At the end of the Civil War, Lincoln faced tremendous challenges, as did newly freed Black people seeking a way to fend for them
selves in their new situation: trying to earn a living, buy or lease property on which to do it, and protect themselves and their families from the brutalities of
vengeful former slave owners. Read the brief correspondences identifying these needs and challenges, and write a brief personal response.
Letter from a northern teacher to the Freedmen's Bureau e
• Correspondence from southern blacks who had been working land seized by the Union now Intended for return to its previous owners e
Letter from southern blacks requesting assistance and protection from the federal government e
What were the challenges facing Black people after the war? How did things change for the better, and how did they change in some cases for the
worse? Was it the federal government's responsibility to provide land and other assistance? Physical protection? Reflect briefly on the situation.
Freedmen needed to decide where to live and how to support themselves. Many also searched for lost family members. Not all were young or healthy enough to leave the plantations where they had been living. Some struggled with poverty and illness.
Exact PLATO answer:
Answers will vary but should touch on the fact that Black people had been "given" land to work during the War, which was now scheduled to revert back to the antebellum owners, and Black people were protesting this as unfair. Reflections should include a reference to the fact that the federal government had issued amnesty or pardons to the former landowners, so the case of ownership was not clear-cut. Reflections should also discuss the lack of options for Black people who were cheated, subjected to physical violence, or otherwise denied the rights they thought had been secured with the end of the war.
