5-1.5
Explain the purpose and motivations behind the rise of discriminatory laws and groups and their
effect on the rights and opportunities of African Americans in different regions of the United
States
Assessment Guidelines
Essential Knowledge
Appropriate
assessments require
students to explain the
purpose and
motivations behind
the rise of
discriminatory groups
such as the KKK
and their effect on
the rights and
opportunities of
African Americans in
the South during the
Reconstruction period.
During the Reconstruction period
several discriminatory groups
developed in order to intimidate the
freedmen. The most infamous of
these was the Ku Klux Klan.
Although originally the KKK was a
social organization of ex-Confederate
soldiers, it soon grew into a terrorist
group. The goal of the KKK was to
use violence, intimidation and voter
fraud to keep African American from
exercising their rights under
the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments
so that whites could regain control of
state governments. Public lynchings
and cross burnings became common
methods of intimidating African
Americans who did not ‘know their
place.’
Students should also be
able to explain the role
of discriminatory laws
such as the Jim Crow
laws and voting
restrictions that were
passed in the South in
the latter part of the
19th century. Students
should also be able to
compare segregation by
Discriminatory laws known as Jim
Crow laws were passed by all
southern state governments. Like the
slave codes of the antebellum period
and the Black Codes of the early
Lesson Plans
Materials:
Discriminatory Law/Group Organizer
Copies of Primary Source Documents
Copies of Exit Slip Questions
Social Studies Notebooks
Day 1
Activities:
Essential Question: How did discriminatory laws
and groups affect the rights opportunities of African
Americans in different regions of the United States?
1. Introduce Essential Question and distribute
exit slip questions and organizer. Students are
to glue these sheets into their social studies
notebook.
2. Divide students into three large groups and
distribute primary source documents. Each
group is assigned to one primary source
document to discuss and analyze.
3. Allow students time in their groups to read
law in the South with
segregation by practice
in the North.
Reconstruction period, these laws
were designed to keep the African
American majority under control.
Their aim was to maintain white
supremacy by keeping the races
socially separated and the African
American in a position of social
inferiority. Jim Crow laws made
separate facilities for African
Americans in schools, housing,
theaters,
on trains and everywhere else
mandatory.
and discuss text. Teacher moves and assists
as needed making notes to comments and
learning taking place among each group.
4. When time is up, the teacher will read each
text with the students and representative
groups discuss their reactions to the
document.
Evaluation/Assessment: Students are to choose
from one of the following exit slip questions
Exit Slip Questions
5-1.4 - What were the reasons for the rise of
discriminatory laws and groups?
- In what ways did the discriminatory laws and
groups affect the rights and opportunities of African
Americans as they began to re-establish their lives?
- How did discriminatory laws look from the point
of view of a newly-freed slave?
Day 2
Materials:
1. Paideia Seminar Lesson Plan
2. Goal/Reflection Sheets for Students
3. Primary Source Documents
4. Social Studies Notebooks
Activities:
Essential Question: How did discriminatory laws
and groups affect the rights opportunities of African
Americans in different regions of the United States?
1. Review Paideia procedures/guidelines
2. Set individual/class performance goals
3. Carry out seminar, remembering to distribute
primary sources, map out conversation/take
notes/etc. (seminar plan attached)
4. Complete reflection sheets
Evaluation/Assessment:
1. Write a narrative essay for one of the following
themes:
-The Rise of Discriminatory Groups
-The Role of Discriminatory Laws
-Segregation
2. Discriminatory Laws/Groups Organizer
Primary Source:
"The Victims of the Ku Klux Klan (1935)"
“Statement of George Smith”
“Louisiana Black Codes (1865)”
The Victims of the Ku Klux Klan (1935)
These statements are from a series of oral histories collected from former slaves under the New Deal’s WPA
Writers Project. Although the interviews were conducted during the 1930s, they describe events that took place in
the 1860s and 1870s. They describe in detail some of the tactics of the Klan, whose goal, according to U.S.
President Ulysses S. Grant, was "to reduce the colored people to a condition closely allied to that of slavery." The
transcriber of these audio tapes chose to spell the words to reflect the colloquial speech of the former slaves. If
you have a hard time understanding the source, try reading it out loud (but not in the library).
Pierce Harper
After de colored people was considered free an' turned loose de Ku Klux broke out. Some of de colored people commenced to
farming like I tol' you an' all de ol' stock dey could pick up after de Yankees left dey took an' took care of. If you got so you
made good money an' had a good farm de Klu Klux'd come an' murder you. De gov'ment built de colored people school houses
an' de Klu Klux went to work an' burn 'em down. Dey'd go to de jails an' take de colored men out an' knock der brains out an'
break der necks an' throw 'em in de river.
Der was a man dat dey taken, his name was Jim Freeman. Dey taken him an' destroyed his stuff an' him 'cause he was making
some money. Hung him on a tree in his front yard, right in front of his cabin. Der was some young men who went to de schools
de gov'ment opened for de colored folks. Some white widder woman said someone had stole something she own', so dey put
these young fellers in jail 'cause dey suspicioned 'em. De Klu Kluxes went to de jail an' took 'em out an' kill 'em. Dat happened
de second year after de War.
