Understand the social and economic effects of the Civil War and Reconstruction; examine the historical development of the civil rights movement in the 19th century; analyze and explain mechanisms to regulate territory, manage conflict, establish order and security, and balance competing conceptions of a just society.

During the years following the Civil War known as Reconstruction (1865–1877), America worked to recover from the physical and economic damage wrought by the war. In addition to helping to rebuild the South, the federal government focused on the growth of the railroad, which surged between 1867 and 1873, becoming the country’s largest industry. In the South, federal troops remained in an administrative capacity until withdrawing in 1877, after which the power of Southern planters was restored. Without federal protection, African Americans in the South struggled. Many faced daily intimidation as they were blocked from voting, forced to sign unfair labor contracts, subjected to segregation laws, and confronted by menacing groups such as lynch mobs and the Ku Klux Klan.

• CA  11.1: 4; 11.10: 2 Chronological and Spatial Thinking: 2
• TX  113.32(2): b; 113.32(7): a; 113.38(1): b
• FL  SS.A.4.4: 6; SS.B.1.4: 4
• NCSS  VI(HS): c; X(HS): a, h

2 class periods

• Activity Sheet, America After the Civil War
• Timeline, Chronology of the Industrial United States, 1870-1900 
• Tours through Time, Hate Crimes: African Americans Being Discriminated Against at the Polls 
• Graphic Organizer, 3-Column Table
• Research Report Rubric

Use the instructions below to guide students in writing a Research Report.

What trends or events occurred in the aftermath of the Civil War?

Synthesize Students will write a Research Report exploring key issues facing the nation following the end of the Civil War. Students will research the growth of railroads, the economic depression wrought by war, the Great Uprising of 1877, and the problems faced by African Americans in the South following the Civil War.

Have students research the topic using the provided links. Encourage them to use the suggested graphic organizer as they read the articles.

From Harper’s Weekly, October 1874. White supremacists refuse to allow African Americans into polling places to vote in elections.

To start students thinking about the issues facing America after the Civil War, have them examine the political cartoon.

Key questions students should answer are:

• How did the artist portray African Americans and white supremacists in this political cartoon?
• How does this portrayal reflect Reconstruction-era attitudes concerning African American voting rights

Distribute the Student Activity sheet. Tell students that their reports will address issues of the post-Civil War era. Students should research the following topics.

• Reconstruction Expenses and Economic Depression
• Effect of the Homestead Act of 1862
• Transcontinental Railroad
• Railroads and the Economy
• Segregation
• The Great Uprising of 1877
• African Americans: Voting
• Ku Klux Klan

Tell students that their reports should consider the ways in which these topics may be linked, for example the issue of segregation on the railroads. Students should also examine the impact of these issues on the social and economic fabric of America.

Use the Research Report Rubric to assess students’ performance.

Have students reflect on their performance and use the list of expectations to judge how well they met the criteria.

Ask students: Why do you think African Americans did not achieve full equality during the Reconstruction era?

Memoir Have students use Daily Life through History to conduct research and write a Reconstruction-era memoir of a railroad worker or African American in the South.

Critical Thinking: APPLY