Summary
Reconstruction was the period where the government tried to rebuild the South and reunite the country in the wake of the Civil War. But the divisions that had sparked the war in the first place were still there. After President Lincoln's assassination, southerner Andrew Johnson took the wheel, steering the country toward restoring slavery in everything but name. Radical Republicans in Congress took back control, sending troops to the South to enforce the freedoms guaranteed by the new 14th Amendment. Black freedmen voted in droves, and were elected to office at all levels. In response, the Ku Klux Klan rose across the South, attacking and killing Black people and anyone who supported equality. Finally, Reconstruction ended with a backroom political compromise. Southern states gave the presidency to Republican Rutherford B Hayes, and northern troops withdrew from the South. This ushered in Jim Crow across the South, legalizing discrimination against Black people for nearly a century. Press "play" to learn about this turbulent period in American history!
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
A few questions to talk through after watching Reconstruction:
- What is one new thing you learned about reconstruction?
- Can you explain it to a partner in your own words?
- Where might you see this in the real world?
- What is one question you still have?
Quick work-a-long
Try it:
- Write one sentence explaining reconstruction.
- Draw or give one example of your own.