Reconstruction Web Sites
America’s Reconstruction: People and Politics After the Civil War ★★★★☆
This exhibition is part of the Digital History site that contains an up-to-date U.S. history textbook; annotated primary sources on slavery, United States, Mexican American, and Native American history; and succinct essays on the history of ethnicity and immigration, film, private life, and science and technology. The text is by Eric Foner, the DeWitt Clinton Professor of History at Columbia University and renowned expert on Reconstruction, and Olivia Mahoney, Director of Historical Documentation at the Chicago Historical Society.
Civil War and Reconstruction, 1861-1877 ★★★★☆
This Library of Congress exhibition contains succinct overviews of several aspects of the Civil War and Reconstruction and features primary sources, maps, and images.
Harper’s Weekly Reports, 1857-1874 ★★★★☆
For over a quarter of a century Harper’s Weekly captured the lion’s share of the national newspaper audience. Materials from the magazine are presented in order to give a true historical picture of the leading 19th-century newspaper’s view of black Americans.
Freedmen’s Bureau Online ★★★★☆
The Freedmen’s Bureau supervised all relief and educational activities relating to refugees and freedmen, including issuing rations, clothing, and medicine. This site contains the records of the Bureau and is a great site for research.
Emma Spaulding Bryant Papers ★★★★☆
Emma Bryant’s letters to her husband John, who worked for the Freedmen’s Bureau in 1873, provide insights into the problems of Reconstruction.
The Impeachment of Andrew Johnson ★★★★☆
Harper’s Weekly portrayed in everyday detail to its readers of 1865-1869 the current events, issues and personalities that were central to Reconstruction and the impeachment of Andrew Johnson. Among the Harper’s Weekly materials on this Website are 27 political cartoons, as well as 47 news articles, briefs, and explanations of some of the 34 illustrations. There are also 90 editorials and an index.
Roanoke Island Freedmen’s Colony ★★★☆☆
This new Web site presents an introduction to the Roanoke Island freedmen’s colony and the colonial experiment that was conducted there from 1862 to 1867.
Lesson Plans, Teacher Guides, Activities and more
After Reconstruction: Problems of African Americans in the South (Lesson Plan)
Designed by The Learning Page of the LOC, this lesson plan focuses on the problems that went unsolved throughout reconstruction. Students are encouraged to conduct research using primary sources. Recommended for High School aged students.
Reconstruction Learning Module
Digital History’s learning module on Reconstruction features learning tools, and recommended books, films, and websites.
Reconstruction in the South: Multiple Choice Quiz, Fill-in-the-Blank, Flashcards, American History Glossary, and an American History Appendix
The Student Resources section of The American Nation companion web site features introductions to chapters, interactive quizzes, flashcards, web links, an American History Glossary, and an American History Appendix
Interpreting Primary Sources
Digital History provides brief excerpts from primary sources and statistics and also questions to think about. Check out “Reconstruction”, and “African Americans after Slavery”
HistoryTeacher.net: AP United States History Quizzes
A New York teacher has produced a great general site for history teachers that offers AP-level United States history quizzes on many different periods and topics.
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History offers lessons, quizzes, activities and primary source documents on a variety of topics including the reconstruction era.
Through the Lens of Time: Images of African Americans
This Web site is a joint project between VCU Libraries and the Valentine Richmond History Center and provides nearly 300 photographs of African American life in turn-of-the-century Central Virginia from the 1860s to the 1930s.