After de Klu Kluxes got so strong de colored men got together an' made a complaint before de law. De Gov'nor told de law to
give 'em de ol' guns in de commissary what de Southern soldiers had use, so dey issued de col'red men old muskets an' told
'em to protect theirselves.
De colored men got together an' organized the 'Malicy [Militia]. Dey had leaders like regular soldiers, men dat led 'em right on.
Dey didn't meet 'cept when dey heard de Klu Kluxes was coming to get some of de colored folks. Den de one who knowed dat
tol' de leader an' he went 'round an' told de others when an' where dey's meet. Den dey was ready for 'em. Dey's hide in de
cabins an' when de Klu Kluxes come dere dey was. Den's when dey found out who a lot of de Klu Kluxes was, 'cause a lot of
'em was killed. Dey wore dem long sheets an' you couldn't tell who dey was. Dey even covered der horses up so you couldn't
tell who dey belong to. Men you thought was your friend was Klu Kluxes. You deal wit' em in de stores in de day time an' at
night dey come out to your house an' kill you.
Sue Craft
My teacher's name Dunlap-a white teacher teachin' de cullud. De Ku Klux whupped him fo' teachin' us. I saw de Ku Klux ridin' a
heap dem days. Dey had hoods pulled ovah der faces. One time dey come to our house twict. Fus' time dey come quiet. It was
right 'fore de 'lection o' Grant jus' after slavery. It was fus' time cullud people 'lowed t' vote. Dey ast my father was he goint to
vote for Grant. He tell 'em he don' know he goin' vote. After 'lection day come back, whoopin' an' hollerin. Dey shoot out de
winder lights. It was 'cause my father voted for Grant. Dey broke de do' open. My father was a settin' on de bed. I 'member he
had a shot gun in his han'. Well, de broke de do' down, an' then father he shoot, an' dey scattered all ovah de fence.
Morgan Ray
. . . I heard a lot about the Klu Klux, but it warn't till long afterwards dat I evah see 'em. It was one night after de work of de
day was done and I was takin' a walk near where I worked. Suddenly I heard the hoof beats of horses and I natcherly wuz
curious and waited beside the road to see what was coming'. I saw a company of men hooded and wearin' what looked like
sheets. Dey had a young cullud man as der prisoner. I wuz too skairt to say anything or ask any questions. I just went on my
sweet way. Later I found out dey acclaimed de prisoner had assulted a white woman. Dey strung him up when he wouldn't
confess, and shot him full of holes and threw his body in de pond.
Statement of Georg Smith
Louisiana Black Codes (1865)
Louisiana. . . Sec. 1. Be it ordained by the police jury of the parish of St. Landry, That no negro shall be allowed to pass within the
limits of said parish without special permit in writing from his employer. Whoever shall violate this provision shall pay a fine of two
dollars and fifty cents, or in default thereof shall be forced to work four days on the public road, or suffer corporeal punishment as
provided hereinafter. . . .
Sec. 3. . . . No negro shall be permitted to rent or keep a house within said parish. Any negro violating this provision shall be immediately ejected and compelled
to find an employer; and any person who shall rent, or give the use of any house to any negro, in violation of this section, shall pay a fine of five dollars for each
offence.
Sec. 4. . . . Every negro is required to be in the regular service of some white person, or former owner, who shall be held responsible for the conduct of said
negro. But said employer or former owner may permit said negro to hire his own time by special permission in writing, which permission shall not extend over
seven days at any one time. . . .
Sec. 5. . . . No public meetings or congregations of negroes shall be allowed within said parish after sunset; but such public meetings and congregations may be
held between the hours of sunrise and sunset, by the special permission in writing of the captain of patrol, within whose beat such meetings shall take place. . . .
Sec. 6. . . . No negro shall be permitted to preach, exhort, or otherwise declaim to congregations of colored people, without a special permission in writing from
the president of the police jury. . . .
Sec. 7. . . . No negro who is not in the military service shall be allowed to carry fire-arms, or any kind of weapons, within the parish, without the special written
permission of his employers, approved and indorsed by the nearest and most convenient chief of patrol. . . .
Sec. 8. . . . No negro shall sell, barter, or exchange any articles of merchandise or traffic within said parish without the special written permission of his
employer, specifying the article of sale, barter or traffic. . . .
Sec. 9. . . . Any negro found drunk, within the said parish shall pay a fine of five dollars, or in default thereof work five days on the public road, or suffer
corporeal punishment as hereinafter provided.
Sec. 11. . . . It shall be the duty of every citizen to act as a police officer for the detection of offences and the apprehension of offenders, who shall be
immediately handed over to the proper captain or chief of patrol. . . .
Discriminatory Law/Group (Organizer)
Use the information from the lesson today to complete the chart below. Define both the Ku Klux
Klan and the Jim Crow Laws in their boxes. Then describe the motivation or purpose behind it.
Discriminatory Law or Group
Ku Klux Klan
Jim Crow Laws
Motivation or Purpose