Reconstruction

Reconstruction, the era immediately following the Civil War and emancipation, is full of stories that help us see the possibility of a future defined by racial equity. Though often overlooked in classrooms across the country, Reconstruction was a period where the impossible suddenly became possible. Learn more in the Zinn Education Project national report, “Erasing the Black Freedom Struggle: How State Standards Fail to Teach the Truth About Reconstruction.” The following are lessons, books, and films for teaching outside the textbook about the Reconstruction Era. Find more at the Teach Reconstruction campaign. Also, see a carefully selected list of books on Reconstruction for grades 3+ on Reconstruction.

Opelousas Massacre | Zinn Education Project

Sept. 28, 1868: Opelousas Massacre

In response to the promotion of voter registration, a KKK-like group massacred hundreds of people, most of whom were African American.

Affidavit of Philip Joiner, Albany, Georgia, Sept. 23, 1868.

Sept. 19, 1868: Camilla Massacre

As African Americans marched peacefully in response to their expulsion from elected office, more than a dozen were massacred near Albany, Georgia.

Sept. 3, 1868: Henry McNeal Turner Addressed the Georgia Legislature

Henry McNeal Turner addressed the Georgia Legislature on its decision to expel all Black representatives.

July 9, 1868: 14th Amendment Adopted

The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted.

March 5, 1868: Impeachment Trial of Andrew Johnson Begins

The impeachment trial of President Andrew Johnson began in the Senate.

Feb. 24, 1868: President Andrew Johnson Impeached by House

President Andrew Johnson was impeached by the House of Representatives.

Feb. 8, 1868: Kate Brown Blocked from Seat in Ladies’ Car and Assaulted

An employee of the U.S. Senate, Kate Brown found political support from Sen. Charles Sumner and others in Congress when she was violently removed from the ladies' car, which was segregated illegally.

Jan. 30, 1868: Speech in Defense of 14th Amendment

U.S. Senator Cragin spoke against delaying the expansion of suffrage. He countered the statements by white Democrats, saying the real reason they were opposed to Black suffrage was because they could not control the votes.

Radical members of the first South Carolina legislature after the war.

Jan. 14, 1868: South Carolina Constitutional Convention

The South Carolina constitutional convention met with a majority of Black delegates, adopting a constitution that provided for all people regardless of race, economic class, or gender.

Jan. 7, 1868: Mississippi Constitutional Convention

The Mississippi Constitution was one of the first pieces of legislation that provided a uniform system of free public education for children regardless of race.

Dec. 9, 1867: Georgia Constitutional Convention

The Georgia Constitutional Convention was held with 33 African Americans and 137 white attendees.

Nov. 5, 1867: Alabama State Constitution

Delegates gathered in Montgomery, Alabama, to draft a new state constitution during Reconstruction.

April 24, 1867: Richmond Streetcar Protest

African Americans in Richmond, Virginia organized protests against segregated streetcars.

March 27, 1867: Staged Ride-ins in South Carolina Streetcars

Staged ride-ins during Reconstruction in South Carolina were among the first (recorded) organized protests of segregation on a streetcar.

March 2, 1867: Congress Passes First of Four Reconstruction Acts

Congress overrode President Andrew Johnson’s veto and passed the first of four statutes known as the Reconstruction Acts, which outlined the process of readmission to the Union.

The New Orleans Riot at Mechanics' Institute | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

July 30, 1866: New Orleans Massacre

The New Orleans Massacre occurred when white residents attacked Black marchers near the reconvened Louisiana Constitutional Convention.

Scene from the Memphis, Tenn., massacre | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

May 1 – 3, 1866: Memphis Massacre

White civilians and police killed 46 African Americans and injured many more while burning houses, schools, and churches in Memphis, Tennessee.

April 23, 1866: Freedmen Demand Equal Medical Treatment

William Beverly Nash and several others asked the federal government to intervene to ensure equal medical treatment for all.

Marriage certificate of Benjamin Manson and Sarah White, April 19, 1866 | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

April 19, 1866: Couple Receives Freedmen’s Bureau Marriage Certificate

Benjamin Berry Manson and Sarah Ann Benton White, formerly enslaved in Tennessee, receive an official marriage certificate from the Freedmen’s Bureau.

April 5, 1866: Black Grocers Protest Taxes Supporting Confederates

Robert Williams and other Black grocers wrote a letter to the Florida Freedmen’s Bureau calling for an end to high taxes levied against them to support former Confederates.

Feb. 5, 1866: Thaddeus Stevens Proposes Land Distribution Amendment

Congressman Thaddeus Stevens offered an amendment to the Freedmen's Bureau Bill to authorize the distribution of public land.

Line drawing of Ku Klux Klan members who were captured with their disguises and hoods. January 6, 1872.

Dec. 24, 1865: Ku Klux Klan Founded

The Ku Klux Klan was founded in Pulaski, Tennessee.

Dec. 6, 1865: 13th Amendment Ratified

The 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution officially ended the institution of slavery.

Dec. 1, 1865: Shaw University Established

Shaw University was established as a co-ed campus with support from private donors and the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands. It is the second oldest HBCU in the South.

May 25 Norfolk Voters | Zinn Education Project

June 5, 1865: Norfolk’s Black Community Presents Address for Equal Rights

The Colored Monitor Union Club organized and released their address for equal rights in Norkfolk, Virginia, soon after the Civil War ended.