MODULE 2: The Meaning of Freedom and the Reconstruction Era

Learning Objectives: At the end of this module, students will be able to:

Define primary, secondary, and tertiary sources.
Write about the differing reactions of former slaves to freedom.
Describe the varying methods the military and federal government used with respect to newly freed slaves during the war.
Analyze the role of the Freedman’s Bureau in former slaves’ movement to freedom.
Explain the realities of black life in the South during Reconstruction, including aspects of sharecropping and the development of churches and schools.
Outline the different plans for Reconstruction (Lincoln, Johnson, and Radical Republicans), as well as the South’s reaction to their plans.
Discuss black efforts to participate in politics and gain civil rights through the Republican Party and direct action tactics.
Discuss the reason why Constitutional Conventions were held in the South.
Demonstrate their understanding of the development of black political power during Reconstruction, showing the types of issues which concerned black leaders, as well as the results of their attempts to change America.
Identify the origins, and effects of the Fifteenth Amendment, the Enforcement Acts, and the Civil Rights Act of 1875.
Discuss the ending of Reconstruction, showing the lack of interest in the North for blacks, as well as political developments in the Compromise of 1877.

Required Reading: Hine, et. al., Chapters 12 and 13

Supplementary Readings/Materials: Side Presentation: “Reconstruction Overview.”

Assignment:
Based on the reading of Chapters 12 and 13 and the viewing of the slide on Reconstruction, write a brief history essay describing the circumstances and challenges of freed Black people from the institution of American slavery and the climate of southern politics.

Assessment/Rubric:

All essays, in addition to specific criteria for a given assignment, will be evaluated according to the following rubric ↓.