RECONSTRUCTION (1865-1877)
“The Second Civil War”
Enduring Understanding
Reconstruction was an era of social, political, and
constitutional conflict that had noble intentions but
limited successes.
Essential Questions
1. What were the social, political, and constitutional
foundations and challenges of Reconstruction?
2.
What arguments support whether or not
Reconstruction was a success or a failure?
3.
How are the same challenges of Reconstruction
evident in the reconstruction of Iraq and/or
Afghanistan?
4.
What arguments support whether or not
Reconstruction in Iraq and/or Afghanistan has
been a success or a failure?
OVERVIEW
The Civil War is over, but the battle for civil liberties has just begun. After Lincoln‟s assassination,
nervous citizens of a rejoined nation looked to a new president and an overwhelmingly Republican
Congress to reconstruct a war-torn country. As terrible as it was, the US Civil War allowed the
Constitution to be forever changed for and by “the better angels of our nature.”
Three constitutional amendments--the 13th, 14th, and 15th--helped Lincoln‟s spirit to live on in
hopes of granting everyone the power of citizenship. However, the South‟s resentment of a
Republican controlled Congress, their passing of the so-called Black Codes, and a power struggle
between President Johnson and Congress would only set the course for an uneasy peace between a
nation divided once again over the issue of state‟s rights.
As Congress enacts a policy of punishing the South for the Civil War, African-Americans
struggle to establish new lives. Eventually, the North tires of Reconstruction, and Southern
whites regain control over the states. In this Unit Plan, the students will describe, interpret,
analyze, and evaluate the Enduring Understanding and the Essential Questions. In addition,
the student will be able to accomplish the following CLA tasks:
CLA QUESTION #10: Explain how Congress opposed Lincoln's and Johnson's plans for
Reconstruction and instead implemented its own plan to rebuild the South.
CLA QUESTION #11: Identify and explain how various groups contributed to the
rebuilding of Southern society after the war.
CLA QUESTION #12:
Explain and justify how Southern opposition to Radical
Reconstruction, along with economic problems in the North, ended Reconstruction.
1
PART I: Reconstruction Glossary
A list of the important Reconstruction vocabulary will is provided within this unit plan. A vocabulary
quiz will be administered in order to assess student learning.
PART II: Pre-Assessment
The unit plan will begin with a rather thorough pre-assessment
that introduces the characters of the Reconstruction era and
addresses the question, “Was Reconstruction a success or a
failure?”
The students will read and interpret the PointCounterpoint chart, a summary, and two quotes concerning the
success and failure of Reconstruction. Then the student will
choose an answer and justify his/her conclusions concerning the
success or failure of Reconstruction.
PART III:
Reconstruction Newsletter
The students will be issued a Reconstruction
Newsletter and be assigned a series of article
readings from this newsletter. For each article, the
student will be required to answer a series of
questions that will focus on the unit plan‟s
enduring understanding and essential questions.
A final test on the articles will be administered to
assess student learning.
PART IV: Reconstruction Presidents
The students will be evaluating the forces of unity and disunity while observing the film series, “The
American Presidents” and evaluate the „Four Reconstruction Presidents‟: Abraham Lincoln, Andrew
Johnson, Ulysses Grant, and Rutherford B. Hayes. After observing the films for each of the
presidents, the students will then have the opportunity to evaluate each president‟s role during
Reconstruction.
PART V:
Historical Connections:
Reconstruction in Iraq and
Afghanistan Today
The students will choose one of the options listed below and conduct
a quick research activity that connects with either our reconstruction
efforts in Iraq/Afghanistan or the debate concerning the political
demand for formal apologies or reparations for the acts of slavery or
racism to the descendants of victims living today.
2
Part I: RECONSTRUCTION Glossary
IMPORTANT GROUPS:
Radical Republican
A member of the Republican Party who after the Civil War wanted:
-to punish and destroy the political power of former slaveholders
-immediate citizenship and voting rights for African Americans
-a powerful federal government that would immediately bring these
changes
Moderate Republican
A member of the Republican Party who after the Civil War wanted:
-to rebuild the nation without punishing the South severely
-gradually give African American citizenship and the right to vote
-a powerful federal government that would gradually bring these
changes
Democrat
A political party very popular in the Southern states who wanted:
-a weak federal government with an emphasis on states‟ rights
-the issues of citizenship and voting rights to be decided by the
individual states.
Carpetbagger
A northerner who moved to the South after the Civil War.
Scalawag
A white southerner who joined the Republican Party after the Civil War.
Ku Klux Klan
A secret organization that used terrorist tactics in an attempt to restore
white supremacy in Southern states after the Civil War.
IMPORTANT PEOPLE:
Abraham Lincoln
President of the United States at the beginning of Reconstruction and a
moderate Republican, he wished to make the South's return to the Union
as quick and easy as possible.
Andrew Johnson
Democratic President of the United States who took over after the
assassination of Abraham Lincoln; he favored a lenient Reconstruction
policy, supported states' rights, and opposed African American equality.
