The Reconstruction of the American South, Major Events from the Time Period in the Context of American History

Understanding the Context The Reconstruction Period in American history is sometimes overlooked, because it fails to hold up to the Civil War, for example, in terms of excitement and drama. However, the Reconstruction Period is critical to the overall meaning of the Civil War. Consider these two (2) goals of the Union for Civil War: 1. Forcing the secession states to acknowledge the supremacy of the national government. 2. The emancipation of enslaved African-Americans, and the end of slavery. Did the Union actually accomplish either of these goals?

The Activity. In two parts… First, consider all of the significant events which took place during the Reconstruction Period, from 1865 – For the purposes of this activity, we’ll choose twelve very important events. If would be possible to make a longer list or a shorter list, of course. Next, answer these two prompts. 1. Seventy-five (75) years after the Reconstruction came to an end, arrange these events in terms of their influence on American society between the years 1878 and Arrange the same twelve events in order of their significance today, in Of course, you will need to explain the differences. In order to do so, you’ll need to think about how Americans have changed since the Reconstruction, but also, how Americans have changed since 1954…

MAJOR EVENTS DURING THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE SOUTH Consider all of these major events from the Reconstruction Period. What happened? Why was it important?

A. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, April 1865 Abraham Lincoln was murdered when John Wilkes Booth shot him to death on Good Friday, He passed away the following morning, and his plans for Reconstruction died with him.

B. The 13 th Amendment was ratified. Not only was the 13 th Amendment ratified at the insistence of Abraham Lincoln, it was also made a requirement of re-entry to the Union that all former Confederate states ratify the document.

C. The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson was both a Southerner (from Tennessee) and a Democrat. Lincoln had put him on the ticket in 1864 as a symbol of his willingness to work with others and compromise. When Lincoln was killed, a Southerner and a Democrat took the Presidency.

D. Radical Republicans take control of Reconstruction. Thaddeus Stevens and Charles Sumner were two of the most outspoken “Radical” Republicans. Both men believed that African-Americans should have complete social and political equality – including voting rights. As a party, the Radical Republicans wanted: 1. To keep ex-Confederate officials out of power. 2. To make the Republican Party rulers of the South by recruiting African-Americans to vote for them. 3. To provide suffrage for African-Americans. The Radical Republicans plan for Reconstruction was very severe: 1. Force each of the ex-Confederate States to ratify the 13 th, 14 th, and 15 th Amendments. 2. Divide the South into five military regions, and occupy each region with Union soldiers and a military general. 3. Require new state constitutions which guaranteed voting rights. 4. Guaranteed voting rights for African-American men. 5. Allowed African Americans to hold office. 6. Established educational institutions for African-Americans.

E. The 14 th Amendment to the Constitution is ratified. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was made permanent by this amendment to the Constitution, which guaranteed citizenship rights for all natural born Americans.

F. The Election of African-American Senators and Representatives. Blanche K. Bruce Hiram Revels

G. The Role of the Freedman’s Bureau during the Reconstruction. Southern whites hated the Freedman’s Bureau, which helped to negotiate labor contracts, provided formerly enslaved African-Americans with food and resources, and helped to create public schools in the South for African-American children. They also attempted to procure abandoned land for former slaves.

H. The Ku Klux Klan was established. This violent hate group was established by ex-Confederate soldiers in order to intimidate and murder so called “carpetbaggers,” “Scalawags,” and African-Americans. While Ulysses S. Grant was President, laws were passed to arrest these men; most Southern juries wouldn’t convict white men for crimes against African-American victims.

I. Ulysses S. Grant was elected President. General Ulysses S. Grant became President Ulysses S. Grant after the Election of He was a true believer in the goals of the Union during the war. Southerners hated him, and Southern historians disparaged him as a corrupt, dishonest leader. He was not.

J. The Transcontinental Railroad was completed in Abraham Lincoln actually signed two major acts regarding the settlement of the West while he was President: The Homestead Act of 1862 and the Transcontinental Railroad Act. Ulysses S. Grant was President when the transcontinental railroad was completed.

K. The Compromise of 1877 ends the Reconstruction. In the Election of 1877, Republican Rutherford B. Hayes lost the popular vote to Samuel Tilden, a Democrat from New York. The basic agreement struck between the political parties was that Rutherford B. Hayes would ascend to the Presidency, but only with the conditions that – A. Union soldiers would be removed from the South. B. A Southerner would be appointed to Hayes Cabinet. C. A railroad would be built from New Orleans to the West. D. Federal money would be earmarked for the South in order to stimulate industry in the region.

L. The 15 th Amendment to the Constitution is ratified. The 15 th Amendment to the Constitution gave African-American men the right to vote in national elections. Women still could not vote. Frederick Douglass was a major advocate.

Task One Task One. The Legacy of the Reconstruction, Arrange these twelve events in order of importance between the years 1877 and Which events were most important in shaping American history? Which ones were ignored and forgotten? Be certain that you look up all of the events, and that you understand the significance and consequences of each event. Be able to explain why you have arranged the events in the particular order that you did.

Task Two Task Two. The Legacy of the Reconstruction in the Present. Starting in 1954, a wave of social change was generated in the United States by a handful of justices and brave Civil Rights leaders. In 1954, Thurgood Marshall successfully argued before the Supreme Court that segregated schools should be outlawed because they violated the Constitution. The case, Brown V. Board of Education, changed everything. By the 1960s, laws like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 had changed America – and Americans. Rearrange your lists to reflect the new realities of the world we live in. Which events from the Reconstruction have now been made more meaningful because of the way they have been embraced by the last several generations of Americans. Be certain that you look up all of the events, and can explain why they are important to Americans today. Be certain that you can explain why you have arranged the events in the order that you did for your second list, too!