Reconstruction
U.S. History I – 9-12
The story of Reconstruction is a compelling tale of redemption, hope, and tragedy in United States History. In the aftermath of the
Civil War, people who had never known the promise of the Declaration of Independence began a long fight for acceptance in a
country filled with resistance. Despite monumental gains in the political and social arenas of the United States, freed African
Americans and their descendants suffered immense setbacks at the hands of a government that for years seemed to have been
working for them. When the cause of prolonging the Civil War turned to emancipation, the goals of many politicians turned to full
equal protection for African Americans.
This unit is meant to allow students the opportunity to understand the real development of what Abraham Lincoln termed “a new
birth of freedom” following the Civil War. They will also explore the failures of that development and the declining trajectory of the
rights of all Americans after a brief period of progress, real and perceived, for African American Civil Rights.
Stage 1 Desired Results
ESTABLISHED GOALS
G
Transfer
USI.40 – Provide examples of the Various Students will be able to independently use their learning to…
effects of the Civil War.
 Understand how recurring patterns in history can inform judgments about current
 Physical and economic destruction
events and other issues
Meaning
USI.41 – Explain the policies and
UNDERSTANDINGS
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
consequences of Reconstruction
U1 – The terms of peace are determined
Q1 – How can lasting peace be achieved?
 Presidential and Congressional
by the winners of a conflict.
Reconstruction
Q2 – What is the best way to reunite a torn
 The impeachment of Andrew
U2 – Reunion after conflict leads to
country?
Johnson
debate over reconciliation and
Q3 – What limitations exist for free people
 The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments punishment.
to exercise their rights?
 The opposition of southern whites to
U3
–
Freedom
and
liberty
often
have
very
Reconstruction
Q4 – How far should the government go to
 The accomplishments and failures of different meanings.
protect the rights of minority groups?
Radical Reconstruction
Acquisition
 The presidential election of 1876 and
Students
will
know…
Students will be skilled at…
the end of Reconstruction
Content Vocabulary (Tier Three Words):
 Using maps to make inferences about
 The rise of Jim Crow laws
Radical Republicans, Freedmen’s Bureau,
Reconstruction (Q2)
 The Supreme Court case Plessy v.
Presidential
and
Congressional
Ferguson
Reconstruction, Redemption, Black
 Explaining the political development of
th
th
th
Reconstruction policies (U1, Q1)
6-8. RH.2 Determine the central ideas or Codes, Union Leagues, 13 , 14 , 15
Amendments,
Sharecropping,
scalawags,
information of a primary or secondary
 Debating the advantages and
source; provide an accurate summary of carpetbaggers, Ku Klux Klan, Jim Crow,
disadvantages of conciliatory and
the source distinct from prior knowledge exodusters
punitive Reconstruction (U2)
or opinions.
Academic Vocabulary (Tier Two Words):
Infrastructure, radical, amnesty,
 Evaluating the causes and effects of the
W9.1 (grade 9) – Write arguments to
override,
conciliatory,
punitive,
support claims in an analysis of
Freedmen’s Bureau (U3, Q3)
substantive topics or texts, using valid
reasoning and relevant and sufficient
evidence.
impeachment, segregation, integration,
corruption, poll, clause, reconciliation,

The Politics of Reconstruction (U1, U2, U3,
Q1, Q2, Q4)
 The Civil War had a devastating impact 
on the South
 There was a split between Lincoln and
other Republicans on the terms of
readmission of Southern states
 The differences between President

Johnson’s and Congressional Leaders’
plans for Reconstruction
 The impeachment of Andrew Johnson 
 Former Confederate states reentered
the Union at different times
The Impact of Reconstruction (U1, U2, U3,
Q1, Q3, Q4)
 The use of black codes by Southern
legislatures to attempt to control
freed African Americans
 The establishment and legacy of the
Freedmen’s Bureau
 The involvement of the Federal
government in state affairs, including
the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the
14th and 15th Amendments
 African Americans made some gains in
education but few gains in land
ownership
Examining the influence of African
American politicians and voters in
elections (Q3, Q4)
Analyzing data on African American
education, including African American
academies, colleges, and universities
(U3, Q3)
Comparing and contrasting
sharecropping and slavery (U3, Q3)
Predicting challenges that many
Southerners would present to
Reconstruction (Q3, Q4)

Assessing the impact of the Ku Klux Klan
on Reconstruction (U3, Q3)

Making connections between historical
and current public opinions in
economic downturns (U2, Q2)

Identifying policies that have lasting
negative effects on freed African
Americans (U3, Q3, Q4)

Analyzing the reasons Reconstruction
ended and the impact of redemption
(U3, Q1, Q2)