Thaddeus Steven
Leader of the Radical Republicans in Congress who was devoted to a harsh
punishment of the Southern states. Worked towards equality for African
Americans.
Ulysses S. Grant
Civil War hero and Republican President of the United States whose
Reconstruction efforts were undermined by corruption within his
administration.
Rutherford B. Hayes
President of the United States whose election brought an end to
Reconstruction.
3
IMPORTANT LINGO:
Suffrage
The right to vote.
impeach
The process of accusing a public official of wrongdoing.
Share-cropping
A system in which landowners give farm workers land, seed, and tools in
return for a part of the crops they raise.
Tenant farming
A system in which farm workers supply their own tools and rent farmland
for cash.
Military Tribunal
Courts
A kind of a military court designed to try member of enemy forces during
wartime or times of rebellion, operating outside the boundaries of regular
criminal and civil court cases. The judges are military officers and fulfill the
role of jurors.
IMPORTANT LEGISLATION (BILLS, LAWS, AND CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS):
13th Amendment
An amendment to the U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1865, that abolished
slavery and involuntary servitude.
14th Amendment
An amendment to the U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1868, that makes all
persons born or naturalized in the U.S.—including former slaves—citizens
of the country and guarantees equal protection of the laws.
15th Amendment
An amendment to the U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1870, that prohibits
the denial of voting rights to people because of their race or color or
because they have previously been slaves.
Wade-Davis Bill
An 1864 bill passed by Congress and vetoed by President Lincoln that
would have given Congress control of Reconstruction.
The Freedmen's
Bureau
An agency set up by the federal government to help former slaves after the
Civil War.
Black Codes
The discriminatory laws passed throughout the post-Civil-War South which
severely restricted African Americans' lives prohibiting such activities as
traveling without permits, carrying weapons, serving on juries, testifying
against whites, and marrying whites.
Civil Rights Act of
1866
Was passed as a reaction to the Black Codes. Congress passed this act
giving African Americans citizenship and forbade states from passing
discriminatory laws such as the Black Codes.
Reconstruction Act
of 1867
Law that abolished governments formed in the former Confederate states,
divided those states into five military districts, and set up tough
requirements for readmission into the Union.
Compromise of 1877
The political compromise that gave Republican Rutherford B. Hayes the
presidency in exchange for the withdrawal of all Federal troops from the
Southern states. This agreement ended Reconstruction.
4
RECONSTRUCTION VIA BLOOM’S TAXONOMY
Instructions
Read the Unit Plan’s Enduring Understanding at the bottom of this page where you see “START.” Please Note:
start at the bottom of the taxonomy with “Remember” and work your way up to “Create.”
Create:
Develop a theory that will support and defend how your Reconstruction character may
appraise the reconstruction efforts in Iraq or Afghanistan. Assess the intentions, successes,
and failures of our reconstruction efforts in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Focus Question: How have I created new knowledge from what I have learned?
Evaluate:
Justify why your Reconstruction character’s views towards the three conflicts of
Reconstruction are the best options for America to consider during Reconstruction. Support
your assessment about Reconstruction’s intentions, successes, or failures through the
perspective of your Reconstruction character.
Focus Question: What is my opinion of what I just learned?
Analyze:
Examine how the views of your Reconstruction character may compare or contrast to other
Reconstruction characters’ views towards the Reconstruction conflicts. Criticize other
Reconstruction character’s intentions, successes, or failures towards the Reconstruction
conflicts.
Focus Question: How is this newly learned information similar to (or different from) other
information that I have learned?
Apply:
Interpret how your Reconstruction character may respond or react to the social, political, and
constitutional conflicts in your newsletter readings and videos.
Focus Question: How can I connect what I am learning in order to learn something that is
better/more relevant?
Understand:
Explain how the social, political, and constitutional conflicts of Reconstruction are located in
your newsletter readings and videos.
Focus Question: What does the unit plan want me to understand?
Remember:
Define the social, political, and constitutional conflicts of Reconstruction.
Focus Question: What do I need to remember to make sense of this new learning?
START-- Reconstruction was an era of social, political, and constitutional conflicts that had noble intentions
but limited successes.
5
RECONSTRUCTION CAST of CHARACTERS
and CHARACTER PROFILES
PART II: Pre-Assessment Activity #1
On the following pages you will find a cast of „Reconstruction Characters‟ that we will use as a learning
vehicle for many of the reading assignments covered in our Reconstruction Newsletter.
Now that you have been provided a character by your instructor, your task is to read your character
profile and create at least four interview questions based on the information you have read in your
character profile. It is important that you create insightful questions as these questions will be used
by other students to understand your character during the interview class activity.
Task #1: Carefully read your character profile located on the following pages and construct your four
interview questions.
1. “Lincolnites:” Followers of Abraham Lincoln
Slogan: “With Malice Towards None.”
President Lincoln had actually tried to start the reconstruction process during the Civil War.
Following Union victories at Gettysburg, Vicksburg and Chattanooga, Lincoln hoped that at least
some Confederate states might see the handwriting on the wall and be willing to rejoin the Union if
generous terms were offered.
