“With Malice Toward None”? The Battle over Reconstruction
Lesson #1: The Aftermath of War
I. Introduction
As the Civil War drew to a close, the social, political and economic conditions within the
rebellious southern states fueled discussion about how to restore them to the Union. This
lesson plan will examine the nature and extent of some of these social, political and
economic conditions and how they influenced the early thinking about and attempts at
restoring the southern states to the Union. Students will consider the economic and
material impact of the Confederacy’s defeat with the assistance of an interactive map that
combines statistics and data with the thoughts and ideas of the people living through this
difficult period. In coming to understand the physical and political devastation of the
war, students will have a basis for better appreciating the challenges facing the nation as
it worked toward devising a workable solution for Reconstruction.
Beyond the obvious material destruction, there was more to reconstruct in the South than
buildings, farms, manufacturing and railroads—there were social and political
relationships to rebuild. With that in mind, this lesson will consider the impact that
secession, war and defeat had on the legal and political status of the southern states. In
what sense were southern states connected to the Union after the surrender at
Appomattox? Had there been any change in their constitutional status? Would public
opinion in a fractured and wounded nation move the political drama of restoration toward
vengeance, mercy, or some combination of these? Students will also examine the impact
of public opinion upon the rights of former slaves. What would be the status of these
newly freed slaves? Upon completing this lesson, students will begin to see the outlines
of a constitutional crisis (covered extensively in Lesson 2 of this unit) that ultimately
would lead to the impeachment of a president (Andrew Johnson) as Congress fought for
the power to control the direction of Reconstruction policy.
II. Guiding Question
Given the social, political and economic condition of the South in 1865, what kind of
Reconstruction efforts would best restore the nation?
III. Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this lesson, students should be able to:
 Describe the general character of the political and social conditions within the
nation in the aftermath of war.
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Effectively demonstrate their ability to navigate through a statistical map
interactive and use information gathered there to inform their understanding of the
political, social and economic crisis confronting the nation during Reconstruction.
Distinguish between the main and competing visions for Reconstruction as they
began to emerge at the end of the Civil War.
Distinguish the central and driving ideas at work in original documents
surrounding Reconstruction and be able to discuss their impact on events.
Identify specific problems that may have emerged given the attitudes and
conditions prevalent in the defeated South.
Discuss how these attitudes and ideas may have helped or hindered
Reconstruction.
IV. Background Information for the Teacher
April 1865 saw the end of the Civil War, and with it came the need for some sort of
policy to reunify, restore—or “reconstruct”—the political, economic, and social
relationship of the southern states with the rest of the Union. The period of this process
of bringing the states of the Confederacy back into the Union is called Reconstruction.
It is impossible to fully understand Reconstruction without a grasp of the social and
economic upheaval the war brought about. For the people living through the times, this
upheaval created a situation that demanded immediate attention. Economically, the
South had been shattered, with much of its capital—formerly invested in slaves—lost.
Fields remained untilled and fallow. Capital that during the war had been invested in
manufacturing to a much larger extent than it had been before the war, was now laid to
waste with many of the South’s factories in ruins. Beyond these tangible losses there was
the devastating cost in human life. More than one-fifth of the South’s adult white-male
population (some 260,000) was lost fighting for the Confederacy. In addition, the great
majority of black soldiers who had fought and died in the Union army were from the
South. Their losses in manpower, therefore, were incalculable.
Another consideration in post-bellum America was a new question to southern society:
What would be the role of the newly freed black population of the South? What would
be the social relationship between this new community and its former white masters?
The south faced a newly freed workforce that grew more and more recalcitrant, refusing
to work for former masters (very often with good cause), whatever the pay. Old habits of
social interaction had to be reconsidered and, most often, unlearned. Thus even if the
South could quickly show some signs of economic recovery, solving the problems posed
by social reconstruction would prove to be a much more difficult and lengthy proposition.
