About This Lesson
This resource addresses Reconstruction, the period directly after the American Civil War. It was a critical time period in U.S. history in which the United States grappled with its identity as a nation and the meaning of citizenship. Black Americans, many recently freed and immediately targeted as a significant “other” group in the history of a nation that saw itself as white, began the struggle for full citizenship and equal rights. Their battle to take their place as full members of society forced the still-young state and federal governments to confront two questions that we now associate with modern immigration debates: “Who can be a citizen?” and “Who can enter the country?” Each question is explored by one lesson in this curriculum bundle.
Each of the lesson plans is designed to be flexible and adaptable based on the needs of your class, whether in-person or online, including options for student-text interaction. The lessons can be used independently or together, and each encourages critical thinking and connections between history and the modern social and political context, preparing students to be informed and engaged citizens in the 21st century
