Unequal Rights and Racism Teacher Resources

A lot happened as the American Civil War came to a close. Before diving head-first into a unit on the Reconstruction period, preview key events, concepts, and vocabulary, specific to post Civil War America. Each slide gives a simple...

In this teaching American history worksheet, students examine a primary source document regarding the Freedman's Bureau. Students respond to 1 short answer question.

An amazing resource, with images, rich text, and working hyperlinks. It covers one of America's most horrible crimes against humanity, slavery. Thankfully a change took place during the Reconstruction Era. Learn about the laws, key...

Easily broken into pieces for several class sessions, this presentation is a great way to transition your class out of a Civil War unit and closer to the 20th century. Engaging photographs, including relevant maps and humorous political...

Six pages and 41 questions await your class, as they show what they know about the era of Reconstruction. Each question asks who, what, where, when, or why, regarding the people, places, laws, and events related to Reconstruction. You...

Test prep has never been so easy. Your class will answer each of the 37 study questions in order to get an A on the upcoming test on the Reconstruction era. There are four vocabulary words, 12 major events, six important people, two...

How did Ku Klux Klan develop and flourish in the US? How did the government respond to acts of terrorism conducted by the KKK following the Civil War? How does the government respond to acts of terrorism today? This resource launches a...

Students use the text of the Illinois Black Codes to examine the laws in place. Using this information, they draw their own conclusions about why the laws existed in a free state. They also identify the purpose of these laws and how they...

The Civil War made slavery illegal, but all ex-slaves were not totally free. Scholars visit eight different classroom stations to uncover life during the Reconstruction Era in America. Groups discover items such as Black Codes, 13th,...

Students study the legislation and Amendments of Reconstruction period in America. In this Reconstruction lesson, students work in groups to dissect the Black Codes, an article in the US Constitution, as well as the 13th, 14th, and 15th...

The physical and economic depression of the post-war South was discouraging to Southerners. Reconstruction was inevitable but exhausting. Learn about life in the South after the war. This resource provides a lot of education, but it...

Who was Jim Crow? How did state and local governments restrict the freedoms and rights of African Americans? As you hold up a series of documents illustrating racial discrimination, your class members will identify rights that were...

In this primary source analysis learning exercise, students examine the testimony of Captain C.B. Wilder before the Freedman's Bureau and respond to 5 short answer questions about the testimony. The testimony itself is not included with...

Students examine the topics of the Freedman's Bureau and labor contracting. They analyze the economic conditions in Alabama after the Civil War. They draw conclusions about the problems with sharecropping.

After generating research questions rated to segregation, groups are given a primary source document (Jim Crow Laws, Black Codes, Plessy v. Ferguson, etc.) and craft a presentation that details the key elements of their assigned...

There is nothing like a rousing game of Jeopardy to get your class interested in concept review. Review all the laws, key players, amendments, and issues that came with the Reconstruction Era. There are 25 answers to question. 

The Civil Rights Act of 1866, which granted citizenship to all males in the U.S., resulted in the first African Americans to be elected to Congress. Class members research 11 of these men, the challenges they faced, and craft...

"The Fourth of July is yours, not mine." When Fredrick Douglass said these words in 1852, how did advocates of slavery, as well as Douglass' antislavery audience, react? Here is an excellent lesson not only for analyzing Douglass'...

How did the United States face the problem of needing to integrate a formerly slave and rebellious population back into the country? Your young historians will learn about the complex system of reconstruction that existed in post-Civil...

Can you boil the historical, cultural, and political events and movements from the last 150 years into a descriptive study guide? You don't have to—it's right here! A thorough resource includes informative text, discussion questions,...

Eleventh graders research different documents pertaining to the reconstruction era. They present their findings to the class in structured presentations and unstructured discussions. Students compare and contrast their findings about...

In this primary source analysis worksheet, students analyze colonial New York slave laws. Students respond to 4 short answer questions about the laws.

There are arguments on both sides of history about the ways various Supreme Court decisions have affected the daily lives, rights, and liberties of the African-American population. Eleventh graders explore and identify the challenges...

Students investigate U.S. history by examining the post Civil War era. In this reconstruction lesson, students identify the changes the Civil War brought to African Americans in the South. Students view a presentation based on personal...