Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

The Freedmen's Bureau: Success or Failure?

For Teachers 6th - 9th Standards
What is freedom? The United States grappled with the question at the end of the Civil War after four million enslaved people were freed. Using circulars and images from the Reconstruction period, individuals examine how successful the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Battle Over Reconstruction: The Aftermath of War

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore public sentiment regarding Reconstruction. In this Reconstruction lesson, students analyze primary sources for evidence of the political, social and economic stability of the U.S. following the Civil War. Students...
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

Impeachment!

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed
Young scholars investigate the impeachment proceedings against Andrew Johnson, Richard Nixon, and William Clinton. In small groups they conduct Internet research on one of the three Presidents, and present a "brief" on the case,...
PPT
Curated OER

Presidents of Tennessee

For Teachers 4th - 8th
In this PowerPoint, students learn interesting facts about Presidents Andrew Jackson, James Polk, and Andrew Johnson. Slides provide details about the backgrounds of the men, personal information about their wives, excerpts from primary...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the impeachment proceedings of Andrew Johnson. In this U.S. Constitution lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture on the details of Andrew Johnson's impeachment and Reconstruction. Students...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Andrew Johnson Portrait

For Students 1st - 3rd
In this Andrew Johnson worksheet, students color and decorate a picture of the seventeenth President of the United States, Andrew Johnson.
Website
University of Groningen

American History: Biographies: Salmon P. Chase, Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

For Students 9th - 10th
Essay describing the attempts of Salmon Chase, the Supreme Court Chief Justice, to ensure that President Andrew Johnson received fair treatment at his impeachment trial in 1868.
Graphic
Library of Congress

Loc: Portraits of the Presidents & First Ladies

For Students 9th - 10th
A collection from the Library of Congress of formal and informal portraits of the US presidents and their first ladies.
Primary
American Presidency Project

American Presidency Project: State of the Union Addresses and Messages

For Students 9th - 10th
This site compiles all of the State of the Union addresses and messages by all the presidents in U.S. history (except William Henry Harrison and James A. Garfield).
Handout
University of Missouri

Famous Trials: Andrew Johnson Impeachment Trial

For Students 9th - 10th
An account of President Andrew Johnson's impeachment trial in 1868.
Website
University of Virginia

Miller Center at Uva: u.s. Presidents: Andrew Johnson

For Students 9th - 10th
An extensive look at Andrew Johnson and his administration. Includes a biography, information on his cabinet, and most importantly, an essay on the impact and legacy of his presidency. Don't miss reading this.
eBook
OpenStax

Open Stax: Restoring the Union

For Students 11th - 12th
Read this section from a chapter on "The Era of Reconstruction" to learn about Lincoln's plan to restore the Union at the end of the Civil War. Students will be able to discuss the tenets of Radical Republicanism and analyze the success...
eBook
OpenStax

Open Stax: Radical Reconstruction, 1867 1872

For Students 11th - 12th
This section explains the purpose of the second phase of Reconstruction and some of the key legislation put forward by Congress, describes the impeachment of President Johnson, and discusses the benefits and drawbacks of the Fifteenth...
Lesson Plan
Stanford University

Sheg: Document Based History: Reading Like a Historian: Radical Reconstruction

For Teachers 9th - 10th
[Free Registration/Login Required] Students use primary source documents to investigate central historical questions. In this investigation students read speeches by Thaddeus Stevens and Andrew Johnson in order to explore why the Radical...
Handout
White House Historical Association

The White House Historical Association: The Presidents

For Students 9th - 10th
Complete biographies and photos of all past presidents.
Website
Curated OER

National Park Service: Andrew Johnson National Historic Site

For Students Pre-K - 1st
The "Constitutional President," Andrew Johnson lived in this Tennessee historic site for 24 years. Peruse the history, culture, and photographs about the 17th president of the United States. Educators can take advantage of resources....
Website
Curated OER

National Park Service: Andrew Johnson National Historic Site

For Students Pre-K - 1st
The "Constitutional President," Andrew Johnson lived in this Tennessee historic site for 24 years. Peruse the history, culture, and photographs about the 17th president of the United States. Educators can take advantage of resources....
Primary
Other

Dead Presidents: Andrew Johnson's Obituary

For Students 9th - 10th
Read online Andrew Johnson's obituary as published in the New York Times on August 1, 1875. Covers his personal and political life, as well as the events leading up to his impeachment trial.
Unit Plan
CommonLit

Common Lit: Reconstruction

For Students 7th - 8th Standards
CommonLit.org is a wonderful resource to use in a Language Arts classroom. Each text is accompanied by guided reading questions, assessment questions, and discussion questions. In addition, students can click on words to see the...
Handout
University of Groningen

American History: Outlines: "With Malice Toward None"

For Students 9th - 10th
A four-page discussion of Reconstruction from the plans Lincoln made while the Civil War was still raging to the end of Reconstruction with the election of Rutherford B. Hayes.
Handout
University of Groningen

American History: Outlines: Opposing Views on Reconstruction

For Students 9th - 10th
A look at how Andrew Johnson tried to carry out Lincoln's plan for reconstruction. Read onto the second page to find out how the congressional plan thwarted Johnson and was much more punitive.
Website
University of Groningen

American History: Documents: Navajo Treaty of 1868

For Students 9th - 10th
This site from the University of Groningen provides the text of the original document of the Navajo Treaty of 1868 signed by President Andrew Johnson.
Handout
Digital History

Digital History: America's Reconstruction: A Visual Timeline of Reconstruction

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource provides a timeline of the Reconstruction era in the South.
Website
Digital History

Digital History: Two Plans for Reconstruction [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
Before his assassination, Abraham Lincoln was already making plans for Reconstruction in the South. Read about his plan and the plan of the Radical Republicans. See the reasoning behind each plan.