Pre-Reconstruction Essential Questions
Timeline Group Identify major acquisitions of land by the U.S. after independence o Focus on westward expansion o Briefly describe circumstances of acquisition Include map of U.S. showing various acquisitions Explain “Manifest Destiny” How did each acquisition of land change the status of slavery???? “Bleeding Kansas”/Dred Scott Explain significance of the Ks-Neb Act o What happened in Kansas as a result? o Who comes to Kansas and why? o Why opposed to slavery? Brief discussion of territorial governments Brief discussion of “Bleeding Kansas” – guerilla warfare Dred Scott o Circumstances of case o Significance of decision Economic Cause of Civil War Discuss role of slavery in economics of the South o What crops? o When and where did African slave labor begin? o What other groups were “tried”? How was slavery connected to Mercantilism? What was the impact of the Cotton Gin on slavery? o Stats Numbers of slaves Value of slaves Importance of cotton as an export Slaves as % of population Economic conditions of country in 1860? o Sectional differences Political Cause of Civil War Expansion of slavery o Free, slave, or people’s choice Discuss concept of states’ rights o How was it applied here? Issues of representation in Congress Compromises o Missouri o of 1850 Election of 1860 o Importance of Lincoln-Douglas Debates o Lincoln’s victory His words Viewed how in South
Northern Victory What advantages did the North have? South have? What was the strategy of the North? South? Briefly describe the “flow” of the war o South early o North later Turning Points Emancipation Proclamation o Sherman & Grant Blacks role in war Significance of northern victory? Ask Questions o What are you curious about? o What other things come to mind? What’s being Reconstructed and why? Condition of the country o Statistics analysis Deaths Money spent Debt incurred Property loss Including human property Northern Options o Where to go from here? South Freed blacks Southern Options o Where to go from here?
*************** For all Groups: Ask Questions? What other things come up as you learn about topics? o What are you curious about? o What other things come to mind? Beyond bulleted points… Final Product : 15-25 Minute Presentation Visual Aid Options o PowerPoint o Use of Overheads on Projector o Notes on Butcher Paper (Room 130) o Performance Art, Hand puppets, miming, mobiles o Vuvox o Animoto o Blogger o Youtube Grades will be based on how hard you work and how well you work together, as well as how well you discuss the bulleted points. **Plus additional curiosities and creativity.**