Reconstruction: the new amendments and what they changed
Grade 11 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me
Circle the best answer.
Read this first
Two ways of telling Reconstruction, in brief
Who made it: historians and textbooks writing today. When: today. Where: the United States. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what is known. Summary in our words, not a quotation: Many textbooks of the early 1900s taught that Reconstruction failed because Black voters and officeholders were unready and corrupt. In 1935 W. E. B. Du Bois answered in Black Reconstruction in America that Black Southerners had built schools and public services, and that Reconstruction ended when Northern leaders and Southern Democrats withdrew support. Historians today, such as Eric Foner, call it an unfinished revolution and stress the force used against it. Source card "Black officeholders in the South, 1870 to 1901". Who made it: historians and textbooks writing today. When: today. Where: the United States. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what is known. Summary in our words, not a quotation: The House historians count roughly 2,000 Black officeholders in the South by 1877, in local, state, and federal posts, citing the historian Eric Foner. From 1870 to 1901, 22 Black men served in Congress: 20 in the House and 2 in the Senate. Eleven of the Black Members elected in the 1800s were born enslaved. The 44th Congress (1875-1877) had the most, with seven Representatives and one Senator.
Jun reads two views of Reconstruction. Which statement fits the evidence on Black officeholders best?
- The counts settle both claims, since many officeholders shows they were ready
- The 22 members of Congress show the total number of officeholders was small
- The counts bear on "few" but cannot show whether officeholders were unready
- The counts matter if readiness is known; since readiness was not measured, they show nothing
Two ways of telling Reconstruction, in brief
Who made it: historians and textbooks writing today. When: today. Where: the United States. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what is known. Summary in our words, not a quotation: Many textbooks of the early 1900s taught that Reconstruction failed because Black voters and officeholders were unready and corrupt. In 1935 W. E. B. Du Bois answered in Black Reconstruction in America that Black Southerners had built schools and public services, and that Reconstruction ended when Northern leaders and Southern Democrats withdrew support. Historians today, such as Eric Foner, call it an unfinished revolution and stress the force used against it. Source card "The end of Reconstruction, in brief". Who made it: historians and textbooks writing today. When: today. Where: the United States. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what is known. Summary in our words, not a quotation: After the 1876 election, Congress set up a special commission, which gave the disputed electoral votes to Rutherford B. Hayes, who won by a single electoral vote. Hayes reduced the number of federal troops in the South and did little to protect Black Americans' rights. By 1877 Democrats had regained control of Southern state governments. Who gained: Southern officials who opposed Reconstruction. Who lost: Black voters and the Republican officeholders they had elected.
Du Bois said Reconstruction ended when Northern leaders and Southern Democrats withdrew support. Pia checks the cards. Which statement fits that view?
- Black officeholders were unready, so the voters removed them from office in 1877
- Hayes reduced the federal troops and did little to protect Black Americans' rights
- Black voters regained control of the Southern state governments by the year 1877
- A special commission gave the disputed electoral votes to the Democratic candidate
The Freedmen's Bureau Act of 1865, the land
Who made it: Congress, in a federal law or resolution. When: March 3, 1865. Where: Washington. For whom: the Bureau's officers and the public. Why: to set up the Bureau and give it powers. Excerpt (Freedmen's Bureau Act, March 3, 1865, Section 4; Statutes at Large, vol. 13, 1865, 13 Stat. 507, chap. 90, sec. 4, pp. 508-509; checked against William Macdonald, No. 44 and a third edition): "the commissioner … shall have authority to set apart, for the use of loyal refugees and freedmen, such tracts of land within the insurrectionary states as shall have been abandoned … and to every male citizen, whether refugee or freedman, as aforesaid, there shall be assigned not more than forty acres of such land, and the person to whom it was so assigned shall be protected in the use and enjoyment of the land for the term of three years at an annual rent not exceeding six per centum upon the value of such land … the occupants of any parcels so assigned may purchase the land and receive such title thereto as the United States can convey" Source card "Du Bois on croppers, 1903". Who made it: W. E. B. Du Bois, a historian and sociologist, writing in a book of essays. When: 1903. Where: Chicago, about Dougherty County, Georgia. For whom: general readers. Why: to describe, from his own study, how Black farmers lived. Excerpt (The Souls of Black Folk, chapter 8, "Of the Quest of the Golden Fleece"; Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk, 1903, p. 157; checked against W. E. B. Du Bois, p. 157 and a third edition): "The croppers are entirely without capital, even in the limited sense of food or money to keep them from seed-time to harvest. All they furnish is their labor; the land-owner furnishes land, stock, tools, seed, and house; and at the end of the year the laborer gets from a third to a half of the crop. Out of his share, however, comes pay and interest for food and clothing advanced him during the year. Thus we have a laborer without capital and without wages, and an employer whose capital is largely his employees’ wages."
The 1865 act offered land; Du Bois (1903) describes croppers in one county. Bo asks which conclusion the two cards support best.
