Reconstruction: 1865-1877
A Social Studies Resource Unit for 4th Grade Students
Submitted as Partial Requirement for CRIN E05
Elementary Social Studies Curriculum and Instruction
Professor Gail McEachron
The College of William and Mary
Fall 2012
Prepared By:
Alexander Hendrix
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Reconstruction 1865-1877
On April 15th 1865, Abraham Lincoln passed away. Newly elected to his second
term in office and with the challenge of the Civil War behind him, Lincoln had already
refocused his administration toward the project of reconstructing a devastated nation.
Unfortunately for both Lincoln and the nation, an assassin’s bullet abruptly truncated his
life before he could see his nation healed. The challenges the nation faced after the Civil
War were arguably greater than the war itself. How the nation responded to the major
challenges of the reconstruction era continue to shape, reshape, and spark debate in the
modern era.
The standards that this narrative addresses are Virginia Standards for
Social studies 8a, 8b, and 8c. It also addresses VS.1f and VS.1e. See appendix A for a
complete account.
The major challenges facing the United States during Reconstruction are largely
still being settled today. Paramount among these challenges was the question of what to
do with newly emancipated African Americans, most of whom had only known
plantations life for generations. The sheer number of African Americans freed, 4 million,
speaks to the importance of the reconstruction era(Pressley 1989). The second challenge
dealt with how to rebuild a southern economy that relied heavily on slave-produced
tobacco, that had a devastated infrastructure as a result of the Total War policy of the
North, and that had been emotional rent asunder by the emotional ravages of the civil
war. Perhaps the biggest challenge facing Reconstruction Virginia was not a concrete
challenge, but rather the question of how to overcome centuries of abuse by one
population towards another and change a cycle of violence between whites and African
Americans that had persisted since America’s inception. The bringing together of
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fractious groups was the real challenge behind reconstruction. The divide between North
and South, white and black, and have and have-nots continues to this day, remaining as
the subtext for many controversial debates, both political and economic that color
televisions, newspapers, and computers nationwide. Unite the divided, mend the broken,
heal the wounded, cure the sick, bury the dead with the past and move on but never
forget. This was the mandate of reconstruction in both Virginia and the United States.
This mandate continues today.
Key Ideas and Events
After the death of Abraham Lincoln, Vice President Andrew Johnson assumed the
role of commander in chief. Johnson’s actions as president had the largest impact on
reconstruction policy (Simpson, 1998). The political climate characterized by President
Johnson’s near impeachment illustrates the deeply divided and highly regionalized
politics of the United States that persisted until the Nixon administration. Johnson was
also the first of a string of weak executives that continued until the Theodore Roosevelt
administration. During the Johnson and subsequent Grant administration however, there
were a number of positive changes to the constitution that protect the rights of African
Americans to this day. The fourteenth and fifteenth amendments respectively marked
large steps in incorporating emancipated slaves into the body politic. Among the
remaining questions, however, was how to let the former rebel states back into the union.
During reconstruction the secessionist states were grandfathered back into the
Union first as military districts, and then as states again. The southern states were
separated into five military districts each of which was subject to martial law. The
advantage of this was that the military governors could, in theory, police the south and
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force the people to adhere new laws such as the fourteenth and fifteenth amendment,
passed respectively in 1866 and 1870. The fourteenth amendment protected for the
welfare of United States citizens regardless of race while the fifteenth amendment
guaranteed African American men the right to vote(Dickerson, 2003). The
enfranchisement of the black male population, however, did not necessarily mean
harmonious relations between different groups in the south.
In order to deal with the large number of recently liberated African Americans,
President Abraham Lincoln established the Freedman’s Bureau. This department’s basic
function was to oversee the basic needs and wellbeing of recently emancipated slaves. As
Stephen Budiansky points out, however, the Freedman’s Bureau did not always function
as intended. Many white overseers and officials could be indifferent, aloof, and in some
cases violent towards the very freed man they were charged to protect (Budiansky, 2008).
