In the Reconstruction Era (1865-1876), students in grades 6-8 will explore the challenges Texas faced after the Civil War when the state had to rebuild its society and define its role within the reunited United States. This book examines the struggles over three significant questions that shaped Texas during Reconstruction: the future of freed African Americans, ex-Confederates' status, and how Texas would rejoin the Union.

Following the Civil War, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery in Texas, freeing 230,000 African Americans. However, their new legal status was unclear—would they become full citizens or face continued discrimination? At the same time, Texas’s ex-Confederates were grappling with their uncertain future, questioning whether they would regain citizenship or face punishment for fighting against the Union.

During the initial phase of Reconstruction, known as “Presidential Reconstruction,” President Andrew Johnson sought to reintegrate Texas by offering pardons to ex-Confederates and leaving decisions about African Americans’ rights to local leaders. As a result, Anglo-Texans passed laws that denied citizenship rights to freed African Americans and re-elected ex-Confederate leaders to Congress. This act angered Northern Republicans, leading to “Congressional Reconstruction.”

Under Congressional Reconstruction, Texas fell under military rule, and the state could not rejoin the Union until it ratified the 14th Amendment, which granted citizenship to African Americans. Congress also passed the 15th Amendment, ensuring voting rights for African Americans. These efforts aimed to reduce the power of ex-Confederates and ensure the rights of freed African Americans.

However, many Anglo-Texans reacted with hostility. Ex-Confederates formed groups like the Ku Klux Klan, using violence and intimidation against African Americans and their Republican allies. By the mid-1870s, ex-Confederates regained political power, and in 1876, they passed a new Texas constitution that stripped much of the authority gained by Republicans during Reconstruction.

Aligned with US History curriculum standards for grades 6-8, this book provides students with a detailed understanding of Texas's political, social, and racial tensions during Reconstruction. Through engaging narratives, maps, and historical documents, students will learn how the Reconstruction era reshaped Texas and had a lasting impact on its history.