The African American experience in NC after Reconstruction

The documents included in this lesson come from The North Carolina Experience collection of Documenting the American South and specifically focus on African Americans and race relations in the early 20th century. The lesson juxtaposes accounts that relate to both the positive improvements of black society and arguments against advancement. Combined, these primary sources and the accompanying lesson plan could be used as a Document Based Question (DBQ) in an AP US history course.

A lesson plan for grades 11–12 English Language Arts and Social Studies

By Meghan Mcglinn

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Related topics

• Learn more about African American history, African Americans, American history, North Carolina, Reconstruction, slavery, and social studies.

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• demonstrate an understanding of the state of race relations in North Carolina after Reconstruction and in the early 20th century.
• learn about various perspectives related to race relations in North Carolina and evaluate major arguments of both sides.
• analyze primary sources and read for bias and author’s context.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

One to two days

Materials/Resources

• Computer lab or individual student computers (or print copies of documents)
• Access to Documenting the American South resources
• Copies of the Perspectives on African American Advancement Chart — one per student
• Pencils/pens

Activities

This lesson involves five fairly long documents. In order to make the material more manageable for students, it is suggested that only excerpts are assigned. Also, one option involves dividing the class into four groups and then assigning each group a particular document to read. Using the jigsaw method, students could then “teach” each other about the documents before completing comparisons or class discussions.

1. Have students read the following:
   1. John Merrick: A Biographical Sketch by R. McCants Andrews Suggested excerpt: Chapter 12 “The Larger Significance of North Carolina Mutual.” Also some sections of the introduction are useful since they provide background on Merrick and place the document in its historical context.
   2. The Negro in NC and the South by Chief Justice Walter Clark Suggested excerpts: this document is divided into many interesting themes, in particular “The Value of Negro Labor”, “Farm ownership”, “No Negro Problem” (notice the nativist views), and “Negro suffrage” all give clear indications of Clark’s perspective.
   3. W.E.B. Du Bois’s brief biography and The Upbuilding of Black Durham by W.E.B. Du Bois. Suggested excerpt: all of pp 334-338.
   4. Natural Selection and the Race Problem by Benjamin K. Hays (Notice that this article was printed in a medical journal. Suggested excerpts: all, pp. 1-21, in particular on p. 2 he refers to Frederick Douglas (the colored apostle), Du Bois on pp 11-12, equality p. 17, and the “true” position for African Americans on p. 20-21.
2. While students read, have them fill in the Perspectives on African American Advancement Chart. “Historic context” refers to the author’s position including his ethnicity, role in society, biography, etc. whereas “major points” are main arguments, bias, or points of view encountered in reading the text.
3. Ask students to write about or discuss in class the differing perspectives regarding African American advancement, the major issues facing their population in the years after Reconstruction ended and the white views that attempted to hinder their progress.

Assessment

Assess students based on their responses on their charts, as well as any contributions made to class discussions.

Supplemental information

Comments

This lesson is suitable for an advanced history class.