The political process of Reconstruction, on the other hand, had begun before the war
ended. In some states—like Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana—where earlier Union
victories had been so complete as to effectively take them out of the Confederacy; the
populations had already taken steps in the direction of re-establishing their former
relations with the Union. To rebuild the trust and friendship between these states and the
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Union, Abraham Lincoln believed in granting generous terms of amnesty for former
rebels, and in encouraging a speedy restoration of legitimate state governments within the
formerly rebellious states. Lincoln believed in the justice of a merciful policy, but he
also recognized that a swift procedure for reconstruction—taking place, in effect, as
Union victories gradually spread throughout the South—would aid in the effort to bring
the war to a speedy end. Since Lincoln believed that the purpose of the war was to bring
the Southern states back into their former relationship with the Union, he saw little
distinction between good war policy and wise reconstruction policy. Indeed, he preferred
the term “Restoration” over “Reconstruction” because he did not wish to imply that
something new was being constructed. Reconstruction, he believed, should re-establish
the authority of the Constitution.
Of course, contributing to his thinking on these matters were the facts on the ground.
With feelings so raw, there was little practical distinction between wartime sentiment and
post-war sentiment. Many ex-Confederates were bitterly disappointed by their defeat and
would maintain hostile feelings toward “Yankees” for decades, if not generations, to
come. Skeptical about the motives of Northerners coming south to aid in Reconstruction
efforts, many Southerners came to resent even the smallest of differences in manners or
habits between themselves and the “Yankees.” Sometimes their resentment was
justified—as when speculators would come South with the intention of exploiting the
needs of a desperate populace. But this resentment caused some to develop elaborate
theories, and many myths, about the nature of the differences between genteel
Southerners and crass Yankees. These theories rivaled, but perhaps did not surpass, some
of the more wild notions about race that had developed to justify slavery.
When it came to race, however, old habits died hard. It was true that the newly freed
black population was now free of the obligations of servitude. At the same time,
however, former slave owners considered themselves free of any duty to secure the
welfare of their former property. Blacks were thus thrust into a world where the habits of
slavery—namely, dependence and deference—would not serve them well. Former slaveowners were indignant at the suggestion that they should feel any obligation to help
needy freedmen establish themselves. Yet they expressed no indignation at continued
expressions of deference and even paternal respect from former slaves. In fact, this
deference was often expected to the point of violent outrage in its absence. Self-assertion
and independence among blacks, therefore, was simultaneously necessary and dangerous.
When this contradictory fact of life combined itself with the inherent difficulties of
achieving prosperity in a poverty-stricken and war-crippled region, it is easy to anticipate
the difficulties that lay ahead of the South on this front.
This is not to say that there were not some notable triumphs in the early and giddy
aftermath of war. In states where significant pro-Union sentiment carried the day at their
constitutional conventions (largely because of restrictions on unpardoned confederates
participating)—blacks enjoyed a large degree of political and social equality, even to the
extent of sending the first black representatives to Congress. These gains, however,
would be relatively short-lived. As Reconstruction progressed, more and more former
confederates obtained amnesty, re-entered the political process, and were hostile to
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suggestions or policies of political rights for blacks. Eventually, as radicals in Congress
gained control of Reconstruction efforts, their policies sought immediate and greater
justice for the freedmen as well as harsher penalties for those who chose not to respect
the equality of blacks before the law. But enforcing this noble sentiment was a challenge
and the impatience and often intemperate rhetoric of this element in Congress and their
emissaries in the South, may have caused already deep Southern resentment to solidify
and, in some cases, to escalate. Violence became a common expression for this festering
rage.
For more detailed information on the process of Reconstruction, the teacher is
encouraged to visit America's Reconstruction: People and Politics After the Civil War;
for a timeline of major events of reconstruction during the war itself, of particular use is
Freedmen and Southern Society Project: Chronology of Emancipation.
V. Preparing to Teach This Lesson
In preparation for teaching this lesson, the teacher should review the entire lesson plan,
including introductory background information. The teacher may also wish to visit the
two EDSITEment-reviewed websites mentioned above for additional background
material concerning reconstruction: America's Reconstruction: People and Politics After
the Civil War and Freedmen and Southern Society Project: Chronology of
Emancipation. In addition, the teacher should review the interactive maps included as
part of this lesson [temporarily located at http://civclients.com/nehint/recon/] and
download the Text Document for this lesson, which will include all needed source
material and worksheets. Print out all material from the Text Document, and make the
appropriate number of copies for the students. The teacher may also wish to begin
thinking about how the class is to be broken into small groups (3-5 is suggested—but the
teacher should judge the correct size based on the size of the class) as several of the
activities in this lesson involve small group work.
