Radical Republicans, Wade-Davis Bill, Thaddeus Stevens, Freedmen's Bureau

Why did Radical Republicans propose more rigorous plans for Reconstruction compared to President Lincoln’s more lenient approach? This lesson and activity examines the early Radical Republicans reconstruction plans - including the Wade-Davis Bill. Students will analyze documents including primary source resources to determine how the radical Republicans began to plan and favored a tougher and more extreme approach to Reconstruction.

Included in this resource:

Do Now primary source analysis and questions - Thaddeus Stevens’ 1867 speech to the House of Representatives
Creating a Reconstruction Plan critical thinking activity - How would you rebuild the South and reunited the country?
The Freedmen’s Bureau reading passage with scaffolding questions
Starting a New Life photograph analysis with scaffolding questions
Radical Republicans Begin to Plan reading passage with scaffolding questions
Thaddeus Stevens reading passage with scaffolding questions
Application/Closing/Higher-Order Thinking Question - What impact did the Radical Republicans’ early plans for Reconstruction have on the post-Civil War United States?
★ Please Note: I execute this lesson with my 8th grade honors students and my 11th grade gen-ed students. Please make an executive decision whether or not this lesson can be executed with your students based upon the preview file. Thank you!

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