Students learn about the economic, political, and social problems that faced the nation—particularly the South—following the Civil War. Then they learn about the early efforts at Reconstruction, including Andrew Johnson's Presidential Reconstruction period. Finally, they read and evaluate first-person accounts from the period following the end of the war.
Students read an overview of the post–Civil War period and the goals of the experience. Using several Civil War–era photographs as prompts, they respond to a collaborative wall by describing problems the country faced at the end of the war.
Teacher MovesReview the lesson objectives and invite students to share responses from the wall. Highlight key issues they identify—such as physical destruction, economic collapse, loss of enslaved labor, and the absence of functioning governments or law enforcement in the South.
Students examine an image titled “Refugee Family Leaving Home,” then watch The Saga of Reconstruction and read Post-Civil War Conditions to learn about the nation’s economic, political, and social problems after the Civil War. They complete a three-part graphic organizer by identifying at least one economic, one political, and one social problem faced during early Reconstruction. They then read background text about the emerging questions of Reconstruction, including Lincoln’s 10 percent plan and the unresolved conflict between Lincoln and Congress over how to readmit the South.
Teacher MovesDiscuss key problems with students before moving on, emphasizing that some issues—such as the future of freed slaves—were simultaneously economic, social, and political. Use student entries in the organizer to surface and clarify these overlapping challenges.
Students view an image of President Andrew Johnson and read about his succession to the presidency and the launch of Presidential Reconstruction. Using Presidential Reconstruction and The Politics of Reconstruction: Presidential Reconstruction, they identify six key components of Johnson’s Reconstruction plan in a graphic organizer. Next, they post to a class wall explaining why one component of Johnson’s plan might have faced opposition in Congress.
Teacher MovesInvite students to share particularly insightful wall responses and use them to prompt discussion about why many Republicans opposed Johnson’s lenient approach, including broad pardons and property restoration for Confederates and the lack of federal support for freedpeople. Briefly note that these tensions set the stage for Radical Reconstruction in a later experience.
Students read short excerpts from four first-person documents written during and immediately after the Civil War: Emma LeConte’s diary describing the burning of Columbia, President Andrew Johnson’s Proclamation of Amnesty and Pardon, Gertrude Thomas’s journal entry about freedpeople and uncertainty over their future, and Julia Johnson Fisher’s diary about severe material shortages. After each excerpt, students answer a multiple-choice question identifying which aspect of Reconstruction the passage highlights: rebuilding homes and communities, political reintegration of the South, the lives of freed slaves, or the southern economy.
Teacher MovesDiscuss the idea of bias and perspective in first-person accounts. Use the LeConte diary as an example, asking how a Union soldier might describe the same burning of Columbia, and guide students to consider how authors’ positions and experiences shape their descriptions of Reconstruction-era events.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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