The inability to adequately enforce government laws and policies regarding African
Americans saw the proliferation of inequalities that, according to the constitution, should
not exist. This inefficacy in part led to the monstrous Jim Crow era and later the
redeeming civil rights movement of the 1960’s in order to enforce and in come cases
change the laws on the books. What has proven more difficult however is changing the
minds people. Much of the ignorance and economic equalities between different racial
groups persists still today.
With the inefficacy of so many policies during the reconstruction era, one may
wonder how and when this tumultuous era in our nations history ended. The answer is
that a political deal was struck between northern republicans and southern democrats that
reinforced the political boundaries between the democratic southern and the republican
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north as well as ended the period of federal occupation of the south that characterized
reconstruction. The election of 1876 saw a close presidential race between Republican
candidate Samuel J. Tilden and Democratic opponent Rutherford B. Hayes. The race was
so close that militias in different tightly contested states claimed candidates as winners in
the same areas. The country appeared on the brink of a relapse back in civil war. The
solution was that the Republican Hayes would become president in exchange for the
federal troops being pulled out of the south, officially marking the end of reconstruction.
Without federal troops to enforce the new laws on the books to protect African
Americans, the south ushered in an era of intimidation and de-facto slavery known as the
Jim Crow south. This political bargain also solidified the geo-political boundaries
between the two parties that existed until the Nixon campaign of 1968.
Men, Women, and Children
The events of this era had a profound effect on families, individuals and common
citizens. The decisions to enfranchise black voters angered many whites, causing large
amounts of violence perpetrated in the name of white supremacy. Though history often
focuses on the legislators or the people with power surrounding an event, legislation is
passed based on perceived needs and the will of the people. When the fourteenth
amendment was added to the constitution its ultimate power was not to enfranchise a
group who would act collectively, but a rather a large number of individuals free to act
independently. There is also traditionally a lack of focus on Native Americans during this
time period. During the period of reconstruction, there were many western campaigns to
eradicate and subdue the different Native American groups that lived in the middle of the
nation. The last year of reconstruction, 1876, for example Colonel George A. Custer
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clashed with Lakota, Arapahoe, and Cheyenne tribes led by Sitting Bull. The period of
reconstruction parallels the “Indian Wars” of the American West.
Many women and children, particularly in the American south, felt the hardship
of the reconstruction. There were over 600,000 casualties during the civil war, many of
whom were providers to wives and children. With so many traditional bread winners
gone from southern life, many families had to find ways to manage in the post civil war
era.
Legacy
The name “Reconstruction” aptly identifies the accomplishments of the time
between 1865 and 1877. Railroads were rebuilt, people made new homes, and Virginia
and America moved forward. Unfortunately, the Reconstruction era did just what it
implies; rebuilt the physical. The emotional, political and economic implications of the
civil war could not be undone in 12 short years. This era began with the first
assassination of a United States president, it continues with the first ever impeachment
process taking place, and it ended with perhaps the most corrupt presidential election in
our history. Each of these events as well as the extending of the franchise to African
Americans marks a turning point in American history in its way. There was no
precedence for many of the problems the nations faced during reconstruction, making
perhaps the largest legacy of this time period the American ability to evolve with the
times. Though the nation may not respond right away, the Reconstruction shows that out
nation can be forward thinking, plan for future generations, and endure untold difficulties
for its beliefs.
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References
Budiansky, S. (2008). The bloody Shirt. New York, New York: Viking
Dickerson, D. L. (2003). The Reconstruction era: Primary documents on events from
1865 to 1877. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press.
Pressly, T., J. (1989). The Reconstruction Era. OAH Magazines of History, 4, 14-33.
Simpson, B. D. (1998). The reconstruction presidents. Kansas City, Kansas: United
Kansas Press.
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Appendix A
VS.8a Terms to know: identifying the effects of Reconstruction on life in Virginia
Reconstruction: The period following the Civil War in which Congress passed laws
designed to help rebuild the country and bring the southern states back into the Union
Problems faced by Virginians during Reconstruction:
Millions of freed African Americans needed housing, education, clothing, food, and jobs.
