Unit 8-Freedom & Reconstruction (1865-1877) |
Big Ideas
Organizing Principle
- The Civil War effectively determined the nature of the Union, the economic direction of the United States, and political control of the country.
Essential Questions
Students will consider...
- Should the Confederate South have been treated as a conquered nation or as rebellious states?
- “The North won the Civil War. The South won Reconstruction. '' To what extent is this a valid statement?
- To what extent did Reconstruction bring Southern African Americans the equality and freedom that slavery had denied them?
- In what ways is the United States still dealing with the legacies of Reconstruction?
Understandings
Students will understand how, why and/or to what extent...
- The power to govern in a democratic system is divided among different leaders and groups which, at times, are at odds with each other over how to best govern.
- An individual or group’s perceptions of themselves, their country, and their place within a society may be influenced by times of prosperity and crisis.
- A nation may agree on values and principles philosophically, but disagree on the practical political, social and economic application of those same values and principles.
- Nation-states may have difficulty overcoming the political, economic, social, and cultural challenges that result from war.
Knowledge
Students will know...
- How the different plans of Reconstruction hoped to address political, social, economic and cultural problems after the Civil War.
- How the conditions of Reconstruction impacted various groups politically, economically and socially
- The conditions which allowed tenancy and sharecropping to prevail in the South and their impacts after the Civil War.
- The potential impacts of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments for African Americans, as well as other Americans over time.
- How and why Reconstruction ended.
- Historical inquiry is the process of studying history that includes questioning, forming hypotheses, analyzing evidence, and creating arguments in order to test hypotheses of past events.
Skills
Students will be able to...
- Use Historical Comprehension to determine the historical context of the distribution of power between the state and federal governments.
- Use Historical Analysis and Interpretation to determine how American leaders, reformers and activists struggled to give greater meaning to the proposition that “all men are created equal”.
- Use Historical Analysis and Interpretation to evaluate the influence of Reconstruction on contemporary issues.
- Use Chronological Thinking to identify instances of change and continuity during Reconstruction (1865-1877).
- Use Historical Research to formulate historical questions in American history (1607-1877) as a result of encounters with historical documents.
- Use Historical Research to interpret historical data, construct reasoned arguments and draw conclusions using historical evidence on a specific topic in American history (1607-1877) collected from a variety of sources.
- Use Historical Research to create analytical essays that demonstrate historical interpretations, analysis, conclusions, and supporting evidence from a variety of sources on a specific topic in American history (1607-1877).