Reconstruction History & Legacy

MHS Event

Fee: $50

Register for this teacher workshop
Note: Teacher participants do not need to register separately for the conference events. This registration will cover their entire participation.

Join the Massachusetts Historical Society to explore what Reconstruction looked for Black Americans in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War and ensuing years. This teacher workshop is held in conjunction with the MHS Conrad E. Wright Research Conference on Reconstruction. Teachers will participate in the academic conference and then attend a teacher workshop to explore themes from the conference and ways to apply them to the classroom.

Participants will attend the following events, all included under the workshop registration:

• Wednesday, 24 June: An evening presentation by Dr. Manisha Sinha on the long history of Reconstruction (Zoom). Time TBA
• Thursday, 25 June: Conference Keynote Panel, MHS. Reception 3:00–4:30 PM, Keynote 4:30–5:45 PM (Zoom or in person).
• Friday, 26 June: Reconstruction Conference Sessions, 9:00 AM–4:15 PM, Suffolk University. Teachers will attend a Teacher Plenary session at 9:00 AM and three additional sessions of their choice. See conference description for details.
• Saturday, 27 June: Teacher Workshop 9:00 AM–4:00 PM, MHS. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.
• Saturday, 8 August: Assignment Feedback Session 10:00-AM–11:30 AM (Zoom).  Educators will provide feedback to one another on final assignments.

At Saturday’s workshop, scholars and K–12 educators will identify important takeaways from the conference, reflect on the accessibility of current scholarship for the K–12 classroom, and discuss best practices for introducing these themes to our students. We will explore Reconstruction through a variety of primary sources, including political cartoons, images, first-person accounts, maps, and speeches, developing strategies for incorporating this history into US History, Civics, and ELA classrooms. We will also discuss how the history of Reconstruction can be told through political, social, and economic lenses.

This program is open to all who work with K–12 students. 

Credits: Upon completion of the workshop and assignments, teachers can earn either 45 PDPs or 2 graduate credits with Worcester State University (for an additional fee of $250).

Refund Policy: We often have waitlists for our teacher workshops. If you register but are unable to attend, please email us at education@masshist.org. If you cancel within one week of the workshop, we will not be able to issue refunds.

Questions: Please email education@masshist.org with any questions.