Thus in December 1863 Lincoln issued a Proclamation of
Amnesty and Reconstruction, which stated that those
states where 10% of the 1860 electorate would take an oath
of loyalty to the Union and agree to emancipation might be
readmitted.
Lincoln did not back off from his intention to treat the
South generously. In his famous Second Inaugural
Address, which is inscribed on the wall of the Lincoln
Memorial in Washington, he closed with the words:
“With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness
in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on
to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds;
to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his
widow and his orphan...to do all which may achieve and
cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with
all nations…”
Following Lee‟s surrender at Appomattox, President Lincoln
again outlined a generous plan for reconstruction. Sadly, the President did not live to see his ideas
realized. On April 14, 1865, Lincoln went to Ford‟s theater to attend to play with his wife. John
Wilkes Booth, a Virginia actor enraged by the South‟s defeat, made his way to the presidential box
and shot the president in the head. Lincoln was carried across the street and placed in a bedroom,
where he died the next morning. Lincoln‟s assassination dealt a fatal blow to hopes for a more
lenient reconstruction effort than what actually occurred. His death also had a chilling effect on
potential sympathy for the South.
6
2. “Radicals:” “The Radical Republicans
Slogan: “The South is defeated but they are NOT loyal!”
Congress refused to recognize Lincoln's plan and countered with the Wade-Davis Bill, a much
harsher approach, which the president vetoed with a “pocket veto.” (A pocket veto occurs when a
bill is sent to the president, who does not sign it, but Congress adjourns within the 10-day period
allowed for the president to return the bill.)
In contrast to the relatively lenient and passive approach of
Lincoln and Johnson, the radical Republicans, the liberal wing
of the Republican Party, had a much tougher approach. They
were idealists, many of them driven by an almost religious
fervor. They did not accept the commonly held notion that
blacks were inferior and therefore insisted on full political,
social and civil rights for the former slaves. In this sense they
were true reformers, in many ways far ahead of their time, and
they had very different ideas about reconstruction from those of
Lincoln and Johnson. (How Lincoln‟s thinking on reconstruction
might have evolved over time can, of course, never be known.)
The radicals thought Lincoln was “too soft” on the South and
wanted to “revolutionize Southern habits, institutions and
manners”; they wanted to see the South rebuilt according to a
new order. Northern Republican newspapers such as the New York Tribune agreed. Radicals
believed that the South should be treated as “conquered provinces,” and that the rebel states had
committed “political suicide.” They claimed that no state governments could exist in the South
until Congress restored them under any conditions it deemed necessary.
3. “Johnsonians:” Followers of Andrew Johnson
Slogan: “Treason must be made odious!”
Vice President Andrew Johnson succeeded to the presidency upon
Lincoln's death. A non-slave-holding Senator from Tennessee who
had remained loyal to the north, he ran with Lincoln on the Union
Party ticket in 1864. Johnson carried a distinct animus toward the
wealthy Southern planter class. He apparently intended to carry
out Lincoln's generous reconstruction policies, but his motivations
were quite different from those of Lincoln.
He was prepared to have wealthy Southerners who had betrayed their country by serving the
Confederacy dance to his tune. Powerful Republican Senators and Congressmen, thirsty for
revenge and wanting a proper transition to freedom for the former slaves, visited with Johnson
during the months following Lincoln‟s death in order to assess his attitudes toward the defeated
South. Initially, they came away satisfied that Johnson was on the right track. That assessment,
however, would soon change radically.
Over the course of the summer of 1865, President Johnson dispensed pardons liberally to many
former high-ranking Confederates. Johnson apparently took pleasure at the spectacle of former
Southern aristocrats, some of whom had previously scorned him, having to plead their case before
him. Consequently, the Radical Republicans became furious with Johnson. In the beginning,
Johnson appeared to follow Lincoln‟s plans for Reconstruction but later told the Radical
Republicans he was going to punish the South—a policy approved by the Radicals. But now
Johnson was going back on his word, thus setting up a political and constitutional showdown
between President Johnson and the Republican controlled Congress.
7
4. “Freedmen:” Former Slaves
Slogan: “Freedom burned in the heart long before freedom was born.”
Many slaves who had been restricted all their lives had no “where”
to go. Although they were elated to be free following the “great day of
jubilation,” this new state of freedom also caused confusion. Some
stayed on old plantations, others wandered off in search of lost
family. Many slave owners were glad to get rid of “burdensome
slaves” and threw them out “just like those Yankee capitalists.”
Some freedmen celebrated their freedom openly, while others, less
trusting, approached their new status with caution.
As they quickly learned, there was more to being free than not being
owned as a slave. When asked how it felt to be free by a member of
a Congressional investigating committee, one former slave said, “I
don‟t know.” When challenged to explain himself, he said, “I‟ll be
free when I can do anything a white man can do.” One does not have
to be a historian to know that such a degree of freedom was a long
time coming.
For African Americans, the most important single result of War was
freedom. The search for lost families was “awe inspiring.” Some
whites claimed that blacks did not understand freedom and were to
be “pitied.” But Blacks had observed a free society, and they knew
it meant an end to injustices against former slaves.
