Discussion
1.) Why did Reconstruction fail? Who was president and why was he a failure in regards to Reconstruction? Should the Southern leadership have been punished? Refer to the “Disenfranchisement” section of your lessons in week two.
2.) It is surprising to see that so many black office holders existed in the South, just as Reconstruction was starting to fail. In what states did they hold office? But, then the situation changed and they were no longer in office. How were African Americans disenfranchised? What states had the worst voting rights laws? How did these states get away with doing this?
3.) Plessy v. Ferguson is one of the most famous Supreme Court cases in U.S. history. What happened in the case and what precedent did it set? Your chapters have an entire section on the legal system. Find your chapters under “lessons”. Be sure to incorporate that information in your answer (so expand on more than just the Plessy decision).
4.) The Buffalo Soldiers as a group had mixed feelings about participating in the Spanish American War. Who were the Buffalo Soldiers who fought in this war? What were the controversies about?
If you pick this question, start by referencing your lessons/text and here: https://www.nps.gov/prsf/learn/historyculture/buffalo-soldiers-and-the-spanish-american-war.htm