White Southerners resisted
Reconstruction, sometimes violently
The Collapse of Reconstruction (U2, U3,
Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4)
 Democrats regained control of
Southern state governments
 Scandals and depression during
Ulysses S. Grant’s presidency hurt the
Republican Party
 The Compromise of 1877
 Voting restrictions and segregation
caused political and social exclusion
for African Americans
 The loss of newly gained freedoms led
many African Americans to move out
of the South
Evaluative Criteria
<type here>
Stage 2 – Evidence
Assessment Evidence
CURRICULUM EMBEDED PERFOMANCE ASSESSMENT (PERFORMANCE TASKS)
The most important accomplishments by the United States Government during the
Reconstruction era were the three “Reconstruction Amendments.” The 13th, 14th, and 15th
Amendments guaranteed important government protections for African American men after the
Civil War. However, Reconstruction is considered by many historians to be failure. Your job is to
propose a new amendment that should have been passed as part of the “Reconstruction
Amendments.”
Goal
Write, in language consistent with the Constitution and Consittutional Amendments, a fourth
“Reconstruction Amendment.” Your amendment should reflect what you believe to have been a
crucial yet neglected element of Reconstuction.
Role
You are a member of Congress. You should include your name and district in your proposal.
Audience
You have two audiences: your first is the other members of Congress (the House and Senate)
and your second is your district. You have two audiences: your first is the other members of
Congress (the House and Senate) and your second is your district. You will need to ensure your
district supports your amendment.
Situation
The year is 1877 and Republicans have ceded military control of the Southern states in exhcnage
for assurance that thei candidate would be awarded contentious votes by the committee to
resolve the electoral abnormalities of the election of 1876.
Product/Performance
Your product will be a fully developed Constitutional Amendment to be submitted to Congress
and the states for approval.
Standards and Criteria for Success
See Rubric
OTHER EVIDENCE:
 Argumentative Writing: Should there be any requirements for Southern States
formerly in rebellion to reunite with the rest of the country?
 SHEG Close Reading: The 13th Amendment vs. Lincoln’s Second Inaugural
Address
 Mock Debate: Hold a debate between supporters of Lincoln’s plan for
Reconstruction and Radical Republicans; (alternatively) hold a debate between
supporters of Presidential Reconstruction and supporters of Congressional
Reconstruction
 Two-Column Notes: Black Codes
 Historiography Paragraph: Why do historians consider the work of the
Freedmen’s Bureau to be vital to studying history?
 Construct an argument: Was the Ku Klux Klan in essence a terrorist
organization?
 Interactive Timeline: Students create a timeline of critical events in the history
of Reconstruction
 Reconstruction Test
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
Summary of Key Learning Events and Instruction
Lessons to include:
Lesson 1: Examining The Politics of Reconstruction (U1, U2, U3, Q1, Q2, Q4)
Lesson 2: Assessing The Impact of Reconstruction (U1, U2, U3, Q1, Q3, Q4)
Lesson 3: Analyzing The Collapse of Reconstruction (U2, U3, Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4)
Lesson 4: CEPA
Lesson 1: Examining The Politics of Reconstruction
 Using images such as Destruction of Richmond, construct an idea of Southern infrastructure after the Civil War
 Brainstorm ideas on how to restore Southern states to the Union after the Civil War
 Using election results of 1864 from 270towin.com, infer the public opinion on the readmission of the South
 Compare and contrast the Reconstruction plans of Radical Republicans, President Lincoln, and President Johnson using
primary and secondary sources, including the Wade-Davis Bill, Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address, and Johnson’s
Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction
 Analyze the causes and effects of the impeachment of Andrew Johnson by the Radical Republicans in Congress
 Examine a map denoting the Reconstruction Military Districts and consider reasons for states reentering the Union at
different times
 Using election results of 1868 from 270towin.com, infer the public opinion on Radical Republicans
Lesson 2: Assessing The Impact of Reconstruction
 Activate prior knowledge by examining the 13th Amendment
 Analyze the legal restrictions on freed African Americans in the South using primary and secondary sources, including the
“black codes” of Mississippi
 Evaluate the role of the Freedmen’s Bureau in the social reconstruction of freed people between 1865 and 1872, and



examine its significance in the study of history
Trace the trajectory of the federal government’s involvement in protecting freed people using primary sources, including the
Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the 14th and 15th Amendments
Examine the causes and effects of attempts by African Americans to achieve upward mobility in the South, including
increased education and political involvement
Examine the practice of sharecropping and contrast it to slavery
Lesson 3: Analyzing The Collapse of Reconstruction
 Analyze the tactics used by “redeemers” to regain control of Southern state legislatures
 Assess the impact of the Ku Klux Klan on Reconstruction efforts using primary and secondary sources
 Predict the impact of President Grant’s lack of political experience on the power of the President
 Infer public support for national issues (such as Reconstruction) during the economic downturn of 1873 by debating
important issues relating to the most recent recession
 Evaluate the terms of the Compromise of 1877 and the effects it had on Reconstruction efforts
 Analyze the impact of voting restrictions and Jim Crow Laws on disfranchising African Americans in the South, including the
implementation of poll taxes, literacy tests, and the Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson
 Evaluate the reasons for African Americans to emigrate from the South, including exodusters
Lesson 4: CEPA
