Jeffrey Rosen of the National Constitution Center in conversation with Walter Isaacson of the Aspen Institute. Created by Aspen Institute.

Jeffrey Rosen of the National Constitution Center in conversation with Walter Isaacson of the Aspen Institute. Created by Aspen Institute.

Author: Daniel Shogan, Danville Museum of Fine Arts and History Students will learn about the 1883 Massacre in Danville, Virginia as an example of violence against African Americans. Within the context of the massacre, they will be shown primary documents from the event. These documents will provide the students with not only a lens into the Danville of the nineteenth century, but also provide them with an opportunity to think critically about the documents. After careful discussion of the events and outcomes of the massacre, the students will be given vocabulary worksheets that help to define and underline the most important elements of the narrative.

In this learning experience, the students will complete a primary source inquiry into the impacts of Reconstruction on Black experiences in Virginia and the South. The students will use the Claim-Evidence-Reasoning structure to defend one of two claims.Students will analyze sources that depict/detail Black experiences and perspectives before, during, and after the Reconstruction. This learning experience will be most effective after students have been introduced to the what and when of Reconstruction.

This curriculum unit of three lessons examines the social, political and economic conditions of the southern states in the aftermath of the Civil War and shows how these factors helped to shape the Reconstruction debate as well as the subsequent history of American race relations.

The Cathedral of Notre-Dame, Paris, begun 1163 (recorded before the fire). speakers: Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker. Created by Beth Harris and Steven Zucker.

Whether it be called the Civil War, the War between the States, the War of the Rebellion, or the War for Southern Independence, the events of the years 1861-1865 were the most traumatic in the nation's history. This curriculum unit will introduce students to several important questions pertaining to the war.

The goal of this module is to provide USII students with background knowledge in the Civil War as they begin the Reconstruction curriculum. Each day begins with a Hook for the day’s content. This hook is designed to engage students in the day’s content through a whole class or small group discussion. Students will independently review the provided Learning Resources for each Learning Intention.  They should review all of the available resources to get a full understanding of this topic. Students will independently complete the Success Check for all Learning Intentions to receive credit for the module. There are optional Extension activities associated with each day. This extension is designed to connect USII Geography content with the Civil War content.  Google Drive Folder with all resources (must make a copy of each resource to modify): https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1jG7DTzswj3bsZM7xKHfMgJhVM07evQfN?usp=sharing Google Docs Lesson plan: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ErmsDxexiKYJNbqz49QqIGAxuDHZ00O2NJ6B5X3caww/copy

Colosseum (Flavian Amphitheater, or Amphitheatrum Flavium), c. 70-80 C.E., Rome, an ARCHES video. Speakers: Dr. Bernard Frischer and Dr. Steven Zucker. Created by Steven Zucker and Smarthistory.

The Civil War is often considered the most transformative event in US history. But how much did it really change American national identity? In this video, Kim compares the relative significance of the effects of the Civil War on American values.

A conversation with Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker in front of the Rosetta Stone, Egypt, Ptolemaic Period, 196 B.C.E., granodiorite, 112.3 x 28.4 x 75.7 cm (The British Museum). Created by Beth Harris and Steven Zucker.

Students will analyze a document that shows the challenges African Americans faced in receiving the freedom they were guaranteed with the 13th Amendment. The Indenture of Apprenticeship between John Foster and Jeff, a four-year-old African American, shows how Southerners found unique ways to keep African Americans in servitude. This activity is designed to engage students in an analysis of the success of the 13th Amendment. Students should have background knowledge in the Civil War and the goals of Reconstruction.

Students will analyze primary sources from the Reconstruction Era to determine if Reconstruction was a success or a failure. They will place evidence on a scale for a visual representation of their evaluation.Teachers can modify and assign this Google Doc. You will need to make a copy of the document to access it.

Students will review the purpose of an amendment, analyze the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, and consider the reasons for the date of approval. Students should have some background knowledge in the Civil War, including the causes of the war and the views of the Union and Confederacy. 

Why was the Emancipation Proclamation important? While the Civil War began as a war to restore the Union, not to end slavery, by 1862 President Abraham Lincoln came to believe that he could save the Union only by broadening the goals of the war. Students can explore the obstacles and alternatives America faced in making the journey toward "a more perfect Union."

When Reconstruction ended in 1877, southern whites used violence, economic exploitation, discriminatory laws called Black Codes, and political disenfranchisement to subjugate African Americans and undo their gains during Reconstruction. Kansas and other destinations on the Great Plains represented a chance to start a new life. Kansas had fought to be a free state and, with the Homestead Act of 1862, the region offered lots of land at low cost. As a result, between the late 1870s and early 1880s, more than 20,000 African Americans left the South for Kansas, the Oklahoma Territory, and elsewhere on the Great Plains in a migration known as the “Great Exodus.”

During Reconstruction, three new amendments to the Constitution redefined freedom, citizenship, and democracy in the United States. But how much really changed? In this video, Kim examines continuity and change over time in the lives of African Americans in the South before and after Reconstruction.

This collection uses primary sources to explore the history, successes, and failures of the Freedmen's Bureau during Reconstruction. Digital Public Library of America Primary Source Sets are designed to help students develop their critical thinking skills and draw diverse material from libraries, archives, and museums across the United States. Each set includes an overview, ten to fifteen primary sources, links to related resources, and a teaching guide. These sets were created and reviewed by the teachers on the DPLA's Education Advisory Committee.

This 14-minute video lesson gives a basic overview of U.S. history from reconstruction to the Great Depression. [History playlist: Lesson 3 of 26]

This lesson recounts efforts to improve homesteading laws and make land ownership possible for more settlers. The distribution of government lands had been an issue since the Revolutionary War. Preemption -- settling the land first and paying for it later -- became national policy; however, supporting legislation was stymied until the secession of Southern states. See one of the first applications for land under this law. Teaching activities are included.