Analyzing Primary Sources
This lesson involves using a number of primary source documents authored by a variety
of people; some were highly educated, others were less so, and still others were recently
freed slaves who were barely literate. The teacher may wish to review these documents
so as to be able to explain for the students any difficult vocabulary or unfamiliar
vernacular. The teacher may also want to point out that original documents, such as
these, retain their original spelling and syntax—even if incorrect. The teacher may also
wish to explain to the students the use of the word “Negro” in some of these documents.
While not generally used today, it was accepted usage (by both black and white writers)
during this period and it is part of the historical record. While it could be used in a
derogatory way, it did not—in every case—suggest racist attitudes or carry the stigma
that it does today. The teacher will also want to discuss the vernacular and odd spellings
that occasionally come through in diary entries and interviews with ordinary citizens and
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ex-slaves. Some of this language may be difficult for students to understand without
some guidance.
If the teacher’s students have little experience evaluating primary source documents,
there are several websites that include activities to help students effectively develop these
skills. The website Making Sense of Letters and Diaries is one such site. The Learning
Page at the American Memory Project of the Library of Congress includes a set of
activities to develop primary document skills. Another useful resource is the Digital
Classroom of the National Archives, which features a set of Document Analysis
Worksheets. Finally, History Matters offers helpful pages on "Making Sense of Maps."
VI. Suggested Activities
Activity #1: The Conditions in the South at the End of the War
For this activity, the students will use the interactive maps [temporarily located at
http://civclients.com/nehint/recon/] as well as the documents specified below. Students
will be organized into four small groups, the size of which will depend upon class size.
All groups will first read a selection from Walt Whitman’s Prose Works that explains his
view of the “real history” of the war and a letter from General William T. Sherman to the
mayor and city council of the city of Atlanta explaining the reasons for the devastation
his army must inflict. Each individual group will then be assigned a state of the former
Confederacy (South Carolina, North Carolina, Louisiana, or Georgia) and will analyze
one of the following documents, each of which was written by a resident of that particular
state. The authors were selected to show a variety of contrasting views and also to reflect
the different ways that reconstruction affected various states. While one document
cannot speak to the effects of the war on an entire state, it will give you an insight into
what may have represented a common experience and reaction to the War and its
aftermath.
In their groups, have the students analyze the impact of the Civil War through their
assigned document as it relates to their assigned state. To do this, students will also work
through the interactive maps, pictures and quotes in order to complete the Worksheet for
Activity #1.
For all groups: Excerpt from Prose Works, by Walt Whitman, from the EDSITEmentreviewed site Teaching American History and Letter from General William T. Sherman
to James M. Calhoun, September 1864 from the EDSITEment-reviewed site Teaching
American History (excerpted on pages 1-3 of the Text Document).
Group A (South Carolina): Excerpt from The Diary of Emma LeConte, 1864-1865,
February 18, 1865, from the EDSITEment-reviewed site Documenting the American
South (excerpted on pages 4-6 of the Text Document).
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Group B (North Carolina): Excerpts from the Journal of Gertrude Thomas, May 1865,
from the EDSITEment-reviewed site Teaching American History (excerpted on pages 7-8
of the Text Document).
Group C (Louisiana): A Confederate Girl's Diary, by Sarah Morgan Dawson, March
31, 1863, from the EDSITEment-reviewed site Documenting the American South
(excerpted on pages 9-10 of the Text Document).
Group D (Georgia): Diary of Julia Johnson Fisher, 1814-1885, January 3, 1864, from
the EDSITEment-reviewed site Documenting the American South (excerpted on pages
11-12 of the Text Document).
After reading and discussing their documents, the groups should be instructed to begin
working on Worksheet 1 for this activity (available on pages 13-18 of the Text
Document). Students will need to access to the internet, as many of these questions are
directly tied to the interactive created specifically for this lesson on conditions in the
South. If classroom internet access is unavailable or limited, the worksheet and
completing the interactive [temporarily located at http://civclients.com/nehint/recon/]
could be assigned as homework. After answering the questions for Parts I and II on the
worksheet, Part III of this activity should be completed in class within the group.
Students may either compose their answers to these questions together and turn them in
or present them in front of the class by choosing a representative.
Activity #2: Attitudes at the End of the War
The following documents are the testimony of persons who either made Reconstruction
policy, or who were affected by Reconstruction policy. Divide the class into six small
groups (recommended size for groups is 3-5, but can be more or less depending on class
size). Each group will be assigned one of the following documents, all from the
EDSITEment-reviewed sites Digital History and the Freedmen and Southern Society
Project.
