The Reconstruction Era and the Fragility of Democracy | Facing History & Ourselves
Book

The Reconstruction Era and the Fragility of Democracy

This resource guides students through a deep exploration of the pivotal era of American history when a nation divided by slavery and war was challenged to rebuild.
Last Updated:

At a Glance

Book

Language

English — US

Subject

  • History
  • Social Studies
  • Democracy & Civic Engagement
  • Racism
Cover of The Reconstruction Era and the Fragility of Democracy.
Get This Resource

The Reconstruction Era and the Fragility of Democracy

ISBN: 978-1-940457-10-9
Date of Publication: December 2015

Purchase

Format: Print Book
Cost: $28.95

This book is available for purchase from most places you buy books, including major retailers and independent bookstores.

Purchase on Bookshop.org Purchase on Amazon.com

Download a PDF of this resource for free

Download this resource for free. By signing up for a Facing History account, you can access this and other resources. You'll also be able to save items for later and build collections for your class. It's fast, easy, and free!
Sign Up Already have an account? Log In

The Reconstruction Era and The Fragility of Democracy uses our pedagogical approach to help students examine how a society rebuilds after extraordinary division and trauma, when the ideals of democracy are most vulnerable. It provides history teachers with dozens of primary and secondary source documents, close reading exercises, lesson plans, and activity suggestions that will push students to build a complex understanding of the dilemmas and conflicts Americans faced during Reconstruction and to identify the legacies of this history that extended through the twentieth century to the present day. 

These materials will help students examine themes such as historical memory, justice, and civic participation in a democracy. The unit also includes a variety of interdisciplinary teaching strategies that reinforce historical and literacy skills.

You might also be interested in…

Most teachers are willing to tackle the difficult topics, but we need the tools.
— Gabriela Calderon-Espinal, Bay Shore, NY