Compare and Contrast President Johnson’s plan for ...



Compare and Contrast President Johnson’s plan for Reconstruction to that of the Radical RepublicansEssential Question: If President Lincoln had not been assassinated, how would the Reconstruction period have been different? Standards:SS5H2 The student will analyze the effects of Reconstruction on American life. a. Describe the purpose of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. b. Explain the work of the Freedmen’s Bureau. c. Explain how slavery was replaced by sharecropping and how African-Americans were prevented from exercising their newly won rights; include a discussion of Jim Crow laws and customs. TAG Standards:Advanced Research Skills The student will use a variety of print and non-print resources to investigate a topic of interest.Higher Order thinking SkillsThe student conducts comparisons using criteria.11. The student draws conclusions based upon relevant information while discarding irrelevant information.IntroductionThe teacher will begin the discussion by watching a two minute video from the history channel about Abraham Lincoln. After the film we will discuss the last unit that was tested and how the nation was divided even after the civil war. Learning StrategiesStudents will work in pairs and each student will choose which Presidential plan they will become the “expert” on. The students will learn about either Lincoln or Johnson’s plan for reconstruction and they will then teach each other what they have learned. After the students have taught each other what they have learned, they will work together to complete their own Venn-Diagram comparing the two plans for Reconstruction.ResourcesSocial Studies Text BookHand out of summaries of Lincoln and Johnson’s Reconstruction Plans along with the Radical Republican plan.AssessmentAfter completing the learning strategies the students will choose activities from the activities that they will complete from the 2-5-8 list menu. The activities must equal to ten for the assessment.ConclusionAfter completing the activities, the teacher will discuss with the class their opinions of the plans for reconstruction. The class will then discuss what would have happened with the country had Lincoln not been assassinated.IntroductionThe Civil War devastated the South in several ways. First, Grant's policy of total warfare destroyed many of the South's most important cities. Richmond, Virginia, and Atlanta, Georgia, were completely devastated—hardly a building stood complete in either city. The invading Union army destroyed railroad lines and depots, cut telegraph wires, and killed livestock. Second, the South's economy was in shambles. Confederate money was not legal tender after the war, so people had no money. Also, the defunct Confederacy did not repay the money it borrowed to finance the war. As a result, many banks had to shut down, and people lost their savings. Last, slavery no longer existed. Suddenly, there were four million?freedmen, the name given to the freed slaves. The majority of these freedmen had no skills, and most couldn't read or write. The problem of how to integrate them into society would be the most difficult to solve.The North felt the effects of the war, but it was in much better shape than the South. Few battles had been fought on northern soil, so the North did not have to rebuild its cities. Northerners could resume their daily lives almost as if the war had not happened. The North did face some economic problems, however. At the end of the war, government contracts with businesses ended, yet there were hundreds of thousands of returning Union soldiers looking for work. In time, rebuilding efforts in the South meant increased demand for products in the North, so the northern economy restored itself.Lincoln's Plan for ReconstructionBefore the war was over, Lincoln began thinking about how to rebuild the South. Lincoln firmly believed that the more quickly southern states were restored, the faster the wounds of the nation would heal. Lincoln wanted to make the process as easy as possible for southerners.Lincoln's plan for Reconstruction is called the?Ten Percent Plan. When ten percent of the population of a southern state swore loyalty to the Union, the state could form a new government and elect members to Congress. As part of the plan, Lincoln offered?amnesty?(another word for a pardon or forgiveness) to anyone who had supported the Confederacy but now swore loyalty to the restored Union. This did not, however, apply to the government leaders of the Confederate States of America. As fate would have it, Lincoln never got the chance to implement his plan.An Alternate PlanLincoln's plan was very generous, and some Republicans in Congress objected to it. Instead of supporting Lincoln's plan, Congress passed the?Wade-Davis Bill?in 1864. Under this plan, a majority of voters (51 percent) had to swear loyalty to the Union. Also, anyone who had fought for the Confederacy could not vote or hold political office. Lincoln vetoed the bill, so it did not take effect.The Presidency of Andrew JohnsonAs provided for in the U.S. Constitution, Vice President Andrew Johnson became president upon Lincoln's death. Johnson immediately began implementation of his own plan for Reconstruction. Johnson's plan required that a majority of voters in southern states swear loyalty to the Union. Additionally, each state had to ratify theThirteenth Amendment?to the Constitution. Congress had passed the Thirteenth Amendment, which made slavery illegal in the United States, in January 1865.When southern states had complied with Johnson's conditions, they set up their new state governments and held elections for Congress. Many of the same people who had served in the Confederacy were now elected to Congress. Republicans believed that this was intolerable and set in motion a plan to usurp Johnson's authority.Radical ReconstructionIn the congressional election of 1866, Republicans gained majorities in both houses. There was not a presidential election that year, but President Johnson faced opposition to his policies in Congress and mounting public disapproval of his presidency.The Radical Republicans passed the?Reconstruction Act?in March 1867. The Reconstruction Act divided the South into five military districts. Each district was under the control of an army officer who was given almost complete authority over the district. In addition, any southern state government that had not approved the Fourteenth Amendment was removed from power. Tennessee was the only southern state to ratify the amendment and was spared the wrath of Congress on this measure.In the state elections that followed, Confederate officers were prohibited from voting. In protest, many other white voters stayed away from the polls. The army guarded polling stations, guaranteeing that freedmen could vote without harassment. When the votes were counted, all of the new state governments in the South were Republican.Of course, southerners saw the tactics of the Radical Republicans as another way punish them for the Civil War. It was also more evidence that northerners did not approve of the South's way of life. Southerners were bitter about the treatment they received during this time, which is often referred to as the period of?Radical Reconstruction. A very helpful chart on page 554 compares the Johnson Plan to Radical Reconstruction.2-5-8 Menu BoardYou must choose items from the menu to demonstrate your understanding of the reconstruction era. Your choices must equal to 10 points. Once you have made your selection please have your teacher approve your selections. All selection are due on _____________.2 points eachCreate a song or poem that describes the life and role of a sharecropper.Design an illustration for the 13th,14th, and 15th amendments.Create a timeline of events during the reconstruction era that show how the United States became a United Nation.5 points eachCreate a skit that will show the similarities and differences between carpetbaggers and scalawags.Imagine you are a visitor from another country. Write a one page journal entry describing your observations and opinions of the reconstruction period.Create a pamphlet about the different plans for Reconstruction from a Radical Republican’s point of view.8 points eachResearch the impact of the Civil War on African Americans. Predict how the events during reconstruction would impact African Americans today.With a partner, create a plan to readmit states into the nation. What should each state have to do and how will your plan benefit the country?Create a magazine article about the major historical figures during the Reconstruction Era. Include details of how they impacted this era, along with pictures or illustrations.Remember that you must choose enough items to equal 10 points. You may go over ten points. Use a highlighter to make your selections. ................
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