Students learn about the social, economic, and political challenges of Reconstruction and the southern resistance to new Reconstruction policies. Then they learn about new forces in southern politics. Finally, students learn about the experiences of African American politicians who served during Reconstruction.
Students read an overview of the contrasting reactions in the North and South at the end of the Civil War and are introduced to the problem of how to reconstruct the Union and integrate formerly enslaved people. They examine an 1876 political cartoon and respond to a poll about whether Reconstruction is protecting rights and providing equal protection under the law. Students then recall one Reconstruction-era act (such as the Freedmen’s Bureau, Civil Rights Act of 1866, Reconstruction Acts, Tenure of Office Act, or the 14th or 15th Amendments) and record the act and its purpose in a shared table.
Teacher MovesPresent the lesson objectives and briefly frame Reconstruction as a period of major political, social, and economic change. Guide students in closely observing the cartoon and discussing how it questions whether Reconstruction is fulfilling constitutional promises. As students complete the table of Reconstruction acts, reference their examples (e.g., Freedmen’s Bureau, Civil Rights Act of 1866, Reconstruction Acts, Tenure of Office Act, 14th and 15th Amendments) to highlight the range of issues Congress attempted to address and to surface prior knowledge before moving on.
Students use America’s Reconstruction: Introduction to investigate major challenges facing the nation after the Civil War, including how to reunite the country, rebuild southern state governments, replace the slave labor system, sustain the southern economy, define the rights of formerly enslaved people, and confront racial prejudice and white supremacy. They record at least two specific challenges of Reconstruction in a teacher-viewable table.
Teacher MovesPrompt students to identify concrete challenges from the reading and enter them in the table. Use the sortable table to review responses by student, drawing attention to key issues such as reunifying the nation, restructuring labor and agriculture, defining citizenship and rights, and addressing white supremacy. Use student contributions to clarify misunderstandings and to connect the listed challenges to the lesson objectives before unlocking the next scene.
Students examine a political poster opposing Black suffrage and read background text explaining that the Fifteenth Amendment granted African American men the right to vote and enabled the election of African American politicians who shaped southern governments. They read Reconstruction Government in the South to learn about positive changes brought by Reconstruction governments, then post examples of positive outcomes (such as public education, social services, civil rights laws, tax reforms, economic development plans, and infrastructure improvements) to a class wall. Next, students analyze another poster declaring “This is a white man’s government” and read about white supremacist resistance, then read The Opposition to Reconstruction, including its political cartoons. They post to a second wall describing negative changes or grievances some white southerners associated with Reconstruction laws, such as higher taxes, state debt, corruption, and anger over African American male suffrage.
Teacher MovesFacilitate close reading of the posters and texts to help students connect imagery and language to attitudes about Black suffrage and Reconstruction. After students post positive changes, invite volunteers to share their responses and highlight examples like public schools, orphan asylums, civil rights protections, and infrastructure projects. Following the reading on opposition, share interesting or exemplary student posts about perceived negative changes (e.g., higher taxes, debt, corruption, resentment of African American voting) and use them to prompt discussion about why many white southerners resisted Reconstruction despite its reforms.
Students view an image of Hiram Rhodes Revels and read about his role as the first African American U.S. senator and the broader experiences of Black officeholders in The Fifteenth Amendment in the Flesh and Blood: The Symbolic Generation of Black Americans in Congress, 1870–1887. They post to a collaborative wall explaining the unique challenges African American politicians faced during Reconstruction, then read classmates’ posts and respond to at least two with questions or positive comments to extend the discussion.
Teacher MovesUse student posts to identify understandings and misconceptions, and to guide follow-up discussion.
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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