Given the changing nature of the Internet, you may wish to preview these sites. Always check for updated links to U.S. history sites.

Allow one week to teach this chapter.

Chapter 17 lays the foundation for the civil rights movement of the 1960s. You will need to make the connections for students now when teaching this chapter and then review Chapter 17 when teaching Chapter 29.

The text authors' philosophy of history—it is the story as much of ordinary people as it is of national figures—is evident in this chapter in which much of the focus is on how African Americans in the South were able to cope with their newfound freedom. The national political events are discussed, but as the Instructor's Guide says, they are "secondary to the psychosocial dynamics of reconstructing new relationships among differing people after the Civil War." The interests, issues, and influences of white Southerners, black freedmen, and white Northerners are explored, at times through the use of the literature.

To compare the Presidential Reconstruction plans with the Radical Republican plan, have students prepare a chart giving the main points of each plan. After completing the chart, ask students to explain how Johnson's view of the President's role in Reconstruction conflicted with Congress's view and how this led to Johnson's impeachment.

To extend the activity, have students review their table against the table "Conflicting Goals During Reconstruction" on p. 495 of the text. Have students compare the types of information on their table to the table in the text. Students will probably find that the table in the text delves more into unstated reasons and long-term goals than their own tables. Help students to see the importance of analyzing information beyond the surface.

You might also find these additional readings useful in developing students' background knowledge or for DBQ activities: