While I sympathize with all the #twitterstorians worrying that they aren’t going to cover all the US Survey material by the end of the semester, allow me to share 10 reasons why I think it’s *crucial* to always carve out enough time to sufficiently cover Reconstruction. /1
First, it helps destroy the tragically persistent myth that emancipation inaugurated racial equality. While seemingly obvious to academics, my students are always struck by how *little* immediately changed for black Americans in the South, & emphasizes long racial struggle. /2
Second, it allows students to recognize the birth of the modern American incarceration system. Especially teaching in Huntsville, TX, it is important to cover the black codes as the seeds for racial injustice that still shapes America today. /3
Third, in narrating the radical Republicans’ efforts to overturn Andrew Johnson’s failed policies, it underscores the importance of congressional oversight, even to the point of impeachment. (Sound familiar?) /4
Fourth, the Freedman’s Bureau and other federal activities demonstrate the importance of federal intervention in local matters, especially concerning minority rights. This is particularly potent when students read Southerner’s libertarian complains of federal overreach. /5
Fifth, it gives the opportunity to show how the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments transformed how the nation governed liberties, shifting constitutional rights from states to citizens. Now that birthright citizenship is under fire, these lessons are more important than ever. /6
Sixth, it forces us to highlight the efforts of black southerners who didn’t merely receive freedom, but fought for it. Assign readings from Robert Elliott, black congressman from SC, who powerfully argued for black suffrage/representation. /7
Seventh, discussing the rise of the KKK shows how white supremacy, when evicted from state and federal leadership, still tries to regulate via extralegal measures. Racial control, often via violence, permeates all of society, inside & outside official channels. /8
Eight, the collapse of Reconstruction, which was Lin large part due to moderates ceasing their support for radical measures in the hopes of national union, shows the pitfalls of the oft-worshipped notion of “compromise.” Moderation, on its own, is not a virtue. /9
Ninth, the rise of Jim Crow laws in the wake of Reconstruction’s failure bursts the students’ bubble of predestined progress & a teleological march toward freedom, highlighting how liberty is always a contested notion /no assured victory. /10
Tenth, & finally, finishing with 1877, rather than 1865, ends the semester on a tragic rather than triumphant note, which chips away at students’ sense of exceptionalism, and shows how the American Democratic Experiment is still an ongoing project. /11
I’m sure I missed other reasons—please fill them in. And apologies for any mistakes/typos, as I typed this between squat sets at my #histgym session.
