Reconstruction after the American Civil War social studies lesson for kids

Reconstruction after the American Civil War social studies lesson for kids -  social studies skills studied in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th grades.

The period which came after the American Civil War is known as Reconstruction, it was the rebuilding of America. There was a lot to be negotiated, like would the Confederate states be allowed to rejoin the Union, what would the terms be, who would establish the terms (the President, or Congress), what place did the free black people have in the South, and did the abolition of slavery entitled black people to the same status as the white people? What should be done with Confederate leaders, men who were considered by the North to be traitors?
While the military conflict was over, Reconstruction was, in many ways, a battle. It was a battle between radical Northerners looking to punish the South for their dissent, and the desperate Southerners who were desperate to preserve their lifestyles.
In practical terms, slavery died when the American Civil War ended. There were three amendments in the Constitution that was altered to include rights for African Americans. Firstly, the Thirteenth Amendment rid slavery from every state and territory. The Fourteenth Amendment prevented states from depriving male citizens of equal protection, no matter what race they were. The Fifteenth Amendment gave African American men the right to vote. For the Southern states to be readmitted to the Union, they would have to agree with these amendments. These amendments were a positive step to racial equality, unfortunately they proved incredibly difficult to enforce.
Reconstruction lasted over 1865 through 1867. When Andrew Johnson took over after Lincoln’s assassination, he proposed a more lenient policy to those in the South. He pardoned most of the Southern whites and appointed governors, outlining steps to create new governments for each state. President Johnson believed that it should be up to each state to decide how they would want to treat black people. This infuriated many Northerners, with the South returning Confederate leaders to positions of power. The North was also alarmed by the adoption of Black Codes by the South, which sought to maintain white supremacy. Those recently freed black citizens were starting to feel that the South felt no different post-war than it did pre-war. Continue reading below>>>

During the 1866 Congressional elections, Radical Republicans were able to take power, looking to punish the South and prevent them from continuing in power. It was in 1867 that the Military Reconstruction Act was passed, this divided the South into 5 districts, outlining how their governments would be designed.
Under federal rules the newly freed black people could vote, and even hold political offices, serve as police chiefs, and judges. They took positions that had previously been held by Southern Democrats, leaving Southerners angry and disillusioned. President Johnson attempted to veto all of these initiatives but Congress overrode him. It was the Radical Republicans that had Johnson impeached in 1868, preventing him from hindering their reforms.
Not everyone supported Radical Republicans, and many Southerners were unable to accept that former slaves were not just allowed to vote, but could hold office. It was during this era that the Ku Klux Klan was formed. In 1865 Nathan Bedford Forrest, a former Confederate general, co-founded the Ku Klux Klan. The KKK waged a reign of terror, aimed at black people as well as local Republican leaders. A typical night’s work from the Klan included lynching’s, beatings, and massacres. Republicans and Southern black citizens turned to Washington for help, unable to protect themselves from the attacks.

After a decade of federal involvement between the radicals and Congress, both sides grew weary. Eventually, the Union troops were withdrawn in 1877, which brought new attempts to take away the rights of African Americans.
It was following the Civil War Reconstruction Era that the Republican and Democratic parties switched platforms.