Propaganda in Confederate Currency Lesson Plan
By Larry Gann

Overview

This lesson provides students an opportunity to study the "peculiar institution" of slavery through the roles of Confederate currency and bank notes as propaganda. Students will also compares postwar currency to antebellum and wartime currency. This lesson is suitable for middle to high school students.

National Curriculum Standards met by this lesson

For a list of standards that this unit addresses, click here.

Time Required

One class period, although extra credit and advanced assignments likely could take additional time.

Materials

• Currency, often already in the pockets of the students


• Images of both current and past U.S. currency (may be needed for display and explanation)


• Internet access


• Confederate currency from:


• Louisiana State University's online exhibit, Beyond Face Value, at:
  http://www.cwc.lsu.edu/cwc/BeyondFaceValue/beyondfacevalue.htm
  as shown on the listed links (needed for image consideration)

The Lesson

Anticipatory Set

1. One day before lesson, ask any students with foreign currencies in their family to bring these examples to class for the lessons.



2. On lesson day, begin the lesson by asking students to remove currency from their pockets and examine it. Discuss with students what images appear on the currency in the room. Hopefully, students also will have examples of foreign currency to examine.



3. Emphasize the decisions made regarding images on the currency and why these images were chosen. Note that all present and former U.S. currency portrays individuals on the front and, generally, buildings of note on the back. For example, the five-dollar bill has Lincoln on the front and the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse. Only the two-dollar bill has a vignette on the reverse, and this is of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Help students to determine why these choices were made and what messages, if any, the images on the currency convey.

Procedures

1. Divide the class in groups of four or five students, being careful to balance the membership of the groups. Give students examples of civil war currency from the web site: http://www.cwc.lsu.edu/cwc/BeyondFaceValue/beyondfacevalue.htm.
   
   
2. Give students copies of the currency feedback worksheet (link to below) (or reproduce the sheet on the board or as part of a PowerPoint presentation) and have them answer the following questions:


• Why was this image used?
• What does the image portray?
• What messages might be conveyed through these images?
• What type of propaganda is being used here? How is it being used?
• Is there anything unusual or out of the ordinary in the images?

Students should find that Confederate currency portrayed the slave life as very quiet and subdued with no indication of the cruelty or problems. This was a method the South used to promote the gentile and non-abusive image of slavery in the South.


3. Give students examples of postwar Confederate currency, then have them compare images in the examples and note differences by answering the same questions on the worksheet. Tell students they should note, particularly in these examples, the almost maniacal images of joy on the faces of the former slaves, as well as the insertion of white field hands in some of the images.


NOTE: You may need to duplicate handout images so some groups might possibly have the same images.


4. After they have viewed the images of both U.S. and Confederate currencies, have students brainstorm and create currency for today, reflecting what they believe demonstrates their images of our country. As actual artistic creation of an anticipated currency might be creatively difficult for some of the groups, you should also consider allowing groups to describe their currency instead of creating it and letting students create the currency for an advanced or extra credit grade.

Assessment

You could assess students through a group presentation regarding their study, an individual oral presentation to the class, a written report to the instructor, or a visual presentation. You could also extend extra credit to groups or individuals with visual presentations of proposed currency images.

Related Works

• Images of front and back U.S. currency are available at: http://www.moneyfactory.com/section.cfm/4.



• Images of front and back U.S. currency no longer issued are available at: http://www.moneyfactory.com/section.cfm/5/61.



• Beyond Face Value: Depictions of Slavery in Confederate Currency at: http://www.cwc.lsu.edu/cwc/BeyondFaceValue/beyondfacevalue.htm.

Interdisciplinary Links

• Economics: Students' study of money and currency includes the production and ingredients used by the government.



• Art: Students could use this lesson to examine the art used in currencies of the world, but also as a springboard for potential student-produced currency art.

This lesson was submitted by Larry Gann, a Government and American History teacher in Clinton, Tennessee.

Feedback Sheet for Currency Study

1. Why was this image used on the currency?

2. What does the image portray?

3. What messages might be conveyed through these images?

4. What type of propaganda is being used here? How?

5. Is there anything unusual or out of the ordinary in the images?

6. What would you offer as a design for our currency? In the remaining space show your design.