Lesson Plan- Dominic Iannone
Title: Reform efforts in the wake of the Civil War
Essential Question: To what extent was Reconstruction a truly radical moment in
American history?
Duration: Ideally there should be at least a week of standard 50 minute class
periods to cover this unit.
Enduring Understanding:
Reconstruction provides a great opportunity to examine how a culture’s understanding of
its history can be shaped, and in turn shapes, modern politics. To bring this out, this unit
should discuss the changing narrative of Reconstruction, from a period of corruption and
stagnation to, in more modern historical interpretation, an attempt at a genuinely radical
experiment in biracial democracy.
Historical Background Notes:
Most of the background for this unit, as well as the general thesis, are drawn from Eric
Foner’s Reconstruction: America’s Unfinished Revolution. A shorter, more easily used
version is Foner’s A Short History of Reconstruction. General points to be emphasized
throughout the unit include:
 The shift in Republican perspective during the war that put emancipationists at the
forefront
 The legal framework created by the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments for federal
protection of civil and political rights
 The radicalism of black political participation balanced against the failure to
pursue more radical strategies, such as land redistribution
 The backlash in the south and the eventual reclamation of the south by the
Democratic party.
 Up to the 1950s and 60s, Reconstruction was viewed in a very negative light.
Foner makes the argument that this narrative was so enduring because it fit the
political realities of a segregated south. It was only after the end of segregation
that the narrative of reconstruction could be reevaluated.
Purpose: Help students recognize the importance of Reconstruction as a time period,
both because of how it highlights what historical agents at the time believed to be the
most significant legacies of the war, and because the laws and institutions created during
that time period continue to be of great significance today.
Materials:
 Primary Sources:
1. 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.
2. Black Codes- http://chnm.gmu.edu/courses/122/recon/code.html
3. Freedmen’s Bureau Acthttp://www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen/fbact.htm
4. Republican Party Platform 1868http://chnm.gmu.edu/fairfaxtah/lessons/documents/lesson61i.pdf
5. KKK documents- http://www.alabamamoments.state.al.us/sec28ps.html
Secondary Sources:
 Any standard text.
 Excerpt from A Short History of Reconstruction by Eric Foner.
 Segment of the Film series “The Unfinished Nation” titled What Price Freedom
 Eric Foner podcast on Gilder-Lehrman website
Procedure:
Teacher
Day 1- Since this unit will most likely
come at the end of a unit on the Civil
War, an easy way to start is to have
students brainstorm challenges they
think the country would face in the years
after the war. The teacher can aid this
process by providing categories that
students can put problems into
(economic, foreign policy, emancipation,
political sovereignty, etc.)
 Put student generated ideas on
the board and rank them based
on how high a priority each
would be to deal with.
Day 2- Start class with a short
powerpoint presentation introducing
some of the major themes of
Reconstruction. Refer back to the list of
problems generated the day before to
see how well student expectations match
up with realities.
 Go over the 13th and 15th
Amendment as a whole group.
 Pass out copies of the 14th
Amendment. Have students work
in groups of 2-3 to summarize
each article in their own words,
and identify what problems each
article is meant to deal with.
Student
Day 1- Students work in small groups to make
a list of challenges they thing the United States
would face in the post-war world.
 Vote on problems to rank them by
importance.
 HW Idea- Pick one of the high priority
problems discussed in class and write a
short description of a possible solution.
Day 2- Take notes on powerpoint, 13th and
15th amendment.
 Work with small group to summarize
each section of the 14th Amendment.
Identify what problems they think each
section is attempting to deal with.
Day 3- Each student will read one page of the
black code, then work with a group of students
who read the other pages to create a graphic
organizer with notes on each section of the
code.
 Students will do a quick write in class
exploring similarities and differences
between slavery and the black codes.
Day 4 Video guide to be used to guide
discussion when the video is over.
 Graphic organizer on different
reconstruction plans (to be finished for
homework).

Also look at the creation of the
 Read through the Republican Party
Freedmen’s Bureau if time allows
Platform and identify what seem to be
Day 3- Theme for the day is to explore
the top 3 priorities of the party in 1868.
how Andrew Johnson’s lenient policies
Day 5- Read KKK documents in small group,
towards the south emboldened southern
and watch clip of “Birth of a Nation”
Democrats. This will be seen through an
 Quick write on question, “How do you
examination of the Black Codes.
think the KKK and people sympathetic
 Introduce the theme and organize a
to them viewed reconstruction?”
jigsaw. Students will be put into
 Take notes on end of the reconstruction
groups of roughly 5 members.
 Final Eval: 2-4 page paper, making
Each member will be given 1 page
use of at least 1 primary source, on
of the black codes to read and take
the following prompt.
short notes on. Then each group
“How successful was the
will share out and create a graphic
Reconstruction period in fixing the
organizer of the black codes in
problems that led to the Civil War?”
simple language.
 Make it clear at the end of the
lesson that the black codes were
very short lived, as they invited a
quick response by Republicans in
Congress.
Day 4- Watch video clip from “The
Unfinished Nation” called What Price
Freedom (clip is about 20 minutes and is
available on United Streaming).
 Graphic organizer for the
competing reconstruction plans
(Lincoln/Johnson/Congressional
Republicans) to show the evolution
of ideas.
 Look at Republican Party Platform
from 1868 to analyze what seemed
to be the most pressing political
concerns of the day (very little
about slavery, though a great deal
about the importance of returning
voting rights to loyal white
southerners. Economic
considerations also important).
Day 5- Look at the wind-down and failure
of Reconstruction in the 1870s. Look at
KKK documents to see how blacks and
sympathetic whites were intimidated.
 Perhaps watch a piece of “Birth of a
Nation”
 Powerpoint on the election of
Hayes and the background on his
selection as president.

Play a short section of Eric Foner’s
lecture on the Legacy of
Reconstruction (available as a
podcast on the Gilder-lehrman
website.)
Student Learning Evidence:
1. Possible problems list, with homework identifying one problem caused by the war
and suggesting a solution.
2. Analysis of the 14th Amendment (completed with small group)
3. Quick write on similarities and differences between slavery and the black codes
4. Graphic organizer of reconstruction plans.
5. Top 3 priorities from Party Platform of 1868.
6. Final essay on prompt, “How successful was the Reconstruction period in fixing the
problems that led to the Civil War?”