Reconstruction: America's Unfinished

Revolution(1865-1877)

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Lincoln Assassinated!!!

• 3 days after the end of the war…now what?• Who will carry out his plan?• What effect will this have on the Nation?• Remember…on December 8, 1863, Lincoln issued

the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction, offering pardons to Confederates who take a loyalty oath.

• How will the “Reconstruction” phase be constructed now?

Readthis

handout

Diary of a Refugee, edited by Frances Fearn In the aftermath of the Civil War, Americans -- black and white, in the North and South -- began the process of reshaping the nation. The biggest change for southerners was emancipation. For many former slaveowners, the prospect of freed men and women was confusing and frightening. Some reacted with rage, others with compassion and concern. The attached document is an excerpt from Diary of a Refugee, edited by Frances Fearn. It is the diary of Fearn's mother, a white southern slaveholding woman, recounting her experiences during and after the Civil War. In this segment, she considers emancipation and the effect it will have on her former slaves. She writes, "I wish that they could have been in some way educated or prepared for freedom, before it was so suddenly thrust upon them."

“Then the emancipation of the slaves. How is that going to be dealt with? We who know them, and have learned to love them and care for them since we were children, cannot foresee what their freedom will bring to them. While I rejoice that they have it, I pity them, for they are in no way prepared for it. I cannot help but fear terrible conditions for those who will have to depend upon negro labor for the cultivation of their fields. I have faith in the older ones taking it sensibly, and remaining in most cases faithful in their allegiance to their owners, from force of habit as well as sentiment, for they have a strong sense of attachment; it is the younger generation that will be demoralized and corrupted by it. If the suggestion made during the War by some of the largest slave-owners in the South had been accepted, and adopted, it would have been better. These wise men were in favor of arming the negroes, putting them in the Southern army, and at the same time giving them their freedom. If it could have been done it might have changed the conditions of the war, for I have not the slightest doubt but that they would have fought bravely under the command of their masters; not in a single instance have I heard of their failing to do so, when they have been in a battle with their young masters. Often have they been known to run great risks, and shown great bravery in their efforts to save their masters when they have been wounded on the battlefield. I wish that they could have been in some way educated or prepared for freedom, before it was so suddenly thrust upon them. The North has assumed a tremendous responsibility; I hope that they will prove themselves equal to it, and treat this race of people with a firm, just, and discriminating policy; otherwise they will become an evil and menace to the welfare of the country. I cannot help but wonder what our slaves will do when told that they are free. I am sure that they will all want to go back to the plantation, for they hate Texas and long to return to the sugar-cane and warmth of Louisiana. James has written to the overseer to give them the necessary money to take them back if they wish to go.”

- Frances Fearn

Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1865-1877

Essential Question: How was the nation’s commitment to its founding ideals tested during Reconstruction?Visual Discovery Activity: Students gather facts to help them interpret seven political cartoons to understand the issues and events of the Reconstruction period to further enhance that knowledge.Standard 4.05: Analyze the political, economic, and social impact of Reconstruction on the state and identify the reasons why Reconstruction came to an end.

OverviewThe Reconstruction period from 1865 to 1877 continued the hostilities between the North and South. President Andrew Johnson, who became President after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, and others wanted to “reconcile their differences” and reunite the Union. However, Radical Republicans in Congress wanted to punish the South for seceding from the Union. These two factions argued over Reconstruction policies and created further problems between the North and South. Racism in the South also prevented the newly freed slaves from achieving equality in the political, economic, and social arenas of American life.

Reconstruction Facts

• Reconstruction policies were harsh and created problems in the South.

• Reconstruction attempted to give meaning to the freedom that former slaves had achieved.

• The Reconstruction phase lasted 12 years, from 1865-1877.– See timeline (next slide)

Reconstruction Timeline: 1865-1877

http://www.classzone.com/cz/books/north_carolina_08/resources/html/animations/nc16_anim_somilitary.html

Class Activity

• Political cartoons are important in conveying various political ideas and perspectives of a specific historical time period.

• With this in mind, you will interpret seven political cartoons to help understand the issues and events of the Reconstruction period.

Instructions

• Please write answers to the following questions for each image:

1. What does each image represent?2. What symbols are used?3. What messages/issues convey the overall

perception of Reconstruction?

Post-Viewing Discussion

1. What do these political cartoons represent?2. What reoccurring “theme” did you notice?3. Do these political cartoons convey the overall

perception of Reconstruction as positive or negative? Explain.

After four bloody years of civil war, North and South would continue to fight over the meaning of freedom, the meaning of citizenship, and the survival of the nation itself. Reconstruction brings to life this turbulent and complex period and shows how, in just a few years, a series of stunning events -- the Emancipation Proclamation, the Fourteenth Amendment granting ex-slaves citizenship in 1868, the enfranchisement of blacks the following year -- reversed centuries-old patterns of race relations in America. People who for generations had been the property of others were now free to run their own lives.

The whole Southern world was turned upside down. And yet, despite these challenges and terrible racial violence in this period, so much was accomplished. Reconstruction brought public schools to the South for the first time. Black Southerners were elected to local and national offices. And the nation committed itself to equality under the law for all Americans, regardless of race, by passing the Fourteenth Amendment. Reconstruction laid the groundwork for the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 60s, and the foundation for the American society we live in today.