Reconstruction Era | Post US Civil War in Texas and the 13th and 15th Amendments (1865-1876) | Eras in Texas History | Grade 6-8 US History

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-Confe