What were the challenges to African American citizenship after the Civil War?

Download Primary Source Set: Reconstruction

This 8th grade lesson is about citizenship from the perspective of African Americans after the Civil War. The purpose of this lesson is for students to consider the challenges that African Americans faced in achieving full citizenship rights, and actions they took to address this inequality. Students will closely examine the Fourteenth Amendment and a report from an African-American state convention committee in order to answer the lesson focus question, What were the challenges to African American citizenship after the Civil War?