Blacks in the South also had a workable society—church, family and later schools. A black
culture already existed, and could be adapted, albeit with difficulty, to new conditions of freedom.
Blacks also took quickly to politics. As Booker Washington put it in his autobiography, Up From
Slavery, blacks watched the way their former masters voted and then did the opposite.
Remarkably, the former slaves exhibited little overt resentment against their masters, and many
adopted a conciliatory attitude. When they got into the legislatures they did not push hard for
reform because they recognized the reality of white power
5. “Damn Yankees:” Northern Citizens
Slogan: “Let us have peace!”
The North was split on the question of
reconstructing
the
South.
Many
Northerners, content to follow the lead of
the White House, favored a speedy
reconstruction with a minimum of
changes in the South. Other Northerners,
many of them former abolitionists, had
the rights of the freedmen and women in
mind. That faction favored a more
rigorous, gradual reconstruction process,
which would include consideration of the
rights of freed African-Americans.
In the North, there was little to reconstruct; most of the fighting had occurred in the South.
Northerners buried their dead, cared for the wounded and did their best to get on with their lives.
8
It is safe to say that the majority of Northerners were happy to see slavery gone, if for no other
reason than the fact that the divisiveness of the issue had poisoned the political scene for decades.
It cannot be assumed, however, that all Northerners were ready to embrace the full incorporation
of blacks into the national fabric. Many Northerners were not happy about prospects of millions of
blacks invading the northern job market, perhaps jeopardizing their economic security.
Most white northerners wished blacks well, but weren‟t willing to do much to help them; yet many
teachers, including women from New England, went South to help blacks. Other Northerners who
went south included the so-called “carpetbaggers,” men who went south in order to commercially
or politically exploit the situation for their own ends. (The epithet comes from the cheap suitcases
they carried, which were made of pieces of carpet sewn together.) Although infamous in their time
(and after), recent studies have argued that they often did much good by helping to modernize the
South and promoting education.
6. “The White League:” Southern Citizens
Slogan: “I once loved that flag, but now I hate the very sight of it!”
Many Southerners were enraged at the outcome of the war. Having suffered and bled and died to
get out of the Union, they now found themselves back in it. A woman in Richmond wrote in her
diary after the hated Yankees raised the American flag over the former Confederate capitol, “I once
loved that flag, but now I hate the very sight of it!”
Southerners recognized that they had to bow to the results of their loss, but did so with underlying
hatred. Much ill feeling toward the North existed among the people who had stayed at home,
especially in areas invaded by Sherman and others: wives, widows, orphans and those who had
endured incredible hardships were particularly
horrified to be back under federal control, ruled
by their former enemies.
Many Southern whites, having convinced
themselves in the prewar years that Blacks were
incapable of running their own lives, were also
unable to understand what freedom meant to
Blacks. As one former slave expressed it,
“Bottom rung on top now, Boss.” Many Southern
whites were still convinced slavery had been
right.
In a migration reminiscent of the departure of
loyalists after the American Revolution, many
southerners emigrated. Some took their slaves
and went to Brazil, where the institution still
flourished. Others went west to get as far away
as possible from “those damn Yankees.”
9
Name:
Date:
Task #1 Instructions
After you have actively read your character profile, create at least four insightful interview
questions that other students will use to interview you during our class activity.
Remember, the interview questions should touch on what you consider to be important
about your character and their views towards Reconstruction. You will be using this
interview worksheet during the class activity.
Please Note: You will not be allowed to write your answers to your own interview questions
on this worksheet to refer to during the interview class activity. You may want to actively
read (underline/highlight) your character profile.
Character‟s Name:
Interview Question #1:
Interview Question #2:
Interview Question #3:
Interview Question #4:
10
Name:
Reconstruction Interview Class Activity
Date:
Task #2 Instructions
Use the chart below to record the information that you will discover during the interview activity.
Reconstruction
Character
Response to Interview
Question #1
Response to Interview
Question #2
1. Abraham
Lincoln
2. Radical
Republicans
3. Andrew
Johnson
4. Freed
Slaves
5. Northern
Citizens
6. Southern
Citizens
11
Response to Interview
Question #3
Response to Interview
Question #4
12
Name:
Date:
Task #3 Instructions
Now that you have had the chance to get to know your character as well as the other Reconstruction
characters, try to classify which characters may or may not get along.
Which characters will see eye-to-eye when it comes to reconstructing the nation?
Who will not agree?
What forces of unity and disunity will you anticipate to occur during Reconstruction?
What would you personally recommend to the people living during this time period concerning
reconstruction?
Please Note: feel free to use your multiple intelligences for this wrap-up activity. You don‟t simply
have to write a paragraph or two. Instead, you may wish to draw a diagram, chart, or other visual
references that may explain your analysis.
Use the space below to draw (literally and figuratively) your own conclusions
13
Name:
Date:
PART II: Pre-Assessment Activity #2
Point-Counterpoint: Was Reconstruction a success or a failure?