Virginia’s economy was in ruins
Measures taken to resolve problems
The Freedmen’s Bureau was a government agency that provided food, schools, an
medical care for freed African Americans and others in Virginia
VS.8b: The student will demonstrate knowledge of the reconstruction of Virginia
following the Civil War by identifying the effects of reconstruction on Virginia
After Reconstruction, these gains were lost when “Jim Crow” laws were passed by
southern states. “Jim Crow” laws legally established segregation, or separation of the
races, and reinforced prejudices held by whites.
VS8.c: Virginia began to grow in many ways after the Civil War and Reconstruction
Railroads were a key to the expansion of business, agriculture, and industry. They
facilitated the growth of small towns into cities.
VS.1e: Essential skills:
Make connections between past and present.
VS.1f:Essential skills:
Sequence events in Virginia history
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Alexander Hendrix
Reconstruction Map and Globe Skills Lesson
Audience: Fourth grade students at Williamsburg’s D.J. Montague
Standards
VS.1 f) sequence events in Virginia history
VS. 1 i) analyze and interpret maps to explain relationships among landforms, water
features, climatic characteristics, and historical events.
VS.8 a) identifying the effects of Reconstruction on life in Virginia;
Materials/Space Time:
This activity will be completed in the classroom at D.J. Montague and would
require no more space than a small classroom. It is, however, crucial for the execution of
this lesson that the teacher have access to either a document camera, which is preferred,
or a transparency projector. The transparency projector would require transference. of the
worksheets and maps onto transparency. Other materials will include scissors, colored
pencil or crayons, and glue sticks.
This activity should not take more than one hour with a contingency plan if the
students run out of time for the last activity(see independent practice).
Lesson description
Anticipatory Set
shows students a map of the United States that has the dates that each southern
State was officially re-admitted to the United States. This map should also include the
five military districts. The students will not be told what the dates represents or what the
five military districts are. Ask the students what the dates might stand for as well as why
the South is divided up into five parts. The one piece of information you can give
students is that the map is from Reconstruction.
Objective and Purpose
Given a map of the reconstruction United States, students must be able to A)
separate the Northern states from the Southern states, B) draw the five military districts
of the South during reconstruction C) write down the dates that each southern state was
admitted and D) identify Virginia on the map as well as which military district Virginia
was a part of during reconstruction. E) By inferring and answering these requirements
from the maps given, students will demonstrate an ability to interpret meaningful
information from maps.
Input/modeling
The teacher will explain 4 main points of the map as they relate the importance of
the reconstruction era. This will be done through handing out a passage that summarizes
the main points of reconstruction for them. They will be directed to glue this passage into
their interactive social studies notebook. The teacher will read this passage aloud for the
students and direct them to highlight the important points. The passage will include A) a
brief explanation of the 5 military districts, B) the requirements for each state to be
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readmitted into the United States, C) that Virginia was re-admitted in 1870 and was its
own military district, and that D) despite the protection of Northern soldiers many former
slaves were still terrible mistreated. The passage will read as follows but will be
formatted to double spacing and slightly larger font. See Appendix C for the actual
document to be used. This part of the lesson will sound like:
“I need everyone’s listening eyes up here please. I need a volunteer to read part of
this passage for me and I will tell you to stop and highlight the main ideas. Ready?
Alright go ahead.” (picks a volunteer and student begins to read. Student reading is
presented in italics)
‘In 1867 after the civil war, President Andrew Johnson established 5 military districts to
oversee the states that had rebelled. These districts existed in order to re-establish order
and help rebuild in the states that had seceded.’
“Stop please. So who established military districts after the civil war? Andrew
Johnson. How many were there and what was there purpose? They were made to oversee
the states that rebelled. Now lets look at our map. Can anyone point out the five military
districts to me? I need a new volunteer.”
‘A military commander was appointed to govern each district. The military
districts were also in charge of overseeing the Southern states re-admittance into the
union. In order to be re-admitted, the states had to write a new Constitution that
respected the new rights of African Americans.’
“What did the southern states have to do to be re-admitted into the U.S.? What did
the Constitutions have to say, have to protect?”
“Virginia was its own district and was readmitted in 1870. Despite the protection
of Northern soldiers and a new Virginia constitution, many African Americans were
mistreated and even intimidated out of voting.”