Group A: Corporal Jackson Cherry, appealing for equal treatment of freedmen, 1864
(excerpted on page 19 of the Text Document).
Group B: Rufus Saxon, former Commissioner of the Freedman’s bureau (excerpted on
pages 20-21 of the Text Document).
Group C: Jourdan Anderson, an ex-slave, declining his master’s invitation to work on
the plantation, 1865 (excerpted on pages 22-23 of the Text Document).
Group D: Testimony of a South Carolina Freedman before the American Freedmen's
Inquiry E. Commission (excerpted on pages 24-27 of the Text Document).
Group E: Thomas Long, black union soldier, commenting on treatment by southerners
(excerpted on page 28 of the Text Document).
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Group F: G. Samuel Thomas, a Freedman Bureau official, 1865 (excerpted on pages 2930 of the Text Document).
Upon analyzing and discussing their assigned document, have the students in each group
individually answer the following questions, which are available in worksheet form on
page 31 of the Text Document:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
Who is giving the testimony?
Why is the person giving the testimony? What object is he trying to achieve?
What attitudes about reconstruction can you find in the person’s testimony?
When is the testimony given?
What problems does this person mention that will have to be solved during
reconstruction?
After completing their worksheets, tell each group that they will take on the role of a
committee in Congress examining the problems faced by blacks in the aftermath of the
Civil War. Their job is to consider solutions to these problems.
Each group will then create a list of specific problems that are hindering social
reconstruction efforts according to the author of their document and, from that, suggest
specific proposals to solve these problems and aid in the progress of reconstruction.
After each group has answered the above questions and created their lists, have them
select a spokesman to report to the rest of the class. In turn, each spokesman will, in his
report, assume the identity of the person who authored their document.
After each group’s spokesman has given his or her report, the teacher should lead a
discussion of the similarities and differences of each report, trying to identify common
themes or ideas that run through each of the reports. These may be put on the board by
the teacher to keep a running list of such themes and ideas.
VII. Assessment
At the end of this lesson, each student should demonstrate his or her proficiency by doing
the following:
1. Compiling a list of the problems that faced the South during reconstruction.
These should include social, economic, and political problems.
2. Utilizing this list to compose a two-paragraph essay that examines and evaluates
the challenges that the nation would face in moving forward with a policy of
Reconstruction. In this essay the student should consider what these facts suggest
about what might realistically be expected from a Reconstruction policy. The
student should state the reasons for this evaluation in the essay and show an
understanding of the political realities of the day.
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Alternative means of assessment include asking the students to do any or all of the
following:
1. Turn in their completed worksheets and essays from Activities 1 and 2 for a
grade.
2. Compose a 2-4 page essay comparing and contrasting the views of Whitman and
Sherman to those of the Southerners examined in their group for Activity 1.
VIII. Extending the Lesson
The EDSITEment-reviewed sites Digital History (http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu) and
the Freedmen and Southern Society Project (http://www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen)
offer a wide variety of documents concerning the effects of early Reconstruction efforts
on the black population. Teachers may wish to have students read several of the
following, which illustrate the evolution of wartime policy toward former slaves:
 The Militia Act, July 17, 1862
 The Emancipation Proclamation
 Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, December 8, 1863
 Forty Acres and a Mule: Special Field Order No. 15 by William Tecumseh
Sherman
 President Lincoln's Order of Retaliation, July 30, 1863
 The Freedmen's Bureau Act, March 3, 1865
Students then might be asked to read some of the following accounts by southerners,
illustrating the effects of the above measures:
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Keeper of Sandy Point Lighthouse to a Baltimore Judge
Black Residents of Nashville to the Union Convention
Louisiana Planters to the Commander of the Department of the Gulf
Meeting between Black Religious Leaders and Union Military Authorities,
January 12, 1865
These documents, in conjunction with many of the documents used in Activity #2, could
be used to stage a reenactment of a congressional committee hearing charged with
investigating into the problems faced by blacks in the aftermath of the Civil War and
suggesting solutions to these problems.
