Creating a Database of Civil War Battles

The following Excel skills will be covered:

• Using Excel as a Database
• Tips to designing an efficient database
• Setting up a database
• Freeze panes/Split window
• Data forms
• Filtering a list
  • Using AutoFilter
  • Customizing an AutoFilter
  • Removing AutoFilter
• Database functions

Database Basics

INTRODUCTION - click here to learn more about using Excel as a database

Practice Using Excel as a Database - a Word file to download (right-click and choose Save Target As)

Civil War Links

• A Divided Nation: Causes of the U.S. Civil War
• Civil War and Reconstruction
• Causes of the Civil War - Encarta Online Encyclopedia
• Civil War Flash Map Animation
• Civil War Map of Battles
• www.civilwar.com 
• Time Line of The Civil War - from the Library of Congress

From the following link,

• Civil War Battle Summaries - from the National Park Service

 find information about each of the following battles:

• Antietam
• Chancellorsville
• Chickamauga
• First Bull Run
• Second Bull Run
• Fort Sumter
• Fort Henry
• Gettysburg
• Shiloh
• Vicksburg

Then, create an Excel database with the following fields:

Once you have started your database in Excel, and created the fields, you may start entering the records for each of the battles listed above.  (Example Civil War Database)

Extension Activity

From the Excel database file which can be downloaded here, find the answers to the following questions:  (The Worksheet can be downloaded here.)

1. How many battles were fought in Virginia?
2. What is the first battle won by the Confederates?
3. What battles took place in New Mexico?
4. In what battles was Ulysses S. Grant the Union Commander and US casualties at least 13,000?
5. How many battles was Robert E. Lee the Confederate Commander and Confederate casualties at least 10,000?
6. What is the only battle fought in the Pacific Theater?
7. In what Theater were the most battles fought?
8. This battle took place in the Eastern Theater in North Carolina. The Confederate Commander was Maj. Gen. Robert Hoke.  The US Commanders were Rear Adm. David D. Porter and Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler.  The date of the battle was Dec. 7-27, 1864.  What was the name of the battle and what was the result of the battle?
9. What was the Campaign name? - Find the following information to find out:
   1. Location is North Carolina
   2. Date at least May 5, 1864
   3. Confederate Commander is Cdr. JW Cook
10. What battle had the most Total Casualties?

Resources

Using Excel as a Database - pdf file to download (you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to open this file)

Using Excel as a Database - pdf file to download (you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader to open this file)

Adapted from a lesson plan by Dorene Bates available http://www.learnnc.org/LearnNC/lessonp.nsf/all/4B2DD3230FDAF4248525687900563A38?openDocument 

(The Answer Key can be downloaded here.)  
(The Specific Instructions for using Excel as a Database Answer Key can be downloaded here.)
(The Example Civil War Database using Excel for the main lesson can be downloaded here.)