“Which state was its own military district? Did former slaves and African
Americans live happily ever after during reconstruction? Who wants to finish it out?”
‘On the map of the Reconstruction United States, the different colors represent
the different military districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. The numbers in the map represent when
each state was re-admitted into the United States. Military district one was only Virginia,
Military District 2 was North and South Carolina, District 3 was Georgia, Alabama and
Florida, District 4 was Mississippi and Arkansas, and District 5 was Louisiana and
Texas.’
“What do the numbers on the map represent? What do the different colors on the
map represent?
Check for understanding
The teacher will ask students questions that involve basic map interpretation skills
from the map from the anticipatory set. For example:
“Which state was the first to be re-admitted into the United States? Which States
were in Military District 3? Which state was the Southern most state in the confederacy.”
The guided practice section will also have a level of checking for understanding.
Guided practice
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The teacher will have a sort on the document camera with the names of the
different southern states from reconstruction. Students will have to first A) color in the
state based on the military district it was part of, and B) place each state correctly under
the year that it was re-admitted into the United States. The teacher will complete this sort
with the students on the document camera based on students answers while intermittently
giving them time to work independently it only to return to this document camera under
her supervision. This will also serve as a good check for understanding This section of
the lesson will sound as follows:
“Which military district was South Carolina a part of? District 2. So what color
would I color it? Blue. Now the next part…According to our map up on the screen, what
year was South Carolina allowed back into the United States? How about that state that
was its own district? Which state was that? Virginia, and it will be purple. Using this
map finish it up, if you have any question raise your hands, we will go over this in 10
minutes”
Independent practice
The student will be asked to finish the sort of the southern states if not already
complete. Additionally, a map without state names but with military districts and dates
will be given to students. Students will be asked to draw on and 1)label the five military
districts, 2) label the southern states, 3) label the Atlantic ocean 4) write the dates that
each state was allowed re-admittance, and 5) complete this map in quiet, and neat
manner. If students do not finish in the allotted time, the maps will be finished later and
placed in the students’ WIP(work in progress) folders.
Evaluation
Formative: The teacher will ask questions throughout that involve garnering
historical facts through effective interpretation of the map from the anticipatory set.
These questions will include, “Which states were the last to be admitted, which states
were part of military district 5, and which state was its own military district?”
Summative: The map and word sorts will be used as forms of summative
evaluations at the terminus of the assignment.
Background Information/content
Part 1:
Background information for part one was given in the section that gets glued into
the student’s interactive notebooks.
Part 2:
It is important that students realize that the colors, lines, and dates on a map can
tell them important facts about that happened in our Nation’s history. Students must be
aware that maps can be an easily read and efficient way to present fairly complicated
information about geographic regions and how these regions related to history. That is
done in this lesson through the transposing of dates and colors onto geographic regions
that together represent important events in our past.
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Resources
1. Hakim, J.(2005). US history: Reconstructing America 1865-1890. New York. Oxford
University Press.
2. United States History: Civil war to present(2011). Austin, Texas. Holt McDougal
*The rest of the resources used for this lesson were generated by Alexander Hendrix
through maps and information pulled from the above two source
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Appendix A: Military Districts Sort
Name:___________________ Number:_______
Military Districts Sort
1. Color in each state’s name according to the military district it
was a part of
Key: -District 1: Purple -District 2: Green -District 3: Red
District 4: Blue District 5: Orange
2. Cut out each state name and paste them with the year it was readmitted into the United States.
1866
1868
1870
Virginia
Florida
Mississippi
Alabama
Arkansas
Georgia
Texas
Louisiana
North Carolina
South Carolina
Tennessee
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Appendix B: Passage for Interactive Notebook
Re-admittance and The Five Military Districts
In 1867 after the civil war, President Andrew Johnson established 5
military districts to oversee the states that had rebelled, These districts existed
in order to re-establish order and help rebuild in the states that had seceded. A
military commander was appointed to govern each district. The military districts
were also in charge of overseeing the Southern states re-admittance into the
union. In order to be re-admitted, the states had to write a new Constitution that
respected the rights of African Americans. Virginia was its own district and
was readmitted in 1870. Despite the protection of Northern soldiers and a new
Virginia constitution, many African Americans were mistreated and even
intimidated out of voting.
