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.

Rev. Henry McNeal Turner | Zinn Education Project

Dec. 9, 1867: Georgia Constitutional Convention

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

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.

Radical members, SC Legistlature | Zinn Education Project

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. 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.

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.

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

President Andrew Johnson was impeached by the House of Representatives.

March 5, 1868: Impeachment Trial of Andrew Johnson Begins

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

July 9, 1868: 14th Amendment Adopted

The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted.

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.

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 who were African American.

Oct. 25, 1868: St. Bernard Parish Massacre

The St. Bernard Parish (Louisiana) massacre of African Americans was carried out by white men to terrorize the recently emancipated voters.

portrait of Detroit educator Fannie Richards

May 12, 1869: Detroit Educator Fannie Richards Helps to Desegregate Michigan Schools

The Michigan Supreme Court ruled in favor of school desegregation in the case of Joseph Workman v. the Detroit Board of Education, almost 90 years before the United States’ landmark Brown v. Board of Education.

Aug. 2, 1869: First “Redeemer” Government Established in Tennessee

The first “Redeemer” government is established in Tennessee after conservatives gain control of the state’s General Assembly, ushering in an era of Jim Crow segregation laws.

Hiram Rhodes Revels (photo) | Zinn Education Project

Jan. 20, 1870: Hiram Rhodes Revels Elected to U.S. Senate During Reconstruction

Hiram Rhodes Revels was the first African American to be elected to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Feb. 25, 1870: Hiram Revels Sworn into Office

Hiram Revels was sworn into office as senator from Mississippi, becoming the first African American to serve in the U.S. Senate.

Feb. 26, 1870: Wyatt Outlaw Murdered

Wyatt Outlaw, a Union veteran who became first Black town commissioner of Graham, North Carolina, was seized from his home and lynched by members of the Ku Klux Klan known as the White Brotherhood, which controlled the county.

March 30, 1870: Fifteenth Amendment

The 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution was formally adopted.

Oct. 19, 1870: First African Americans Elected to the House of Representatives

For the first time, African Americans were elected to the House of Representatives in 1870.

Oct. 30, 1870: Protest of Racist Policies on Streetcars in Louisville

Reconstruction era protest of racist discrimination on streetcars.

Dec. 12, 1870: Joseph H. Rainey First African-American in U.S. House of Reps

Joseph H. Rainey, from South Carolina, was the first African-American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.

April 20, 1871: Klan Enforcement Act Signed Into Law

President Ulysses S. Grant signed into law the third of the Enforcement Acts, a Reconstruction-era bill that empowered the Federal government to intervene where the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments are violated.

Statue of Octavius Catto with people gathered around it

Oct. 10, 1871: Octavius Catto Killed on Election Day in Philadelphia

Philadelphia Black educator, baseball player, and civil rights activist Octavius V. Catto was murdered by a white supremacist on election day.

Oct. 24, 1871: Los Angeles Chinatown Massacre

A lynch mob of 500 Anglo and Latino Los Angelinos rioted and murdered at least 18 Chinese residents after a white civilian died in a shootout.

P. B. S. Pinchback, first African American to hold the executive office | Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

Dec. 9, 1872: P. B. S. Pinchback Becomes Governor

P. B. S. Pinchback of Louisiana became the second Black governor in the United States.