Summary: In this lesson, students will confront a decisive period of violence that spread across the South between 1873 and 1876. Students will reflect on the factors that led to the success of this violence in precipitating the defeat of Republican governments in the former Confederacy, and they will consider the choices available to individual citizens and government officials who did not support this campaign of violence and intimidation. Students will also understand that violence and intimidation often silence the voices and votes of citizens, on which democracy depends.
Overarching Questions:
- CIVICS: Have the concepts of liberty, justice and/or equality changed during the time period? If so, how and what has been the impact?
- CIVICS: How well does the government balance individual rights and the common good, including the need to maintain order, safety and a healthy environment, during this time period?
- CIVICS: Have individuals and groups influenced public policy during this time period? If so, how and what has been the impact?
NJ Student Learning Standards for Social Studies:
- 6.1.12.CivicsDP.4.a: Compare and contrast historians’ interpretations of the impact of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments on African Americans ability to participate in influencing governmental policies.
- 6.1.12.HistoryUP.4.a: Relate conflicting political, economic, social, and sectional perspectives on Reconstruction to the resistance of some Southern individuals and states.
- 6.1.12.HistoryCA.4.a: Analyze the debate about how to reunite the country and determine the extent to which enacted Reconstruction policies achieved their goals.
Link to Lesson: Political Violence and the Overthrow of Reconstruction | Facing History & Ourselves