On the map of the Reconstruction United States, the different colors
represent the different military districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5. The numbers in the map
represent when each state was re-admitted into the United States. Military
district one was only Virginia, Military District 2 was North and South Carolina,
District 3 was Georgia, Alabama and Florida, District 4 was Mississippi and
Arkansas, and District 5 was Louisiana and Texas.
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Appendix C: Blank reconstruction Map for Independent Practice
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
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Appendix D: Map for Anticipatory Set
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
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Preparer: Alexander Hendrix
Arts Lesson 2: Thomas Nast and Reconstruction Politics
Context: Primary (Grade 4)
Time: 1 hour Space: Whole Group
Standards/Objectives
Fine Arts Virginia Standards of Learning: 4.17 The student will interpret works of art
for multiple meanings.
Objectives:
1. Given a political cartoon, students will identify how the artist feels about the
figures in his cartoon and back up this point with evidence from the cartoon
2. Given a political cartoon from the reconstruction era, the student will be able to
identify the historical figures present using context clues from the cartoon.
3. Given different historical situations that occurred during reconstruction, the
students will draw their own political cartoon characterizing his or her chosen
event.
Resources:
Nast, T. (1865). Cartoon Corner: Uncle Abe’s Valentine. Retrieved from:
http://www.abrahamlincolnsclassroom.org/img/319.gif
Nast, T. (1868). Cartoons: Johnson’s Candidacy. Retrieved from:
http://elections.harpweek.com/1868/cartoon-1868-large.asp?UniqueID=11
Nast, T. (1865). What I know about Greeley. Retrieved from:
http://elections.harpweek.com/1872/cartoons/KnowOfHG12w.jpg
Nast, T. (1865) Franchise? And not this man? Retrieved from:
http://tbot.umwblogs.org/files/2009/04/ase.jpeg
Content and Instructional Strategies
Introduction:
Explain that a political cartoon’s purpose is to show a particular viewpoint
regarding current events in a way that is both informative and entertaining. Explain that
we can learn things about the past by looking at the cartoons created during a particular
time period. Place the political cartoon “Uncle Abe’s Valentine” on the overhead. Ask
students about who the figure in the drawing is(objective). Ask students about what else
they see in the drawing(interpretive) and what their observations may tell them about
when the cartoon was made(objective). Additionally, ask students to consider how the
author feels about the people or events in his cartoon.(Reflective).
Content Focus
Explain to students that the political cartoon is called “Uncle Abe’s Valentine”
and was made after his death. Explain that the document falling out of the envelope is the
Thirteenth Amendment that finally abolished slavery and that the chains falling out of the
envelope also drive this point home. Freedom for slaves was a goal that President Lincoln
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never lived to see, thus making the point of the political cartoon to show that Lincoln’s
efforts were vindicated, though he did not get to see them. The author could be
understood to be sad or regretful that President Lincoln never lived to see his goal.
Next, tell the students that in groups of three, they will all interpret three different
historical political cartoons that illustrate events they had studied regarding
reconstruction. Split students into groups and ask them to write down, who the people in
their groups political cartoon are, surrounding which events do the students think the
political cartoon was made, and what evidence from the political cartoons lead them to
believe these things about the cartoon(interpretive). Students will also be asked to
consider how the author feels about the particular event or people he decided to
depict(reflective).
Direct students to finish with their group’s thoughts and to write down their
answers to the aforementioned questions. Ask students to share who is in the cartoon,
around what event or when the cartoon was drawn and how the author felt about the
events. Students will also be asked how they knew or what clues were available to the
cartoon itself the lead them to their answers. Project each group’s image on the document
camera while the group presents in order to put the discussion in context. Some groups
may have had the same image.
Closure:
Explain each groups picture, making sure to give only praise for the details that
the group noticed. Do, however, point out the details that a group missed, but do so in a
way that does not discourage the students. Given the full story behind each of the
political cartoons from the Reconstruction Era, ask students why the artist made certain
artistic decisions about how he chose to portray the people in the cartoons. For example,
ask if certain people are portrayed favorably or unfavorably and how the artist conveyed
that feeling for the observer (Decisional)
Students will then, individually, construct their own “political” cartoon,
portraying how they felt about a certain event during reconstruction. If students struggle
to come up with an event or figure from history, provide a brainstormed list on the board.