Task #1: Agree-Disagree
Read the chart below that summarizes the point-counterpoint as to why Reconstruction was a
success or a failure.
Reconstruction was a Success
Reconstruction was a Failure
Introduction: Reconstruction was an attempt
to create a social and political revolution
despite economic collapse and the opposition
of much of the white South. Under these
conditions, its accomplishments were
extraordinary.
Introduction: Federal and state governments failed to
secure the rights guaranteed to former slaves by
constitutional amendments.
1. African Americans--only a few years after
slavery was abolished--were able to
participate at all levels of government
1. State Republican parties could not preserve
black-white voter alliances that would have
enabled them to stay in power and continue political
change.
2. State governments had some success in
solving social problems; for example, they
funded public school systems open to all
citizens.
2. Although they originally intended to do so, Radical
Republican governments were unable or unwilling
to allow for land reform or to provide former slaves
with the economic resources needed to break the
cycle of poverty.
3. African Americans established
institutions that had been denied them
during slavery such as schools, churches,
and families.
3. Racial bias was a national, not a regional,
problem. Racism existed everywhere in the United
States-North and South. After the Economic Panic
of 1873, northerners were more concerned with their
own economic problems than with the problems of
former slaves.
4. The breakup of the plantation system led
to some redistribution of the land for
former slaves to own.
4. The Supreme Court concluded that most civil
rights were ruled to be state, rather than federal,
rights and therefore unprotected by the 14th
Amendments.
5. Congress passed the 14th & 15th
Amendments, which helped African
Americans to receive full civil rights in the
20th Century.
The 15th Amendment was determined not to grant
voting rights to anyone, but rather to restrict „types‟
of voter discrimination.
In short, the Supreme Court interpreted these
amendments through the „letter of the law‟ which
allowed the states a loophole to bypass the „spirit‟ of
the law.
14
Point-Counterpoint: Was Reconstruction a success or a failure?
(Continued)
“Reconstruction Was A Success”
Summary and Primary Quote
“Reconstruction Was a Failure”
Summary and Primary Quote
Despite the loss of ground that followed
Reconstruction, African Americans succeeded in
carving out a measure of independence within
southern society.
At the end of Reconstruction, former slavers
found themselves once again in the lowest
position in society.
Civil Rights leader, W.E.B. DuBois summarized the
achievements of the Reconstruction period this
way:
Abolitionist and former slave, Frederick
Douglass concluded:
“It was Negro loyalty and the Negro vote alone that
restored the South to the Union; established the new
democracy, both for the white and black.”
“You gave us no acres. You turned us loose to
the sky, to the storm, to the whirlwind, and
worst of all, you turned us loose to the wrath of
our infuriated masters.”
Task #2: Agree-Disagree
After you have read and interpreted each Point-Counterpoint and the summaries above, follow the
directions for each step below.
1.
Interpret:
What does W.E.B. Dubois‟ quote mean to you regarding the success of
Reconstruction? Does he have a sense of pride for what the Black race was able to accomplish?
Why or why not.
2.
Interpret:
What does Douglass‟ quote mean to you regarding the lack of success for
Reconstruction? Why do you think he feels betrayed?
3.
Evaluate and Justify: If you had to choose, which side would you select to conclude that
Reconstruction was a success or a failure? Be sure to justify your response by choosing an
argument in the Point-Counterpoint chart to defend your conviction.
15
Name:
Date:
PART III: RECONSTRUCTION NEWSLETTER
Worksheet #1: Then & Now: Reparations for Slavery? (Newsletter Page 1)
Enduring Understanding
Reconstruction was an era of social, political, and constitutional conflict that had noble intentions but limited
successes.
Essential Questions
1. What were the social, political, and constitutional foundations and challenges of Reconstruction?
2. What arguments support whether or not Reconstruction was a success or a failure?
1. What are your thoughts about paying reparations to the descendants of slaves who are living
today? Should the state and/or federal government pay for what happened? Why or why not?
2. What are your thoughts about the state and/or federal government issuing a formal apology to
the descendants of slaves who are living today? Should the state and/or federal government
apologize? Why or why not?
3. What about the victims of the Holocaust, the Japanese-American victims of World War II
internment camps, Native Americans, suspected terrorists who were not guilty, etc.? Should they
and/or their descendants receive reparations and/or a formal apology? Why or why not?
16
Name:
Date:
PART III: RECONSTRUCTION NEWSLETTER
Worksheet #2: The Three Major Problems of Reconstruction: Social, Political, Constitutional
(Newsletter Pages 1 & 2)
Enduring Understanding
Reconstruction was an era of social, political, and constitutional conflict that had noble intentions but limited
successes.
Essential Questions
1. What were the social, political, and constitutional foundations and challenges of Reconstruction?
2. What arguments support whether or not Reconstruction was a success or a failure?
1. Evaluate: According to your Reconstruction character, what do you believe should be done to
solve the social problem? Explain.
2. Evaluate: According to your Reconstruction character, what do you believe should be done to
solve the political problem? Explain.
3. Evaluate: According to your Reconstruction character, what do you believe should be done to
solve the constitutional problem? Explain.
