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Civil rights wax museum project

In this lesson plan, students will choose African Americans prominent in the Civil Rights Movement and research aspects of their lives. They will create timelines of their subjects' lives and a speech about their subjects, emphasizing why they are remembered today.

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

By Sabrina Lewandowski.

North Carolina in the Civil War and Reconstruction

Primary sources and readings explore North Carolina during the Civil War and Reconstruction (1860–1876). Topics include debates over secession, battles and strategies, the war in North Carolina, the soldier's experience, the home front, freedom and civil rights for former slaves, Reconstruction, and the "redemption" of the state by conservatives.

Format: book (multiple pages)

Timeline of Reconstruction in North Carolina

In North Carolina in the Civil War and Reconstruction, page 9.2

Timeline of major events in North Carolina during Union occupation and after the Civil War, 1862–1877.

Format: timeline

The Kirk-Holden War

In North Carolina in the Civil War and Reconstruction, page 10.5

In response to Ku Klux Klan violence during Reconstruction, North Carolina Governor William Woods Holden declared martial law in Alamance and Caswell counties in 1870. The militia, led by former Union Col. George W. Kirk, rounded up Klan leaders in what opponents called the "Kirk-Holden War."

Format: article

Governor Holden speaks out against the Ku Klux Klan

In North Carolina in the Civil War and Reconstruction, page 10.4

Speech by North Carolina Governor William Woods Holden to the General Assembly, December 1869, asking for the power to declare martial law where needed to stop the violence of the Ku Klux Klan. Includes historical commentary.

Format: letter

Address to the Colored People of North Carolina

In North Carolina in the Civil War and Reconstruction, page 10.7

1870 broadside urging African Americans to support Governor William Woods Holden, then facing impeachment for his use of the militia to stop Ku Klux Klan violence. Includes historical commentary.

Format: poster

Commentary and sidebar notes by David Walbert.

The rise of the Ku Klux Klan

In North Carolina in the Civil War and Reconstruction, page 10.3

Contemporary description of Klan violence in the Carolinas during Reconstruction, written by African American lawyer John Patterson Green. Includes historical commentary.

Format: book

The murder of "Chicken" Stephens

In North Carolina in the Civil War and Reconstruction, page 10.6

Contemporary newspaper account of the murder of State Senator John. W. "Chicken" Stephens of Caswell County, by members of the Ku Klux Klan. Includes historical commentary.

Format: newspaper

Reconstruction

In North Carolina in the Civil War and Reconstruction, page 9.1

Brief history of Reconstruction, including Lincoln's plans, Johnson's presidency, radical reconstruction, military reconstruction, and the end of Reconstruction with the election of 1876.

Format: article

Reconstruction in North Carolina

In North Carolina in the Civil War and Reconstruction, page 9.3

Brief history of events in North Carolina following the Civil War, 1866–1876.

Format: article

John Adams Hyman

In North Carolina in the Civil War and Reconstruction, page 9.12

John Adams Hyman, a former slave, became the first black U.S. Representative from North Carolina, serving from 1873 to 1875.

Format: biography

Ku Klux Klan costumes in North Carolina, 1870

Format: image/illustration

Resources on the web

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

This website is devoted to the history of slavery and the Underground Railroad, this and also provides guidance and strategies for combating current prejudice and racism around the world. (Learn more)

Format: website/lesson plan

Provided by: National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

Freedom Never Dies: The Legacy of Harry T. Moore

Harry T. Moore paved the way for the '60s civil rights movement by championing equal pay for black teachers, organizing the black vote, and publicly condemning racist attitudes and actions of local, state and national officials. Learn more about this compelling,... (Learn more)

Format: website/general

Provided by: PBS