- Some freed families farmed on shares in 1903; the cards do not show how many got land in 1865
- Cropping in one county in 1903 shows that no freed family ever owned any land in the South
- The land offered in 1865 reached most freed families, so cropping in 1903 was a free choice
- The 1865 act shows the promise of land was kept, since Congress passed it before the war ended
Use this
Source card "The end of Reconstruction, in brief". Who made it: historians and textbooks writing today. When: today. Where: the United States. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what is known. Summary in our words, not a quotation: After the 1876 election, Congress set up a special commission, which gave the disputed electoral votes to Rutherford B. Hayes, who won by a single electoral vote. Hayes reduced the number of federal troops in the South and did little to protect Black Americans' rights. By 1877 Democrats had regained control of Southern state governments. Who gained: Southern officials who opposed Reconstruction. Who lost: Black voters and the Republican officeholders they had elected. Source card "The Civil Rights Act of 1875". Who made it: historians and textbooks writing today. When: today. Where: the United States. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what is known. Summary in our words, not a quotation: Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1875 on March 1, 1875, less than a month after Lynch spoke. According to the House historians, the law barred discrimination in juries, travel, and public places, but it lacked effective enforcement power. Supreme Court decisions between 1873 and 1883 steadily weakened the legal gains of Reconstruction. Source card "The Enforcement Acts, 1870 and 1871". Who made it: historians and textbooks writing today. When: today. Where: the United States. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what is known. Summary in our words, not a quotation: Congress passed three Enforcement Acts. The first, on May 31, 1870, barred state officials from discriminating against voters by race. The second, on February 28, 1871, added federal oversight of elections. The third, signed on April 20, 1871, and called the Ku Klux Klan Act, let federal district attorneys prosecute the Klan under federal law and let the president use troops and suspend habeas corpus in unruly counties.
Milo weighs why federal protection weakened by 1877. Which explanation do the cards support best?
- The Enforcement Acts, since they ended federal oversight of elections in the South
- Several things: the 1876 result and fewer troops, Democratic control, and court rulings
- Hayes's decision alone, since he reduced the troops and so ended federal protection
- Black voters' choices alone, since many of them voted for the Democrats in 1876
Use this
Source card "Congress answers the Black Codes, 1866". Who made it: historians and textbooks writing today. When: today. Where: the United States. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what is known. Summary in our words, not a quotation: In 1866 Congress passed the Civil Rights Act, which defined who was a citizen and said all citizens had the full and equal benefit of the laws. It became law on April 9, 1866, after Congress overrode President Johnson's veto. On June 13, 1866, Congress approved the 14th Amendment, which wrote citizenship and equal protection into the Constitution.
Zee reads that the Civil Rights Act became law on April 9, 1866, and Congress passed the 14th Amendment on June 13. What is best supported?
- President Johnson signed the Act, so Congress saw no need for an amendment
- The amendment followed the Act by two months; the cards do not say why
- The Supreme Court struck down the Act, so Congress passed the amendment
- The amendment came first in 1866, and the Act then carried it out afterward
The Freedmen's Bureau Act of 1866, schools
Who made it: Congress, in a federal law or resolution. When: July 16, 1866. Where: Washington. For whom: the Bureau's officers and the public. Why: to continue the Bureau and widen its work. Excerpt (Freedmen's Bureau Act, July 16, 1866, Section 13; Statutes at Large, vol. 14, 1868, 14 Stat. 173, chap. 200, sec. 13, p. 176; checked against William Macdonald, No. 51 and a third edition): "the commissioner of this bureau shall at all times co-operate with private benevolent associations of citizens in aid of freedmen, and with agents and teachers, duly accredited and appointed by them, and shall hire or provide by lease buildings for purposes of education whenever such associations shall, without cost to the government, provide suitable teachers and means of instruction; and he shall furnish such protection as may be required for the safe conduct of such schools." Source card "Schools for freed people". Who made it: historians and textbooks writing today. When: today. Where: the United States. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what is known. Summary in our words, not a quotation: Schools for freed people were paid for by state and local governments and by the Bureau. The House historians count more than 4,000 Southern schools in 1870, serving close to 250,000 students.
Ren reads the Bureau's school act of 1866 beside the 1870 count. What do the two cards show about the Bureau's part?
- The Act shows the schools were free, since the Bureau protected them and leased the buildings
- The Act shows the Bureau ran the teachers and taught the lessons in the classrooms itself
- The count shows the Bureau paid for the schools, which served about 250,000 students
- The Act shows the Bureau could lease buildings; the count does not show how much it paid
Elliott on the amendments, 1874
Who made it: Robert B. Elliott, a Representative from South Carolina, speaking in the House. When: January 6, 1874. Where: Washington. For whom: the House and the public. Why: to argue for a civil rights bill. Excerpt (Speech on the Civil Rights Bill, Representative Robert B. Elliott, January 6, 1874; Congressional Record, vol. 2, 1874, p. 407 ff. (speech begins on p. 407); checked against Alice Moore Dunbar, pp. 67-89 and a third edition): "The constitution of a free government ought always to be construed in favor of human rights. Indeed, the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments, in positive words, invest Congress with the power to protect the citizen in his civil and political rights." Source card "Lynch on public rights, 1875". Who made it: John R. Lynch, a Representative from Mississippi, speaking in the House. When: February 3, 1875. Where: Washington. For whom: the House and the public. Why: to argue for a civil rights bill. Excerpt (Speech on the Civil Rights Bill, Representative John R. Lynch, February 3, 1875; Congressional Record, vol. 3, 1875, February 3, 1875; checked against Alice Moore Dunbar, pp. 89-92 and a third edition): "No, Mr. Speaker, it is not social rights that we desire. We have enough of that already. What we ask is protection in the enjoyment of public rights. Rights which are or should be accorded to every citizen alike."
