The American Vision Volume 1, Alabama Edition

Reconstruction

As you learned from reading this chapter, the end of the Civil War did not immediately solve the problems between the North and the South. The plan to restore the Union and rebuild the war-torn South, known as Reconstruction, was impeded by the conflicting agendas of the southern rebels who felt that the state was owed reparations for the damages incurred fighting for a cause they still believed in.

The Reconstruction Convention Simulation Report of the Joint Committee on Reconstruction of the First Session Thirty-Ninth Congress

• Begin by reading the interview of Brevet Brigadier General George E. Spencer, taking notes as you go.
• Next, read the letter from the Alabama correspondent featured on the Reconstruction Convention Simulation Web site. Be sure to take notes as you read.
• After you've read the interview and the letter, complete the following questions.

1			According to both Brevet Brigadier General George E. Spencer and the Alabama correspondent, what is the general attitude of Alabamians following the end of the Civil War?
2			In Spencer’s opinion, did the outcome of the war improve the lives of African Americans, or former slaves, living in the South?
3			Spencer and the Alabama correspondent agree that secessionists who might be elected to Congress plan to take what immediate action? Why is this goal so important to the secessionists ?
4			Using a graphic organizer, list the goals and outcomes of the Reconstruction. Imagine you are a member of Congress. You must form a plan of action that will initiate the healing process—social and economic—between the North and the South. What might your plan be? Once you’ve established your plan of action, meet with classmates to compare your plans. How do they differ from President Lincoln’s plan?