4. Predict: What obstacles or challenges do you believe will occur during Reconstruction that will
hurt its chances of becoming socially, politically, and/or constitutionally successful? Please
justify your answer thoroughly.
17
Name:
Date:
PART III: RECONSTRUCTION NEWSLETTER
Worksheet #3: The Three Major Problems of Reconstruction: Social, Political, Constitutional
(Newsletter Pages 1 & 2)
Enduring Understanding
Reconstruction was an era of social, political, and constitutional conflict that had noble intentions but limited
successes.
Essential Questions
1. What were the social, political, and constitutional foundations and challenges of Reconstruction?
2. What arguments support whether or not Reconstruction was a success or a failure?
1. Justify: Some of the white citizens in the South decided to enact a series of „Black Codes‟ that
were passed by southern states in an effort to control the economic and social lives of the newly
freed slaves. How could you argue that these „Black Codes‟ are just another form of slavery?
2. Empathize: The Black citizens of the South relied heavily on the foundation of the „family‟ to
survive both before and after the Civil War. Why do you think this was so? Why was family so
important to them during this era? What would have happened to the former slaves if they were
not able to rely on the family to survive? Why?
3. Speculate: Considering what you know at this point about Reconstruction, would Reconstruction
have operated more successfully had Lincoln lived to see it throughout his second term in office?
Do you think he would have been elected for a third term? Explain.
18
Name:
Date:
PART III: RECONSTRUCTION NEWSLETTER
Worksheet #4: Lincoln’s Plan/Congress’ Plan/Johnson’s Plan for Reconstruction (Newsletter
Page 3)
Enduring Understanding
Reconstruction was an era of social, political, and constitutional conflict that had noble intentions but limited
successes.
Essential Questions
1. What were the social, political, and constitutional foundations and challenges of Reconstruction?
2. What arguments support whether or not Reconstruction was a success or a failure?
1. Interpret: According to your Reconstruction character, do you agree or disagree with Lincoln‟s
plan for Reconstruction? Please be sure to justify your response with at least two examples.
2. CLA QUESTION #10: Explain how Congress opposed Lincoln's and Johnson's plans for
Reconstruction and instead implemented its own plan to rebuild the South.
3. Interpret: According to your Reconstruction character, do you agree or disagree with Johnson‟s
plan for Reconstruction? Please be sure to justify your response with at least two examples.
4. Evaluate: Rank the three plans (Lincoln‟s, Radicals‟, and Johnson‟s) in order of your preference
according to your Reconstruction character. Whose plan do you support the most? Whose plan
do you support the least?
1.____________________________
2.____________________________
3.____________________________
19
Name:
Date:
PART III: RECONSTRUCTION NEWSLETTER
Worksheet #5: The Plot Thickens: The Federal Government’s Solution to the Social Problem
and The Constitutional and Political Problems Between Johnson and Congress (Newsletter
Page 4)
Enduring Understanding
Reconstruction was an era of social, political, and constitutional conflict that had noble intentions but limited
successes.
Essential Questions
1. What were the social, political, and constitutional foundations and challenges of Reconstruction?
2. What arguments support whether or not Reconstruction was a success or a failure?
INSTRUCTIONS: Read The Federal Government’s Solution to the Social Problem and respond to the
following questions below.
1. CLA QUESTION #11: Identify and explain how various groups contributed to the rebuilding of
Southern society after the war.
The Freedmen‟s Bureau was an organization established to help former slaves. To what extent
would your character agree or disagree with the following goals of the Freedmen‟s Bureau:
a. Relief work for both blacks and whites in war-stricken areas;
b. Regulation of black labor under the new conditions;
c. Administration of justice in cases concerning blacks;
d. Management of abandoned and confiscated property; and
e. Support of education for blacks.
Choose at least two of the 5 goals of the Freedmen‟s Bureau listed above and justify why or how
these goals help to contribute to the rebuilding of Southern society after the war.
2. Evaluate: To what extent would your Reconstruction character agree or disagree with the
intentions and actions of the Freedmen‟s Bureau? Be sure to justify your response with concrete
details.
20
3. Read The Constitutional and Political Problems Between Johnson and Congress. Your task is to
read and respond to the four prompts below that outline President Johnson‟s reconstruction
policies below.
Would your character agree or disagree with Johnson’s policies?
sure to justify each of your responses.
Why or why not?
Be
Please Note: If your character is President Johnson or if you are unsure how your character may
respond, then simply respond to the prompts with your own personal opinions.
Each state would have to withdraw its right of secession.
a. Agree or Disagree?
b. Explanation:
Each state would have to swear their allegiance to the Union.
a. Agree or Disagree?
b. Explanation:
The federal government would cancel the Confederate war debts in return for the acceptance of
these terms.
a. Agree or Disagree?
b. Explanation:
Each state would have to ratify the 13th Amendment (abolishing slavery) in order to join the
Union.
a. Agree or Disagree?
b. Explanation:
21
Name:
Date:
PART III: RECONSTRUCTION NEWSLETTER
Worksheet #6: The Constitutional Struggle with the President Heats Up!!! & The Radicals
Take Charge…Politically (Newsletter Page 5)
Enduring Understanding
Reconstruction was an era of social, political, and constitutional conflict that had noble intentions but limited
successes.