Luz reads that Elliott and Lynch both spoke for a civil rights bill. What do the speeches show about what Black Southerners wanted?
- What two Representatives and their allies argued, not what each Black Southerner wanted
- What the Black voters of the South wanted, since each man was elected by their votes
- What the Supreme Court decided, since both men spoke about the three amendments
- What Black Southerners wanted in the 1870s, since these speeches were their main public voice
Black officeholders in the South, 1870 to 1901
Who made it: historians and textbooks writing today. When: today. Where: the United States. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what is known. Summary in our words, not a quotation: The House historians count roughly 2,000 Black officeholders in the South by 1877, in local, state, and federal posts, citing the historian Eric Foner. From 1870 to 1901, 22 Black men served in Congress: 20 in the House and 2 in the Senate. Eleven of the Black Members elected in the 1800s were born enslaved. The 44th Congress (1875-1877) had the most, with seven Representatives and one Senator. Data card "Black members of Congress, 41st to 43rd Congresses". Columns: Congress (years); Representatives; Senators. 41st (1869-1871): 2 Representatives, 1 Senators. 42nd (1871-1873): 5 Representatives, 0 Senators. 43rd (1873-1875): 7 Representatives, 0 Senators. Data: US House of Representatives, History, Art and Archives, Black Americans in Congress, "Black-American Representatives and Senators by Congress" (read Nov 11, 2026). A Member who served part of a Congress is counted.
Tala sets "22 in Congress, 1870 to 1901" beside "roughly 2,000 officeholders by 1877." What is wrong with treating them as one kind of count?
- 22 counts the Black officeholders in the South, and 2,000 counts Black voters
- 22 counts members of Congress over 31 years; 2,000 counts posts at all levels
- Both count Black men in public office, so the gap shows that most served in local posts
- 22 counts members who were elected, and 2,000 counts the officeholders who were appointed
The 15th Amendment, Section 1
Who made it: Congress, in a federal law or resolution. When: February 1869. Where: Washington. For whom: the state legislatures and the public. Why: to propose a change to the Constitution. Excerpt (Article XV, Section 1, Joint Resolution of Congress, February 1869; Statutes at Large, vol. 15, 15 Stat. 346; checked against Robert Desty, p. 38): "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." Source card "The 15th Amendment, in brief". Who made it: historians and textbooks writing today. When: today. Where: the United States. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what is known. Summary in our words, not a quotation: Congress passed the 15th Amendment on February 26, 1869, and the states ratified it on February 3, 1870. It says the right of a citizen to vote cannot be denied because of race, color, or earlier enslavement. The National Archives says it granted Black men the right to vote. Who gained: Black men. Who lost: those who had kept Black men from the polls because of race.
Noah's note says the 15th Amendment gave Black men and women the vote. What should the note say?
- It gave Black men and women the vote, so the note is right as written
- It gave the vote to citizens over twenty-one, whatever their race or sex
- It gave Black men the vote and also gave women who owned property the right to vote
- It barred denial of the vote on account of race; its words name no women
Sharecropping, in brief
Who made it: historians and textbooks writing today. When: today. Where: the United States. For whom: readers today. Why: to sum up what is known. Summary in our words, not a quotation: After the war, many freed families farmed land owned by other people. In sharecropping, a farm family was paid with a share of the crop instead of wages. The historians of the House of Representatives describe it as a system that trapped many people in poverty. Source card "Du Bois on croppers, 1903". Who made it: W. E. B. Du Bois, a historian and sociologist, writing in a book of essays. When: 1903. Where: Chicago, about Dougherty County, Georgia. For whom: general readers. Why: to describe, from his own study, how Black farmers lived. Excerpt (The Souls of Black Folk, chapter 8, "Of the Quest of the Golden Fleece"; Du Bois, The Souls of Black Folk, 1903, p. 157; checked against W. E. B. Du Bois, p. 157 and a third edition): "The croppers are entirely without capital, even in the limited sense of food or money to keep them from seed-time to harvest. All they furnish is their labor; the land-owner furnishes land, stock, tools, seed, and house; and at the end of the year the laborer gets from a third to a half of the crop. Out of his share, however, comes pay and interest for food and clothing advanced him during the year. Thus we have a laborer without capital and without wages, and an employer whose capital is largely his employees’ wages."
Ari's note says sharecroppers were paid wages. What should the note say?
- They got a share of the crop, a third to a half, with food and clothing costs taken out
- They paid a fixed rent in cash to the landowner and kept what remained after it
- They were paid wages at harvest, set by the landowner's account book of what they owed
- They were paid wages in cash, but lower wages than other farm workers received