The American Vision © 2012 Georgia Edition

"Southern Reconstruction"

Introduction
As you learned in this chapter, President Lincoln formed a plan in 1863 to rebuild the battered South and restore the Union. One of the first states in which Lincoln's Reconstruction policies were tested was Louisiana. When President Johnson and the Radical Republicans enacted their Reconstruction policies, Louisiana and other Southern states were forced to yield to the changes. By the time President Hayes's election effectively ended Reconstruction, Louisiana had experienced two state constitutions, a provisional government, military occupation, racial violence, Black Codes, and political battles. No other Southern state experienced the disorder and discord of Reconstruction more than Louisiana. Take an in-depth look at Reconstruction-era Louisiana by visiting this Web site.

Destination Title: Louisiana State Museum

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Directions
Start at the Louisiana State Museum Web site.

• Click on Online Exhibits.
• Click on The Cabildo.
• Click on Reconstruction I.
• Browse through the site, taking notes as you go. Be sure to click on the Reconstruction: Change and Continuity in Daily Life link.

1			Describe Louisiana's social problems after the Civil War.
2			What problems did the Freedmen's Bureau address? What were its limitations?
3			What rights did the Louisiana Constitution of 1868 guarantee? Why was it ineffective?
4			Describe Louisiana's political climate during Reconstruction.
5			How might Reconstruction-era Louisiana be depicted in a mural? On a separate sheet of paper, draw a sketch of your ideas. Meet with a small group of classmates to compare and discuss your sketches. Then work together to create a mural, using a large piece of art paper or pieces of poster board taped together. Display your mural in the classroom.