Assignment: African American History

1) What issues most concerned black political leaders during Reconstruction?

2) What did black political leaders accomplish and fail to accomplish during Reconstruction? What contributed to their successes and failures?

3) Were black political leaders unqualified to hold office so soon after the end of slavery?

4) To what extent did African Americans dominate southern politics during Reconstruction? Should this era be referred to as "Black Reconstruction?"

5) Why did the Republican Party fail to maintain control of southern state governments during Reconstruction?

6) What was "redemption?" What happened when redemption occurred? What factors contributed to redemption?

7) How and why did Reconstruction end?

8) How effective was Reconstruction in assisting black people to move from slavery to freedom? How effective was it in restoring the southern states to the Union?