Economic Restrictions and Opportunities of Freed People

This curriculum unit addresses the development of the free African-American community during Reconstruction. It asks students to examine the meaning of freedom through an economic lens. Furthermore, this unit addresses Reconstruction by examining the relationship of newly freed individuals with federal and state government policies, as well as their agency in their economic interactions and arrangement with white landowners.

The unit uses primary source documents to achieve the dual goals of developing literacy skills and encouraging historical thinking, through critical analysis and historical perspective.