Students will then write one sentence on the back of her political cartoons explaining one
artistic choice they made and what they choice was meant to tell about the subject he or
she chose(decisional).
Assessment
Formative: Students demonstrate their understanding of interpreting political cartoons
through their short presentations on their group’s political cartoon.
Summative: Evaluate students’ understanding of how to portray events through a
consistency or lack there of between their cartoon and the sentence explaining part of
their cartoon.
Background Information
The Reconstruction Era saw the coming of age of one of the most prolific political
cartoonists in American History. Thomas Nast had the unique ability to explain and
untangle complicated political concepts and the issues of the day through drawings and
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cartoons that always for their point across. His works, in themselves, can be sued as a
lens to explain and understand American history from the civil war to the Gilded Age. By
engaging four of Nast’s works, students not only get a chance to explore artistic decisions
and representations, but also a unique perspective on United States history.
Multiple Choice Question Assessment
Which of the following is NOT the purpose of a political cartoon?
A. To show a particular point of view
B. To inform
C. To entertain
D. To present both sides of an issue
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Uncle Abe’s Valentine(1865) by Thomas Nast
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
20
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
What I Know of Horace Greeley (1868) [Image used in class will be larger]
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QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Franchise, and Not This Man?(1865) By Thomas Nast
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QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Johnson’s Candidacy (1868) by Thomas Nast
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Lesson #3- Reconstruction through the president’s eyes: Andrew Johnson
Audience: 4th Grade
Lesson Preparer: Alexander Hendrix
Standards:
History
VS.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis and
responsible citizenship, including the ability to h) evaluate and discuss issues
orally and in writing
VS.8 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the reconstruction of Virginia
following the Civil War by a) identifying the effects of Reconstruction on life in
Virginia
Objective: 1) Given a question and answer session with the teacher dressed as Andrew
Johnson, students will synthesize the life events of Andrew Johnson into a graphic
organizer with the categories education, politics, and civil rights. 2) After instructional
input, students will write a conclusion connecting the life events of Andrew Johnson as
described in the question and answer session to prominent events in reconstruction.
Resources:
1. (1875). Andrew Johnson dead. New York Times., 1.
2. Andrew Johnson. Retrieved from
http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/andrewjohnson
Materials/Space Time
Graphic organizer for students with directions, student interactive notebooks or loose-leaf
paper, teacher costume that includes a suit, a period tie, and hair dye. Whole group time:
30-40 minutes, Individual writing time: 20-30 minutes. Extensions(sharing): ten
minutes(if necessary)
Lesson Description
Introduction: Explain that the students are having a visitor, and that the whole class, in
groups 3-4, will get to sit down with the guest and ask him questions about his life and
when he lived. Explain that all students in groups of 3-4 will have the opportunity to
interview the guest. Additionally, explain that all students are to fill out the graphic
organizer during every group’s interview, placing each event from the guest’s life in the
appropriate column; education, politics, civil rights. Tell students to close their eyes
while you “retrieve the guest” and put on costume quickly. Introduce yourself as the
guest, Andrew Johnson.
Content focus: Begin the interview by selecting 3 or 4 volunteers as the first group to ask
you questions. Foster an informal setting, asking them how they are, they’re names, and
offering them snacks if you brought some. Draw a timeline where appropriate during
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interview to illustrate sequences of events. Repeat this process until all groups in the
room have had a chance to interview, making sure to check, while still in character, that
students are filling out their graphic organizers. Keep the time each group has for the
interview to between five and ten minutes.
Closure: Bid farewell to the students as Andrew Johnson and remove the costume to
become yourself again. Ask students who the guest was, what questions did they ask him,
and how did they fill out the graphic organizers. Ask for examples. Next, tell students to
write a summary of all of the information they learned about their guest and be sure that
they connect their new knowledge to previous knowledge of Reconstruction events.
