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“Emancipation” (1865)

Thomas Nast's celebration of the emancipation of Southern slaves with the end of the Civil War. Nast envisions a somewhat optimistic picture of the future of free blacks in the United States.

Last Updated: July 22, 2022

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Language

English — US

Subject

History

Human & Civil Rights
Racism

Credit:

Library of Congress

Lesson

Students explore the strategies, risks, and historical significance of the 1963 Chicago school boycott, while also considering bigger-picture questions about social progress.

Crowd fills LaSalle Street between City Hall and building housing Board of Education as hundreds of demonstrators marched in Chicago on Oct. 22, 1963 following a one-day boycott of public schools.

Lesson

Students consider how US history books, films, and other works of popular culture have misrepresented the history of the Reconstruction era.

A portrait of W.E.B. Du Bois, head-and-shoulders, facing slightly right.

Lesson

Students examine how freed people in the United States sought to define freedom after Emancipation.

A black and white image of African American schoolchildren in Liberty County, circa 1890.

Lesson

Students learn about President Andrew Johnson and the Congressional Republican's conflicting visions of how to rebuild the nation after the Civil War.

Lesson

Through a video-based activity, students explore how Radical Reconstruction changed the nature of voting rights and democracy in the South.

Lesson

By examining periods of violence during the Reconstruction era, students learn about the potential backlash to political and social change.

Portraits superimposed on an image of the American flag

Lesson

Through a video-based activity, students examine America’s struggle for a stronger democracy during Reconstruction and today.

Dr. Martin Luther King leads thousands of civil rights demonstrators out on the last leg of their Selma to Montgomery 50-mile hike.

Lesson

Students explore the ways that Emancipation and Radical Reconstruction altered the lives of many Americans.

Survivors of slavery observe Juneteenth in hats, canes, and bonnets inAustin, TX

Unit

Teach a 3-week study of the Reconstruction era guided by the essential question "What can we learn from the history of Reconstruction as we work to strengthen democracy today?"

Mini-Lesson

This mini-lesson invites students to synthesize their learning about the causes of racial injustice in policing and reflect on the implications these causes have on the individual and collective choices we make today.

Black and white image of time for change protestor.

Mini-Lesson

This mini-lesson prepares students to engage in conversations about policing and racial injustice by inviting them to co-create class norms and reflect on the emotions and experiences they and their classmates bring.

Photo of students seated in a classroom.

Lesson

Students begin their study of Reconstruction by examining the relationship between the individual and society through an exploration of names.

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“Emancipation” (1865)

At a Glance

Language

Subject

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10 Questions for the Past: The 1963 Chicago Public Schools Boycott

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“Emancipation” (1865)

At a Glance

Language

Subject

You might also be interested in…

10 Questions for the Past: The 1963 Chicago Public Schools Boycott

A Contested History

Defining Freedom

The Political Struggle, 1865–1866

Interracial Democracy

Violence and Backlash

Legacies of Reconstruction

The World the War Made

The Reconstruction Era 3-Week Unit

Creating a Society That Ensures Safety for All

Preparing for a Conversation about Policing and Racial Injustice

The Power of Names

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