Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What do you recall about the Reconstruction period in US history (1865-1877)? What were the goals and expectations of this era? Was Reconstruction considered successful? Why or why not?

Teaching Suggestion: This question orients students with the historical context of the late-19th century, during Post-Reconstruction in the American North. “Reconstruction” was the term given to the government program that supported war-torn Southern states. While the intent of Reconstruction was to rebuild the states’ economies and support people navigating life after Slavery, the reality was that Reconstruction legislature was largely ineffective. Many newly emancipated individuals did not have the means to leave their former enslaver’s properties and continued working for them as laborers. It might be helpful to remind students of the immediate history prior to the Reconstruction period, such as the Civil War (1861-1865), the Emancipation Proclamation (1862), and the assassination of President Lincoln (1865).

• This article from Britannica discusses the successes and pitfalls of the Reconstruction era.
• This article from MIT Press Direct explores the failures of Reconstruction.