Chapter 15, Student Web Activities, Texas and Texans, Glencoe, 2003

Chapter 15: The Civil War
"Texas Blockade Runners"

Introduction
Chapter 15 describes the Civil War and its effects on Texans. The chapter also discusses the much-awaited arrivals of blockade runners, or Confederate ships that slipped through Union lines. The blockade runners brought much-needed supplies to the Confederate states. They also transported cotton out of these states. Your textbook mentions the ship Denbigh as one of the most successful of the blockade runners. Whatever happened to the Denbigh? In this activity, you will find out!

Destination Title: The Denbigh Project

Note: Clicking on the link above will launch a new browser window.
Need help using your browser for this activity? Click here for tips.

Directions
Start at The Denbigh Project Web site.

Scroll down and click on A "Bold Rascal".
Read the information provided.

After you have read through the information, answer the following questions.

1. Why was Galveston not considered an important port for blockade running early in the Civil War? How did this change after the Battle of Mobile Bay?

2. How many times did the Denbigh run through the Union blockade?

3. What happened to the ship on the night of May 23-24, 1865?

4. What did the Denbigh's crew do upon seeing that they had been spotted by Union ships? How they get safely out of Galveston?

5. Now reread the last paragraph, written by William Watson. Based on his description of the Denbigh and her successes, think of a newspaper headline and subtitle that might have appeared in a Texas newspaper the day after the Denbigh made a successful run into Galveston past the Union blockade. Then think of a headline and subtitle about the same event that might have appeared in a Union newspaper. In the space below, write both versions of your headlines and subtitles.