Overview Adopted from: “Reconstruction and the Formerly Enslaved” from National Humanities Center The aftermath of the Civil War was a crucial period in U.S. history. During this time, the United States began to reconstruct itself by giving slaves freedom, rebuilding…

Overview Adopted from: “Who Freed the Slaves?” from Zinn Education Project President Abraham Lincoln, who led the country during the Civil War, is known as the “Great Emancipator.” He drafted the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed black slaves in the United…

Overview Adapted from Andrew Jackson and the “Children of the Forest” from Zinn Education Project This lesson is a critique of Andrew Jackson’s 1830 address to Congress. With statements like “a few savage hunters,” Jackson’s address is a perfect example…

Overview Adopted from: The Cherokee/Seminole Removal Role Play from Zinn Education Project When considering 19th-century U.S. expansions such as the Trail of Tears, it’s important not to lose sight of the parallels that still move foreign policy forward today. Economic…

Overview Adopted from: “Whose ‘More Perfect Union’?” Role Play from Zinn Education Project Deepening their study of the U.S. Constitution, students will read the Federalist Paper #10 written by “Father of the Constitution” James Madison. The purpose is to further…

Overview Adopted from: “Whose ‘More Perfect Union’?” Role Play from Zinn Education Project Having convention experience, students should now be ready to examine the U.S. Constitution, keeping in mind the social perspective. This lesson provides questions to get students to…

Overview Adopted from: “Whose ‘More Perfect Union’?” Role Play from the Zinn Education Project The U.S. Constitution is the highly respected document on which the United States was founded. James Madison created this document, and through much debate and compromise,…