IX. EDSITEment-reviewed Web Resources Used in this Lesson
Teaching American History: http:/www.teachingamericanhistory.org
Forty Acres and a Mule: Special Field Order No. 15 by William Tecumseh
Sherman:
http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=545
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Excerpt from Prose Works, by Walt Whitman:
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=1723
Excerpts from the Journal of Gertrude Thomas, May 1865:
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=1724
Letter from General William T. Sherman to James M. Calhoun, September 1864:
http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=1725
Freedmen and Southern Society Project: http://www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen/
The Militia Act, July 17, 1862: http://www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen/milact.htm
Chronology of Emancipation: http://www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen/chronol.htm
Keeper of Sandy Point Lighthouse to a Baltimore Judge:
http://www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen/tdavis.htm
Testimony of a South Carolina Freedman before the American Freedmen's
Inquiry Commission: http://www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen/mcmilln.htm
Louisiana Planters to the Commander of the Department of the Gulf:
http://www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen/minor.htm
President Lincoln's Order of Retaliation, July 30, 1863:
http://www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen/retal.htm
Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, December 8, 1863:
http://www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen/procamn.htm
Black Residents of Nashville to the Union Convention:
http://www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen/tenncon.htm
The Freedmen's Bureau Act, March 3, 1865:
http://www.history.umd.edu/Freedmen/fbact.htm
Digital History: http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu
America's Reconstruction: People and Politics after the Civil War:
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/reconstruction/index.html
Thomas Long, former slave, recalling treatment in the Union army:
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/black_voices/voices_display.cfm?id=78
Tobias Gibson, lamenting how out of control blacks on his plantation have
become, 1864:
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/documents/documents_p2.cfm?doc=170
The Emancipation Proclamation:
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/documents/documents_p2.cfm?doc=143
Meeting between Black Religious Leaders and Union Military Authorities,
January 12, 1865:
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/black_voices/voices_display.cfm?id=28)
Tobias Gibson, lamenting the mixing of Negro and white children in the same
schoolroom:
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/documents/documents_p2.cfm?doc=168
Jourdan Anderson, an ex-slave declining his master’s invitation to work on the
plantation, 1865:
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/black_voices/voices_display.cfm?id=80
Corporal Jackson Cherry, appealing for equal treatment of freedmen, 1864:
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/black_voices/voices_display.cfm?id=79
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Rufus Saxon, former Commissioner of the Freedman’s bureau:
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/black_voices/voices_display.cfm?id=81
Samuel Thomas, a Freedman Bureau official, 1865:
http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/black_voices/voices_display.cfm?id=82
Documenting the American South: http://docsouth.unc.edu
Diary of Sarah Morgan Dawson, 1862-1865:
http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/dawson/dawson.html
Diary of Emma LeConte, 1864-1865:
http://docsouth.unc.edu/fpn/leconteemma/leconte.html
Diary of Julia Johnson Fisher, 1865:
http://docsouth.unc.edu/imls/fisherjulia/fisher.html
X. Additional Information
 Grade Levels: 10-12
 Subject Areas
o US History—African-American
o US History—Civil Rights
o US History—Civil War and Reconstruction
 Time Required: 2-3 class periods
 Skills:
o Analyzing and interpreting primary source documents
o Historical Interpretation through statistics
o Critical Thinking
o Evaluating Photographs and Images for historical content
o Comparing and Contrasting Two Opposing Viewpoints
o Connecting Statistics With the Human Element
o Working Collaboratively
o Policy Evaluation for Effectiveness
o Problem Solving
o Map Skills
o Making Inferences and Drawing Conclusions
 Standards Alignment: http://www.ncss.org/standards/strands/
o NCSS-I—Culture
o NCSS-II—Time, Continuity, and Change
o NCSS-IV—Individual Development and Identity
o NCSS-V—Individuals, Groups and Institutions
o NCSS-VI—Power, Authority and Governance
 Lesson Plan Writers
o Julie Ann Ponzi, Azusa Pacific University
o Mark Baker, Bishop Rosecrans High School, Zanesville, Ohio
 Teacher/Student Resources
o Text Document
o Interactive Maps [temporarily located at
http://civclients.com/nehint/recon/]
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
Related EDSITEment Lesson Plans
o Attitudes Toward Emancipation
o Families in Bondage
o From Courage to Freedom: Frederick Douglass's 1845 Autobiography
o Perspective on the Slave Narrative
o A House Dividing: The Growing Crisis of Sectionalism in Antebellum
America
o Evaluating Eyewitness Reports
o Images at War
o Walt Whitman's Notebooks and Poetry: the Sweep of the Universe
o Lincoln Goes to War
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