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. 

Students will read General Order #3, the order that notified enslaved people in Texas that the Civil War had ended and they were to be emancipated. They will then analyze a primary source broadside from the Virginia Museum of History and Culture related to the earliest celebrations of Juneteenth. They will then be asked to write a letter to a member of their division’s central office regarding the celebration of Juneteenth.

Authors: John Marshall Center for Constitutional History & CivicsSarah Waltman King, Richmond Public Schools In 1865, the ratification of the 13th Amendment officially ended slavery in the United States. After fighting for their liberty before and during the Civil War, enslaved African Americans saw their dreams of emancipation realized. In the years that followed the end of the war, Virginia and other southern states had to reconfigure their social, economic, and political systems during a period called Reconstruction. During this era, newly freed Black Virginians experienced advancements but also encountered barriers to achieving true equality. This lesson explores  whether African Americans truly “free” following the passage of the 13th Amendment.Key Hook/QuestionWere African Americans truly free following the passage of the 13th Amendment?

The students will analyze the rise of violent activities against African Americans after the Civil War which lead to the addition of the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. Begin with a KWL Jamboard (also attached, in a PDF format) which also includes an activity in analyzing primary resources about lynching.  Students will then develop their own 5-day trip itinerary using the Negro Green Book (see the list of free PDF versions for various years) as a travel reference guide. The objective of the lesson is to have the students understand the perils faced by US citizens of color during the Jim Crow Era and how prevalent the dangers were in some areas of the United States at that time. The teacher may wish to use a formative assessment in the form of an exit ticket (see attached).