When students leave, they will be given an exit card with a multiple-choice question to be
used a s form of assessment by the teacher.
Assessment:
Formative: Observe student inquiry during the interview session in regards to the
complexity of questions asked.
Summative: Collect both the graphic organizers and the student writing to gauge
the amount of information students recorded as well as their ability to connect that
information to previous knowledge regarding reconstruction. The multiple choice
question will also serve as a form of assessment.
Content/Background Information: For this instructional strategy, it is of the utmost
important for the teacher to have extensive background knowledge of the figure they are
impersonating. In the case of Andrew Johnson, know particular details of his early life,
how he came to become vice president, offices held prior to the vice presidency, and
educational background. This is all basic encyclopedic and biographical information that
can be obtained from a myriad of sources(see “resources” for a list). It as of particular
importance, however, to know the details of Andrew Jackson’s role after the death of
Abraham Lincoln as well as during the Reconstruction era. The following is a brief
summary of important facts gleaned from both the Whitehouse website as well as the
New York Times obituary of Andrew Johnson.
Andrew Johnson was born in North Carolina in the year 1808. Coming from a poor
family, he received little education growing up. Johnson’s father died when the he was
young, and Johnson was soon apprenticed to a tailor. Despite his commitment to be
apprenticed, he left this engagement before completing his obligation was fulfilled,
working at a court house instead. In 1826, Johnson moved to Tennessee. While in
Tennessee, John became a prominent stump speaker and eventually a senator. For the
Election of 1864, Johnson replaced President Lincoln’s running mate, Hannibal Hamlin,
and served as Lincoln’s vice president until his assassination, after which he became
president. Johnson is one of the few incumbent presidents not be endorsed for a second
term by his party, having presided over a presidency full of scandal and impeachment.
During his presidency however, many confederate states rejoined the union and the
fourteenth and thirteenth amendments were passed, helping to guarantee African
American rights in the constitution.
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Multiple Choice Question:
Which of the following is not true about former Preseident Andrew Johnson
a) He was President Lincoln’s Vice President during both of his terms
b) He only served one term
c) He grew up in a wealthy family
d) Before he was Vice President, he was a Senator
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President Andrew Johnson
Politics
Notes:
Education
Notes:
Civil Rights
Notes:
27
Alex Hendrix
Inquiry: Lesson 4
Purpose: Students will understand through conducting research that the Reconstruction
Era in the United States saw many legal protections for African Americans and newly
freed slaves. Students will also understand through conducting research, however, that
there was a disconnect between these legal protections and the actual treatment of
African Americans and newly freed slaves.
Grade Level/Time/Space: 4th; 1-hour lessons whole group (about 20
students)/individual about 40 minutes
Standards: VS.8 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the reconstruction of
Virginia following the Civil War by a) identifying the effects of Reconstruction on life in
Virginia; b) identifying the effects of segregation and “Jim Crow” on life in Virginia for
whites, African Americans, and American Indians.
Objectives:
1. Given background information about treatment of African Americans and civil rights
during Reconstruction, students will conduct research to answer self-synthesized
questions about the era.
2. Students will organize their research with a graphic organizer consisting of the
categories “Laws,” “Viewpoints of Political Figures” “Answers my Question (different
for each student,” “Viewpoints of individual African Americans,” and “further questions”
3. Students will orally present this organizer to the class
Resources:
Reconstructing America by Joy Hakim; Encyclopedia Smithsonian website found at
http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia/Search/Kids%20Favorites, The cartoon, The
Georgetown Election, by Thomas Nast. The student graphic organize will be created as a
group in class. Letter from Rachel Haley to the Freedman’s Bureau.
Procedure:
Introduction: Read aloud to students the letter from the Rachel Haney to the Freedman’s
Bureau inquiring as to the location of her husband and son who were contracted out for
work by the Freedman’s Bureau. Explain that Bureau provided many services for newly
freed slaves, among which was helping for them to find work. Tell students to work in
groups and discuss how they feel about the letter they just read, and what it must have
been like to work in the Freedman’s Bureau as well as be reliant on it. Discuss as a class
and then have student independently generate a research questions regarding the life of
African Americans during the Reconstruction era. Create a graphic organizer with
students to help guide their research. The many different categories of the graphic
organizer are designed to require students to research the larger, macro factors
surrounding their question such as the political climate.
