Question/Problem 2: What were the political, economic, and social reasons for the failure of Reconstruction?

Objectives

Description of lesson/activity

Resources

1. describe significant events during Reconstruction in the South.

2. classify these significant events under the categories of political, economic, and social.

3. explain why these significant events led to the failure of Reconstruction.

1. The teacher should through lecture, textbook, or other resources provide the student opportunities to learn chronological information about Reconstruction in the South. This should include but not be limited to:

• Debates between Moderate and Radical Republicans

• Corruption of Southern governments including carpetbaggers and scalawags

• Rise of Ku Klux Klan

• Development of sharecropping

• Passage of federal laws such as the Reconstruction Act (1867) and the Amnesty Act (1872)

• Compromise of 1877 following Hayes-Tilden Election

At the end of this activity students should have a list of the events which will be used in #2 below.

2. Students should be assigned the accompanying "Failure of Reconstruction Worksheet". The teacher will aid in the classification activity following the directions on the worksheet. While events may be fit in more than one category, the teacher should encourage the students to classify each event in the one category which best describes its significance; the teacher may wish to monitor, and limit debate regarding correct categories. The worksheet is designed to show the overlap and interdependence of these events and categories.

1. "Failure of Reconstruction Worksheet"

2. Student Textbook