Virginia SOL USII.2.e
The Standard
describing the role and motivations of individuals who sought to gain from Reconstruction including, but not limited to formerly enslaved people elected to office during the years right after the Civil War
Virginia Standards of Learning for History and Social Science
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students identify formerly enslaved officeholders, northern newcomers called carpetbaggers, and southern white Republicans called scalawags. They explain what each person hoped to gain and how these groups shaped Reconstruction governments.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Students use evidence from a short biography or source to identify a person’s goals, such as political rights, public service, money, or influence. They distinguish a person’s actions from hostile labels used by opponents.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may assume every carpetbagger came south only for money or that every scalawag betrayed the South. They may also think formerly enslaved officeholders lacked political experience or served only Black voters.
How to Assess It
- Give students three short profiles and ask: “What motivated each person, and what evidence supports your answer?” Require one accurate claim per profile.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Sort biography cards for Hiram Revels, Blanche K. Bruce, northern teachers, investors, and southern Republicans by goals and evidence.
Write a response to: “Can one Reconstruction leader seek public service, political influence, and personal gain at the same time?”
Play Motivation Match by pairing Reconstruction figures with evidence cards, then challenge one match using a second piece of evidence.
Compare a Reconstruction campaign speech with a current local candidate statement, noting promises, intended audiences, and possible motivations.
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