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Content Focus: Students will research their question and organize the information they
have found using the graphic organizer created together. Be available for questions
pertaining to where certain information fits in on the graphic organizer, being prepared to
create new categories to reflect the scope and depth of individual student research. Work
with students to help generate ideas for new categories if necessary.
Closure: Have students present findings for their research through presenting the unique
information they found in the different parts of the graphic organizer. Have students
present the research they have found pertinent to their question and the conclusion that
this made them arrive at. Be sure that each student has generated a question for further
research as required on the graphic organizer.
Evaluation and Assessment:
Formative: Student engagement and level of focus during both individual research and
group discussion.
Summative: Students will answer the following essay question:
Describe three challenges facing newly freed slaves during the Reconstruction Era and
how each effected life for African Americans(4 points) Name 3 factors that undermined
either the Thirteenth Amendment or the Freedmen’s Bureau. during Reconstruction?(4
points)
Background Information:
The terminus of the Civil War saw American enter a brave new world in terms in
a number of different ways. Two of the most profound areas with which American would
struggle in the coming era were legally and socially. The United States had passed some
of the most revolutionary legislation regarding equality of race and the protection of
equal rights for all men. Socially however, many people, particularly in the
reconstruction south, were far from ready to accept the new social norms that were being
forced upon them by the rule of law and even the constitution. Life for African
Americans was all but certain during the Reconstruction years and it is an important topic
for students to research to understand both the scope and depth African American
individual’s experiences during the earliest days of nominal equality in our newly recleaved together nation.
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Bibliography
1. Haney, R. (1867). Letter to the Freedman’s Bureau. Alexandria, Virginia. Retrieved
from http://myancestorsname.blogspot.com/2011/06/from-virginia-to-arkansasand-back-to.html
2. Nast, T. (1867). The Georgetown Election. Retrieved from
http://gloverparkhistory.com/population/work/the-georgetown-market-war-2/
3. The Smithsonian Institute. (4/10/2012). Encyclopedia Smithsonian: Kid’s favorites.
Retrieved from, http://myancestorsname.blogspot.com/2011/06/from-virginia-toarkansas-and-back-to.html
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Appendix A
Letter Transcript; for actual letter see below
Alexander Va.
August 16th, 1867
Col. S. P. Lee
Sub. Asst. Commr.
Alexander Virginia
Sir,
I have the honor to apply to you to assist me in procuring my two sons Lewis
Haney age 13 yrs, and Joshua Haney aged 16 yrs who are now in the vicinity
of Helena Arkansas.
With their father Joshua Haney, they made a , 1866 contract April 16th in your
office to work for one year with the firm of Van Belk, & Co., of Helena
Arkansas. They remained with Van Belk & Co. until their year expired and
were discharged. After this they were employed by Mr. Briant Lynch of St.
Francis Co. Ark until the 27th of July last when the father (my husband) died
after an illness of nine days. The boys are now without any one to care for
them and on account of their age I am anxious to have them under my care
and protection and for that purpose I apply to you for aid, praying that you
will have them returned to me through the agencies of the Freedman's Bureau.
Respectfully yours,
Rachel (her X mark) Haney
Witness Geo. H. Smith
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QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and a
decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
32
Appendix A: Virginia Standards of Learning Addressed in this Unit
VS.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis and
responsible citizenship, including the ability to h) evaluate and discuss issues
orally and in writing
VS.1 f) sequence events in Virginia history
VS. 1 i) analyze and interpret maps to explain relationships among landforms, water
features, climatic characteristics, and historical events.
VS.8 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the reconstruction of Virginia following
the Civil War by a) identifying the effects of Reconstruction on life in Virginia;
b) identifying the effects of segregation and “Jim Crow” on life in Virginia for
whites, African Americans, and American Indians.
Virginia fine arts standard:
4.17 The student will interpret works of art for multiple meanings.
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No expenses, other than printing charges, were accrued during this unit.