Essential Questions
1. What were the social, political, and constitutional foundations and challenges of Reconstruction?
2. What arguments support whether or not Reconstruction was a success or a failure?
1. Interpret: Besides the fact that Johnson thought that HE should be in charge of Reconstruction
and NOT Congress, why do you think Johnson vetoed the Civil Rights Act of 1866? (Hint: think
about what Democrats believed in during this time period.)
2. Understand: How did Johnson‟s veto of this bill actually determine the „constitutional‟ question
about Reconstruction? (Hint: how did his veto actually backfire?)
3. Understand: What were the purposes of the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the 14 th Amendment?
4. Understand: What was significant about the 1866 election? How would this election help the
Radicals?
22
5. CLA QUESTION #10: Explain how Congress opposed Lincoln's and Johnson's plans for
Reconstruction and instead implemented its own plan to rebuild the South by completing the
tasks below.
The Reconstruction Act of 1867 called for the southern states to meet newer and harsher
demands. Provide a reaction from your Reconstruction character for each of the provisions of the
act in the space below. Be sure to explain why you would approve or disprove each of the
provisions of this Act.
The Reconstruction Act of 1867:
a. Divided the southern states into 5 MILITARY districts:
b. Civilian courts are abolished and replaced by tribunal courts:
c. New state constitutions were adopted giving blacks the right to vote:
d. States could be readmitted into the Union only if they would ratify the 14th Amendment:
6. Evaluate: To what extent would your Reconstruction character agree or disagree with the
intentions and actions of the Reconstruction Act of 1867? Be sure to justify your response with
concrete details.
23
Name:
Date:
PART III: RECONSTRUCTION NEWSLETTER
Worksheet #7:
Should President Johnson Be Removed From Office? & Grant Takes
Command…Again (Newsletter Page 6)
Enduring Understanding
Reconstruction was an era of social, political, and constitutional conflict that had noble intentions but limited
successes.
Essential Questions
1. What were the social, political, and constitutional foundations and challenges of Reconstruction?
2. What arguments support whether or not Reconstruction was a success or a failure?
1. Evaluate: In your opinion, do you believe that the Tenure of Office Act was legal and therefore,
should President Johnson have had to stand trial? Explain your answer.
2. Speculate: Whether the Radical Republicans believed that the Tenure of Office Act was legal or
not, why do you believe they went through this whole elaborate process to get rid of President
Johnson?
3. Understand: How did the Republicans come to realize the importance of allowing Black citizens
the right to vote after Grant‟s election to the White House in 1868? What did this prompt the
Republicans to do next?
4. Cause and Effect: Explain the relationship with the KKK and the Enforcement Act of 1870.
(What does one have to do with the other?)
24
Name:
Date:
PART III: RECONSTRUCTION NEWSLETTER
Worksheet #8: Reconstruction Social Success & The Beginning of the End of Reconstruction
(Newsletter Pages 6 & 7)
Enduring Understanding
Reconstruction was an era of social, political, and constitutional conflict that had noble intentions but limited
successes.
Essential Questions
1. What were the social, political, and constitutional foundations and challenges of Reconstruction?
2. What arguments support whether or not Reconstruction was a success or a failure?
CLA QUESTION #12: Explain and justify how Southern opposition to Radical Reconstruction,
along with economic problems in the North, ended Reconstruction by responding to the questions
below.
1. Interpret & Apply: After reading both articles, write down at least 3 examples of how African
Americans were able to achieve some success in the first column and how the South was able to
oppose this success in the second column. PLEASE USE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES FROM BOTH
ARTICLES IN BOTH COLUMNS!!!
Reconstruction Social Success:
Coming of Age for African Americans
1.
The Beginning of the End of Reconstruction:
Opposition & Violence
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
2. Reflect and Evaluate: Through the perspective of your Reconstruction character, write a
reaction to at least two of any of the successes and/or oppositions that you noted in the chart
above.
25
Name:
Date:
PART III: RECONSTRUCTION NEWSLETTER
Worksheet #9: The Centennial Election and The Unfinished Revolution (Newsletter Page 8)
Enduring Understanding
Reconstruction was an era of social, political, and constitutional conflict that had noble intentions but limited
successes.
Essential Questions
1. What were the social, political, and constitutional foundations and challenges of Reconstruction?
2. What arguments support whether or not Reconstruction was a success or a failure?
CLA QUESTION #12: Explain and justify how Southern opposition to Radical Reconstruction,
along with economic problems in the North, ended Reconstruction by responding to the questions
below.
1. Understand: Respond to the outcome of the „Bargain of 1877‟ through the perspective of your
Reconstruction character. Is life going to be better or worse for your character as a result of this
so-called bargain? Who will be affected? How? Why? Please explain below.
