This lesson was written by teacher Kory Loyola following the Jan. 6 insurrection last year and focuses on anti-democratic violence that took place in the post-Civil War period .
For a Google doc of this lesson, click here . (Note: You will need to make a copy of the Google doc to edit it.)
Overview
Regarding the violence on Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021, historians Kate Masur and Gregory P. Downs wrote :
It is tempting to consider Wednesday’s assault on the U.S. Capitol an exception in U.S. history, but the presence of Confederate flags and Sen. Ted Cruz’s ill-founded reliance on the 1876-1877 election crisis to justify baseless challenges to the 2020 electoral results remind us that anti-democratic violence has deep roots here, especially in the period of the Civil War and Reconstruction.
This lesson will examine some of the “anti-democratic violence” that took place in the post-Civil War period as well as the Capitol Hill Insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021. The activities in this lesson ask students to evaluate the significance of these events using specific historical thinking skills including comparison, causation, and continuity and change over time. Alternative resources are provided for all resources that may be behind a paywall.
Subject: Civics, Government, U.S. History
Estimated time: 50-60 minutes
Objectives: Students will
- Understand the significance of the anti-democratic violence in U.S. history by focusing on the Colfax and Wilmington Massacres and the Capitol Hill Insurrection.
- Understand the role of racism in these examples of mob violence.
- Draw connections across time periods using specific historical thinking skills.
Procedure:
This lesson can be used in either remote or traditional learning environments. It is designed for students who have learned about the Civil War and Reconstruction.
- Distribute Student Handout .
- Optional: As a whole group read the quote from Kate Masur and Gregory P. Down’s essay, Perspective | Yes, Wednesday’s attempted insurrection is who we are . If time allows, you might wish to read the whole essay with students or have them read it independently. This lesson can be completed without having students read this essay, although keep in mind the Washington Post permits 10 free articles a month.
- Have students examine the chart that lists some examples of racist anti-democratic violence. Students should understand that the chart only highlights a few of many examples of such violence.
- Have students read Black Past’s entry The Colfax Massacre (1873) . Students should answer questions on the handout regarding what surprised them and what questions they have about the Colfax Massacre. (Optional: If your school has a PBS Passport account, you may wish to watch the segment of Reconstruction: America After the Civil War that covers the Colfax Massacre: 36m:00s-39m:00s).
- Direct students’ attention to #5 on the Student Handout. Have them complete the section on the Colfax Massacre.
- Have students watch PBS’s The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow, Wilmington: A Peaceful City Turned Violent | PBS LearningMedia . Students should answer questions on the handout regarding what surprised them and what questions they have about the Wilmington Massacre. They should then compare it to the Colfax Massacre. (Optional: If your school has a PBS Passport account, you may wish to watch the segment of Reconstruction: America After the Civil War that covers the Wilmington Massacre; watch the start of the video to 5m:05s).
- Direct students’ attention to #5 on the Student Handout. Have them complete the section on the Wilmington Massacre.
- Have students watch the segment of PBS NewsHour, Mayhem erupts in the U.S. Capitol as Congress certifies electoral votes (mins 0-4:04) and Symbols of hate, and their racial implications, at the Capitol Hill riot (5:43 mins).
- Students should answer questions on the handout regarding what surprised them about the Capitol Hill Insurrection, what questions they have, and comparisons to it and the Colfax and Wilmington Massacres.
- Direct students’ attention to #5 on the Student handout. Have them complete the section on the Capitol Hill Insurrection.
- Debrief with students in a whole-group discussion. Ask them, “How are these incidents similar? How are they different?”
- Have students develop a one or two-sentence argument that addresses the prompt, “To what extent is the assault on the U.S. Capitol an exception in U.S. history?”
Extensions: Have students read and discuss the Masur and Downs essay or have students write an essay that addresses the prompt (#6 on the Student Handout).
Standards:
Common Core
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.7
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.8
Evaluate an author's premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.9
Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.4
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards:
- D2Civ.2.9-12
- D2.Civ.8.9-12
- D2.Civ.10.9-12
- D2.Civ.12.9-12
- D2.Civ.14.9-12
- D2.His.1.9-12
- D2.His.2.9-12
- D2.His.3.9-12
- D2.His.4.9-12
- D2.His.5.9-12
Standards
Common Core
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.1
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.2
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.7
Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.8
Evaluate an author's premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.9
Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.4
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.
College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards:
- D2Civ.2.9-12
- D2.Civ.8.9-12
- D2.Civ.10.9-12
- D2.Civ.12.9-12
- D2.Civ.14.9-12
- D2.His.1.9-12
- D2.His.2.9-12
- D2.His.3.9-12
- D2.His.4.9-12
- D2.His.5.9-12