Reconstruction and the birth of Jim Crow America, 1865-1877 ADED12057E

  • Academic Session: 2024-25
  • School: Short Courses
  • Credits: 5
  • Level: Level 1 (SCQF level 7)
  • Typically Offered: Semester 2
  • Available to Visiting Students: Yes
  • Collaborative Online International Learning: No

Short Description

In the wake of the American Civil War the Confederate South lay in ruins. Total military defeat was exacerbated by the end of slavery and the destruction of the once prosperous southern economy. But how would the South be treated by the Union victors? Who would be punished? What future was there for the over four million emancipated slaves? This course examines the Reconstruction period, the attempt to remodel Southern society through revolutionary legislation by the Republican party and the quest of freed slaves for economic autonomy and equal citizenship over 1861-1877. This course will analyse the reasons why these revolutionary initiatives collapsed, the rise of the Ku Klux Klan and the worst period of domestic terrorism in American history. We will also explore the subsequent emergence of legal restrictions on the ex-slave population in the shape of the infamous Jim Crow laws, a system of segregation and racial discrimination which continues to resonate throughout US society today.

Timetable

Live online

Block 2, 5 weeks

Weeks 6-10

Wednesdays, 19:00-21:00

Requirements of Entry

None

Excluded Courses

ADED11096E The American Civil War in Context, 1845-1877 (20 credits, SCQF 7) covers overlapping time periods and offers similar content to this course. Students should be mindful to the risks of self-plagiarism.

Co-requisites

none

Assessment

1,000-word source analysis comparing two contemporary primary sources and identifying the key event, cause or consequence of this period they refer to with reference to relevant historical perspectives (100%)

Course Aims

This course aims to:

■ provide students with a critical understanding of the key events, causes and consequences of the post-Civil War period of Reconstruction and the emergence of the Jim Crow era 1861-1877

■ introduce students to a wide selection of relevant contemporary sources and historical interpretations

Intended Learning Outcomes of Course

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ recognise and discuss the key events, causes and consequences of the post-Civil War period of Reconstruction and the emergence of the Jim Crow era 1861-1877

■ review and compare a selection of relevant contemporary sources and historical interpretations

Minimum Requirement for Award of Credits

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.