t recognize? Any occupations surprise you?
• Marital status: Are you surprised by the distribution of married vs single enlistments?      Return to your raw data and sort first by age then by marital status. Do you notice any patterns?

Teacher Directions, Grades 3-5

The goal of this inquiry activity is for students to take a closer look at an enlistment roll for the 54th Regiment, a Black company in the Civil War. It is also an excellent opportunity for them to work with raw data and practice placing that data into a spreadsheet and learning to create pie and bar charts. 

1. Teacher introduces the enlistment roll to the class. They show the original document and have students looking closely at it to identify the key headers. In this whole class discussion, have students look at the names listed (from translation document) to see what names they recognize and what names are surprising.  This exercise will force students to look deeper into the source and will help with the whole class conversations later. 

     a. Questions to guide the discussion:

• What do you notice about the original document? What colors do you see? What does it remind you of?
• What are some of the headers at the top of the document?
• What names are familiar to you? Any names surprise you? Do all the individuals have last names? What do you think the last name Freeman means (line 28 and 58)
• What do you think the “X mark” means? What does that tell you? Why do you think so many of the enlisted signed with an X?
• What city names do you recognize? Why do you think there are so many NOT from Massachusetts if this is a Massachusetts based Regiment? 

     b. This is an opportunity to discuss some important points about Black Americans during this time. Students will probably notice the term “colored” instead of “Black.” It will be necessary to give context to that term and remind students it is not a word used in our vernacular today. And impress upon them the power that words hold and that some terms should not be used today. This conversation could come with a deeper discussion that talks about race and skin color. Some picture books to help with this are Our Skin: A First Conversation about Race by Megan Madison, Jessica Ralli, and Isabel Roxas; All the Colors We Are: The Story of How we Get our Skin Color by Katie Kissinger; or Different Differenter: An Activity Book about Skin Color

     c. Also explain to students the use of the “X Mark” for some of the men. Share with students about the inequities of education for Black men and women at this time. In particular, enslaved people were forbidden from attending school or learning to read and write. Therefore, the X was their means of signing their name. Some picture books to consider as a way to discuss this are Papa’s Mark by Gwendolyn Battle-Lavert and The Oldest Student by Rita Lorraine Hubbard.

2. In pairs or in small groups, have students learn to sort the data into a spreadsheet (Teacher Key). The teacher should demonstrate how to do this with one category before students do the rest. Students will be working with three columns - Age, Occupation, and Marital Status.

3. Teacher should then demonstrate creating a chart as a whole class using one category (Teacher Key).

4. After the demonstration, students then convert their remaining data into 2 charts (pie or bar). (Teacher Key)

     a. Additional activity, students can use Google MyMaps to plot the locations listed as well (Teacher Key).

5. As a class, the teacher creates a chart on the board with 3 columns - Observations, Questions, Patterns - and guides students through a discussion of each. Note that this is a good time to add information as they make observations. Although, consider leaving some of the questions unanswered as a springboard for additional research

a. Some questions to ask:

• Age: What was something you noticed about the ages of the enlisted? Anything surprise you? What was the most common age at which men enlisted? Why do you think that age was so common? Do you notice any patterns?
• Occupation: What are some of the most common jobs for those who enlisted? Are there any occupations you don’t recognize? Any occupations surprise you?
• Marital status: Are you surprised by the distribution of married vs single enlistments? Return to your raw data and sort first by age then by marital status. Do you notice any patterns?

Glossary

Broker: In this context could be a number of things - cotton seller, a seller of enslaved persons, or someone who found individuals to take the place of those forced to join the military

Drayman: Delivery person of beer for a brewery

Hostler: someone who looks after horses at an inn

Stevedor / Stevedore: an individual who loads and unloads goods at a dock from cargo ships

Teamster: someone who drove teams of animals to pull wagons

Upholster: an individual who makes and repairs furniture

Activity 3 - Persuasive Writing Poster

Teacher Directions, Grades 9-12

After examining the recruitment posters and analyzing the enrollment list, create your own recruitment poster to attract Massachusetts men to the Union Army. 

Directions for Creating a Persuasive Recruitment Poster

Materials:

Features of Persuasive Writing Handout

Poster Explanation worksheet and Poster Rubric

1. Choose a group as your audience for recruitment to the Union Army. 

2. Select an image that you think would attract this group and/or highlights the main idea of your poster. The image can be drawn or selected online. If copied from online, be sure to select it from an appropriate website and copy the citation.

3. Write a persuasive poster that uses at least 3 of the elements below. You can use more if you wish. (For help creating your poster, refer to the 'Features of Persuasive Writing' Handout.

          a. Provides evidence to convince reader

          b. Uses emotive language

          c. Includes rhetorical questions

          d. Challenges the reader to disagree

          e. Tries to establish trust with the reader

          f. Identifies the benefits for the reader

          g. Written in present tense 

          h. Uses connective phrases (therefore, however, moreover)

          i. Has variable sizing of text, different fonts, and other typographical emphasis 

4. The poster must pull elements from the recruitment posters shared in earlier lessons. Be sure to track which posters you use and cite them in your poster explanation

Applicable Standards

C3 Framework for Social Studies Standards

D2.His.10.3-5. Compare information provided by different historical sources about the past.

D2.His.11.3-5. Infer the intended audience and purpose of a historical source from information within the source itself

D2.His.12.6-8. Use questions generated about multiple historical sources to identify further areas of inquiry and additional sources

D2.His.12.9-12. Use questions generated about multiple historical sources to pursue further inquiry and investigate additional sources

MA 2018 HSS Standards

Practice Standards

Develop focused questions or problem statements and conduct inquiries.

Organize information and data from multiple primary and secondary sources.

Content Standards

Grade 5, Slavery, the legacy of the Civil War, and the struggle for civil rights for all

USH I. Topic 5, Civil War and Reconstruction: causes and consequences

5. Using primary sources such as diaries, reports in newspapers and periodicals, photographs, and cartoons/illustrations, document the roles of men and women who fought or served troops in the Civil War.