Chapter 15: Reconstruction
After the Civil War, much of the South lay in ruins. t passes my comprehension to tell what became of our railroads,/ne South Carolinian told a northern reporter. å had passably good roads, on which we could reach almost any part of the State, and the next week they were all gone¯t simply broken up, but gone. Some of the material was burned, I know, but miles and miles of iron have actually disappeared, gone out of existence.! href=”http://www.americanyawp.com/text/15-reconstruction/#footnote_0_92″ target=”_blank”>1 He might as well have been talking about the entire antebellum way of life. The future of the South was uncertain. How would these states be brought back into the Union? Would they be conquered territories or equal states? How would they rebuild their governments, economies, and social systems? What rights did freedom confer on formerly enslaved people?The answers to many of Reconstructionàquestions hinged on the concepts of citizenship and equality. The era witnessed perhaps the most open and widespread discussions of citizenship since the nationàfounding. It was a moment of revolutionary possibility and violent backlash. African Americans and Radical Republicans pushed the nation to finally realize the Declaration of Independenceàpromises that ll men are created equal!nd have årtain unalienable rights. hite Democrats granted African Americans legal freedom but little more. When black Americans and their radical allies succeeded in securing citizenship for freedpeople, a new fight commenced to determine the legal, political, and social implications of American citizenship. Resistance continued, and Reconstruction eventually collapsed. In the South, limits on human freedom endured and would stand for nearly a century more. Read more from Chapter 15 of the American Yawp 

1) What major federal laws, including constitutional amendments, were passed during Reconstruction, and how did they change American life? What did freedom mean to African Americans, and how did they explain the importance of land for freedom? Please also refer to the primary source document, “Freedmen discuss post-emancipation life with General Sherman, 1865”?

2) Compare and contrast the differences between the role of the President and the U.S. Congress during Reconstruction between 1865-1877? What type of laws did southern state governments such as Mississippi impose on former slaves? Please also refer to the primary source document “Mississippi Black Code, 1865.

3) What were the major challenges and struggles of former slaves and women during Reconstruction? Why did Reconstruction end in 1877, and do you think it was a success or failure? What does the primary source document, “General Reynolds describes lawlessness in Texas, 1868” reveal about the conditions of Reconstruction in Texas?