2. Evaluate: Some people believe that Reconstruction was a success because it was an era that
advanced the social rights of many African Americans. Others believe that Reconstruction failed
to establish political and economic freedom and as a result, unemployment, poverty, and crime
have helped to stereotypically deny the Black culture from advancing in our society. To what
extent have we made progress as a nation who „believes‟ that everyone should be treated equally?
a. Justify: Was Reconstruction a success or a failure? Justify your response.
b. Reflect: Has your evaluation changed in comparison to our second pre-assessment
activity located on worksheet pages 12 & 13 since we first began this unit plan? Explain.
26
Name:
Date:
PART IV: EVALUATE THE RECONSTRUCTION PRESIDENTS
Forces of Unity and Disunity
6.14: Students understand the tensions between the forces of unity and those of disunity in various times in
their local community, in the United States, and in various locations world-wide.
Enduring Understanding
Reconstruction was an era of social, political, and constitutional conflict that had noble intentions but limited
successes.
Essential Questions
1. What were the social, political, and constitutional foundations and challenges of Reconstruction?
2. What arguments support whether or not Reconstruction was a success or a failure?
Instructions: Read and complete each of the steps below.
1. Below are the “Reconstruction Presidents” and a brief overview of their Reconstruction Policies:
Abraham Lincoln: Created his “Amnesty and Reconciliation” plan, which called
for the requirement of only 10% of the registered voters of the southern states to
swear their allegiance to the federal government in order to be re-admitted in to
the Union.
Andrew Johnson: Stated he would originally carry out Lincoln‟s plan, then led the
Radicals to believe that he would punish the South. Johnson would then move for a
more lenient plan to reconstruct the South, because of his Democratic ideologies,
which angered the Republican-controlled Congress.
Ulysses Grant: Campaigned on the slogan, “Let Us Have Peace,” and tried to
follow this practice but had to step in and support the Enforcement Act of 1870
by sending federal troops to the South in order to punish those (i.e. KKK) who did
not allow Blacks to vote.
Rutherford B. Hayes: Won the controversial election of 1876 and ended up giving up
Republican control in the southern state governments in exchange for Republican
control of the White House. This administration saw the end of Reconstruction.
2. Before we watch the film series, you will need to create your personal policy towards
Reconstruction. Do you agree with Lincoln, Congress, Johnson, or do you have your own personal
philosophy? Please explain your Reconstruction policy below. How would you enforce this policy?
27
3. During each episode you will have the chance to understand the tensions between the forces of
unity and those of disunity, and compare the policies of the “Reconstruction Presidents” to your
preferred policy. In the chart below, provide an example of how each president:
Tried to unite the country during Reconstruction;
Confronted issues/people that divided the country during Reconstruction;
Compares to your personal Reconstruction policy that you noted on the previous page. (Do
you agree or disagree?)
President
Example of Unity
(How did he try to keep the
country united?)
Example of Disunity
(What forces of disunity did
he face?)
Reconstruction Policy
(Do you agree with his Reconstruction policy? Why or why not?)
Lincoln
Johnson
Grant
Hayes
4. Then evaluate each president‟s efforts to reconstruct the nation. Please be sure to indicate if they
did a good, average, or poor job with Reconstruction and provide a brief explanation as to why you
thought the President should receive this evaluation. Then rank the “Reconstruction Presidents” with
a „1‟ being the best and a „4‟ being the worst.
President
Rating (good,
average,
poor)
Explanation
Lincoln
Johnson
Grant
Hayes
28
Rank
Name:
Date:
Part V: THEN and NOW
Making the Connection Between American Reconstruction and Reconstruction
in Afghanistan
Overview
Below is an outline that categorizes the main ideas/events that occurred during American
Reconstruction into four major groups:
Building Security; Building Infrastructure; Building the
Legitimate Economy; and Rebuilding the Government.
Task
Your task is to make a connection with any of the subjects listed below the main ideas/events of
American Reconstruction with a subject related to reconstruction in Afghanistan.
Main Idea/Event: Building Security Forces/Maintaining Order
Subjects:
The three plans for Reconstruction: Lincoln—Johnson—Congress;
The Reconstruction Act of 1867;
The Enforcement Act of 1870;
The Black Codes;
The Federal Government versus the KKK.
Main Idea/Event: Building Infrastructure, Services/Providing Services for the People
Subjects:
The Freedmen‟s Bureau;
Education;
Share cropping;
Tenant farming;
Reuniting families;
Rebuilding the South;
Carpetbaggers and Scalawags;
Main Idea/Event: Building the Legitimate Economy/Providing Jobs
Subjects:
The Freedmen‟s Bureau;
The three plans for Reconstruction: Lincoln—Johnson—Congress;
The war debt;
Economic Panic of 1873;
Carpetbaggers;
Political corruption.
Main Idea/Event: Rebuilding the Government
Subjects:
The three plans for Reconstruction: Lincoln—Johnson—Congress;
The Freedmen‟s Bureau;
Due Process and the 14th Amendment;
Suffrage and the 15th Amendment;
Education and social services;
The role of the federal government;
States‟ rights;
Political corruption;
“White man‟s government;”
New presidents = new policies;
The role of the media.
29