Assignment: Who Killed Reconstruction

US HISTORY-A
2024-09-23T14:20:43Z

Due: Sep 25, 2024 by 11:59pm

BACKGROUND

You will be participating in a trial to determine who or what destroyed Reconstruction. In the trial, the most obvious victims of the crime – African Americans – will be the jurors. One group, in the role of African American jurors, will help to establish the crime, question prosecutors, and decide who is most responsible.

There will be five other groups who will be tasked with prosecuting one of the defendants being charged with destroying the promise of interracial democracy during Reconstruction.

Defendant #1 - Democratic Party (pages 3-4 & 13-14)

Defendant #2 - Poor Whites (pages 7-8 & 17-18)

Defendant #3 - Racism: White Supremacy (pages 9-10 & 19-20)

Defendant #4 - Republican Party (pages 5-6 & 15-16)

Defendant #5 - Capitalism: The System of Profit (pages 11-12 &21-22)

The prosecutor’s job is to one, explain why the defendant you are prosecuting is most to blame, and two, explain why other defendants are not as much to blame as the defendant you are prosecuting. It is important to note that every defendant played a role in destroying Reconstruction, but your job is to convince the jury the defendant they are prosecuting should get the largest percentage of the blame.

TASK

STEP 1: You will be assigned a role and read through the case against your defendant.

STEP 2: You will adjust the mock indictment to be your own – you can cut out words and phrases that you think are not needed, add in their own words to emphasize key points, change words that they wouldn’t use to language that is more accessible.

STEP 3: You will add a section explaining why other defendants were not as much to blame. It is important to remember that your goal is to get the jury to convict the group that you are prosecuting for the crime. Explaining this will further your case to prove your defendant is the most responsible. Check out the “Others prosecution teams might argue…”

STEP 4: You will participate in the trial and present your case to the judge and jurors on Thursday, September 26th.

DUE

All preparatory work for the mock trial will be due on Wednesday, September 25th.

BACKGROUND

You will be participating in a trial to determine who or what destroyed Reconstruction. In the trial, the most obvious victims of the crime – African Americans – will be the jurors. One group, in the role of African American jurors, will help to establish the crime, question prosecutors, and decide who is most responsible.

There will be five other groups who will be tasked with prosecuting one of the defendants being charged with destroying the promise of interracial democracy during Reconstruction.

Defendant #1 - Democratic Party (pages 3-4 & 13-14)

Defendant #2 - Poor Whites (pages 7-8 & 17-18)

Defendant #3 - Racism: White Supremacy (pages 9-10 & 19-20)

Defendant #4 - Republican Party (pages 5-6 & 15-16)

Defendant #5 - Capitalism: The System of Profit (pages 11-12 &21-22)

The prosecutor’s job is to one, explain why the defendant you are prosecuting is most to blame, and two, explain why other defendants are not as much to blame as the defendant you are prosecuting. It is important to note that every defendant played a role in destroying Reconstruction, but your job is to convince the jury the defendant they are prosecuting should get the largest percentage of the blame.

TASK

STEP 1: You will be assigned a role and read through the case against your defendant.

STEP 2: You will adjust the mock indictment to be your own – you can cut out words and phrases that you think are not needed, add in their own words to emphasize key points, change words that they wouldn’t use to language that is more accessible.

STEP 3: You will add a section explaining why other defendants were not as much to blame. It is important to remember that your goal is to get the jury to convict the group that you are prosecuting for the crime. Explaining this will further your case to prove your defendant is the most responsible. Check out the “Others prosecution teams might argue…”

STEP 4: You will participate in the trial and present your case to the judge and jurors on Thursday, September 26th.

DUE

All preparatory work for the mock trial will be due on Wednesday, September 25th.