Reconstruction Era Following the Civil War

1. Reconstruction Era Following the Civil War

2. Essential Questions: • What were the effects of Reconstruction on African Americans? • What the impact did Reconstruction have on American democracy and the civil and political rights of African Americans. • What role did the Freedman’s Bureau play in Reconstruction?

3. 1865The Civil War had ended and slavery has been declared unconstitutional. Now the nation was faced with the huge task of “reconstructing” the South without slavery.Talk with your neighbor about how this change would impact the white population as well as the newly freed African American population.

4. Former slaves looking at a poster of the 13th amendment that freed the slaves in 1865 Talk with your neighbor about how these slaves were probably feeling at this moment.

5. Freed Slaves Celebrate the “Day of Jubilee” Let’s brainstorm together about what you think the “Day of Jubilee” was.

6. The “Day of Jubilee” comes from a slave spiritual that implies that slaves will only be free when they die. When the 13th Amendment officially freed slaves they called it “The Day of Jubilee.”

7. Pay close attention to these next slides as there will be a “little friendly competition” to see what you learn!

8. African Americans sought an education in freedom schools or schools they created in their churches. • African Americans Gained Many Rights During Reconstruction… Many African Americans did not migrate right away, but stayed in the South and built strong communities. Let’s recap these rights: Education Worship Communities They formed their own churches where they could worship freely.

9. African Americans could vote for the first time • More RightsAfrican Americans Gained During Reconstruction Let’s recap these new rights: Owned businesses Could vote Held public offices African Americans held public offices for the first time in history.

10. Time for a Little Friendly Competition! • Take some time in your group to see how many of these new rights for freedmen you can write down. • Work together and have one person write down your answers and be prepared to hold them up when I call time. • I’ll give you a 30 second warning before I call time. • We’ll go over all of the answers and see which team has the most correct!

11. However, with all of their rights, freed slaves also faced many restrictions. Freed slaves with no place to live and no work. What could have happened with this family since the “Day of Jubilee?”

12. During Reconstruction African Americans were promised land; but for the most part, that promise was not kept. Land was returned to the white landowners. Freedmen had no money and no jobs to earn money. So, instead of landowners who could earn their own money, they became sharecroppersfor white landowners.

13. Sharecropper Look at the word “sharecropper” Break it apart: share crop er Talk with your neighbor about what you think the word means.

14. Sharecroppers were freedmen and poor whites who worked for white landowners. The landowners let the freedmen and poor whites work their land, but the workers had to give a share of the crops back to the landowner. The sharecroppers got no pay for their work, so they could never save money to become independent of the white landowners. Read over that definition of sharecroppers until you can tell your neighbor in your own words what a sharecropper is.

15. Talk to your neighbor about what you’ve learned about sharecroppers. Be ready to share with the class if called on.

16. The Freedmen’s Bureau During the Civil War, the Federal Government set up an agency called the Freedmen’s Bureau. Even though it was called the “freedmen’s” bureau, its purpose was to help all people who needed help as a result of the war. The Freedmen’s Bureau • helped people find jobs (like sharecropping) • protected the freedmen • established schools for former slaves • provided food, clothing and medical help for the needy

17. Freed slaves line up at the Freedmen’s Bureau to get food, medical assistance or help finding jobs. *One of the most valuable contributions of the Freedmen’s Bureau was the establishment of over 1,000 schools during Reconstruction.

18. Freedmen’s Bureau An officer from the Freedmen’s Bureau keeping the peace between angry whites and former slaves. Freed slaves were further restricted by the many whites who were not happy with the new freedoms given them. These white men tried to keep the former slaves under their control. Another important job of the Freedmen’s Bureau was to protect the rights of newly freed slaves.

19. Who can tell us one of the contributions of the Freedmen’s Bureau? Which of those contributions was considered most valuable?

20. Ku Klux Klan • Unfortunately, the Freedmen’s Bureau could not protect the former slaves from groups such as The Ku Klux Klan, or KKK as it was often called. The KKK was made up of white men from all walks of life who were unhappy that slaves had been freed. It was a secret terrorist organization that threatened, harmed and killed former slaves and their families.

21. Positive Impact of Reconstruction on African Americans • During reconstruction, freed slaved gained many rights. Democracy was promised to slaves through the 13th amendment which granted them freedom, the 14th amendment which granted them citizenship, and by the 15th amendment which gave black men the right to vote. • The Freedmen’s Bureau helped the freedmen by providing food, clothing and medical assistance, schools, and protection.

22. Negative Impacts of Reconstruction on Freed Slaves • Because many whites did not accept the new rights of freed slaves, African Americans were still not able to gain independence and continued to have to rely on the white landowners for much. • Terrorist groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and others who were unwilling to accept the new rights and freedoms of former slaves threatened and harmed them long after they gained their freedom, citizenship, and right to vote.

23. “Reconstruction divided the nation much like slavery did before the Civil War.” Think about this quote. Talk with your neighbor and provide facts to support or deny it.

24. Let’s put it all together… How did Reconstruction give freed slaves rights they had never had before? How did Reconstruction create restrictions for the freed slaves? What positive role did white Americans play in Reconstruction? What negative role did white Americans play in Reconstruction?

25. “Footprints Activity” Tell where (North, West, or stay in the South) you would go if you were a freed slave. EXPLAIN (give at least three reasons) your motivations for choosing that location. Your explanation should be at least 5 sentences, and the final draft will go on your footprint.