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African Americans in US Congress During Reconstruction 16 African Americans in the United States Congress During Reconstruction Overview Through their participation in class discussion and the review of primary sources, students will explore the political climate and changes that took place during Reconstruction. Students will focus on the legislation that restricted and advanced the rights of African Americans throughout this period, examining how African American men were able to gain representation in Congress. Through creation of and participation in a group teaching activity, students will focus on the important roles these African American legislators filled. Grade 8 Essential Questions • In what ways were the rights of freed African Americans still restricted after slavery? • What components of Reconstruction enabled African Americans to participate in government? • What contributions did African Americans serving in US Congress make throughout Reconstruction? • How have the political rights of African Americans changed throughout history? • What responsibilities does a person have to ensure equal rights among all people? Materials • African Americans in the US Congress During Reconstruction Power Point, available in PDF format in the Database of K-12 Resources at https://k12database.unc.edu/files/2012/09/AfAmUSCongressReconstructionPPT.pdf o To view this PDF as a projectable presentation, save the file, click “View” in the top menu bar of the file, and select “Full Screen Mode” o To request an editable PPT version of this presentation, send a request to [email protected] • “Laws Fail to Protect Us,” primary source attached • African Americans in the United States Congress During Reconstruction, assignment sheet and example bios attached • Internet access (optional) • “Hiram replacing Jefferson Davis,” political cartoon attached Duration 90+ minutes (split over two days) Preparation Students should have a basic understanding of the period of Reconstruction. Procedure Day 1 Warm-Up: Changes in Government During Reconstruction 1. As a warm-up, project slide 2 of the accompanying PPT, which contains two images of government officials and discuss: • What do you see in these pictures? How do they compare and contrast to each other? • What time period(s) do you think these pictures represent and why? • Based on your observations and learned information, how has government changed throughout history? 1 Class Discussion: Legislation During Reconstruction 2. Explain to students that while Reconstruction was a period of vast struggle for those newly freed, various pieces of legislation during the period actually resulted in several African Americans serving in the reconstructed US Congress, as well as in various state assemblies. Tell students that today’s lesson will focus on learning about the political advances and regressions during the period of Reconstruction. 3. Project slide 3 and ask students to review what they already know regarding Reconstruction, focusing on what life was like for freed slaves during the Reconstruction years. • What were the difficulties freedmen faced, even though they were emancipated? • Did the white community in the South embrace the new “free” status of those they had recently enslaved? Explain. 4. Project slides 4 & 5 and discuss the creation and enforcement of Black Codes in the former slave states during Reconstruction. 5. Next, explain to students that in an effort to right such wrongs as the Black Codes, the Civil Rights Act of 1866 was passed. Project slide 6 which contains an excerpt from the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and ask a student volunteer to read the excerpt out loud. Discuss: • What is the purpose of this Act? • Why do you think the US Congress passed this Act? • How do you think President Andrew Johnson responded to this Act when it came across his desk? 6. Ensure students understand that this Act officially granted citizenship to all male persons in the United States "without distinction of race or color, or previous condition of slavery or involuntary servitude.” Thus, officially the Act should have granted the same rights enjoyed by white citizens to freedmen. President Andrew Johnson attempted to veto the bill, but his veto was overturned by a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress, and the bill became law. Discuss: • Do you think this Act was effective in improving the situation, status, rights, etc. of freedmen? Explain. (While such legislation was a step in the right direction, Southern states still greatly restricted the rights of freed slaves.) • If federal law stated that all males, regardless of their “race or color, or previous condition of slavery” were to be treated as equal citizens, why were freedmen still experiencing such difficulty in Southern states? (Discuss the various levels of law with students – federal, state, and local – and while no law passed at the local level should contradict state law, and no law passed at the state level should contradict federal law, this was often ignored during Reconstruction. Without any oversight, many Southern states disregarded federal law and attempted to maintain the unjust societies they were accustomed to.) 7. Explain to students that even with the passing of such legislation, riots occurred in the South (i.e., Memphis and New Orleans in 1866) which were basically massacres conducted against black communities. It became clear that if some kind of police action or official order, enacted in the form of an occupation, wasn't established at least for a short period of time, white Southerners were going to continue to oppress freed slaves and likely grow more lawless. To Northerners, this would mean that the cause for which so many of them had died for during the Civil War would have been in vain. “Laws Fail to Protect Us” 8. To illustrate this point, hand out the attached “Laws Fail to Protect Us,” and instruct students to partner up, read the document, and then discuss the questions noted. Once students have had approximately 15 minutes to work independently, have them report their thoughts back to class. Ensure students understand that this is a copy of an actual document sent by the African American citizens of Calhoun, GA 2 in which they request protection from the federal troops of the Third Military District due to the increasing violence against them as the fall 1867 election approached. 9. Explain to students that Johnson's attitude regarding the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and his lack of concern for the treatment of the freed slaves contributed to the growth of the Radical Republican movement, which favored increased intervention in the South and more aid for former slaves, and ultimately resulted in the attempt to impeach Johnson. 10. Project slide 7 (regarding the Fourteenth Amendment) and slide 8 (regarding the Fifteenth Amendment) and discuss: • What impact do you think the Fourteenth Amendment had after it was passed? • How do you think African American men gaining the right to vote effected the federal government? • How do you think white Southerners reacted to the enfranchisement of former slave men? The First African Americans in the US Senate and House of Representatives 11. Once black men were given the right to vote, hundreds of qualified black legislators were elected to state and national offices, even though the elections were riddled with threats and violence. Yet, despite all the adversity facing freed Blacks, these groundbreaking politicians passed ambitious civil rights and public education laws. 12. Point out that all of these Reconstruction-era black Senators and Representatives were members of the Republican Party. The Republicans represented the party of Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation, and until 1876, the party made efforts to ensure that southern blacks were able to vote. Meanwhile the Southern Democrats were associated as the party of slavery and secession. Discuss: • How do you imagine freed slaves and other African Americans felt upon the election of black men to Congress? • How do you imagine the Southern white community responded to this progression? • What risks do you think African Americans took by serving in Congress? 13. Explain to students that they will be examining these first African Americans to serve in the Senate and House of Representatives further. Divide students into groups of 5-7 (groups can be smaller or larger depending upon the teacher’s preference and the size of the class), giving each group member a different bio of an African American member of the United States Congress during Reconstruction (examples are attached for some of the officials) and the attached assignment instructions. 14. Tell students that each member of their group has a different bio and their assignment will be to teach each other about the person assigned to them via a presentation in which they share a summary of the legislator’s life and accomplishments, their opinion regarding the legislator, and a prop that relates to the legislator. Go over the instruction sheet and allow students to work on their bio until the end of class, instructing them to finish the assignment for homework and be ready to teach their group mates about their Senator or Representative the following day. Circulate as students work to ensure understanding. Teacher Notes: • Should teachers wish to allot more time for this assignment, students can receive only the name of the African American official (rather than the handout) and be responsible for all of the research. • The bios attached are not exhaustive of the African Americans who served
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