Reconstruction + Lincoln's Vision
The Era of Jim Crow
The Gilded Age
Immigration 1
Immigration 2
100
What is the "higher law" that Seward refers to and how does it challenge the Constitution?
The “higher law” is God’s law, which sees all people as equal. Seward claims this law overrides the Constitution. (Line: “there is a higher law than the Constitution, the law of God…”)
100
What is this and what does this artifact tell us about life during the Jim Crow South?
This is a literacy test used during the era of the Jim Crow South. It shows how people wanted to limit the black vote and create restrictions to have their vote count and undermine the 15th Amendment.
100
What details in the image help you understand the working conditions?
Children on machine/no shoes/fingers in machines/clothing is not protective/baggy clothing
100
Who wrote the poem on the Statue of Liberty? What is it called and why is it significant?
The New Colossus was written by Emma Lazarus in 1883. The New Colossus is significant because it welcomes immigrants to America as a land of hope and freedom. Its famous lines have become a powerful symbol of the United States as a refuge for people seeking a better life.
100
What is this place? Why is it significant?
This is Angel Island, located in San Francisco Bay, California. Angel Island served as the main immigration station on the West Coast from 1910 to 1940. It is sometimes called the “Ellis Island of the West.” Unlike Ellis Island, Angel Island was known for detaining and questioning mostly Asian immigrants, especially Chinese, due to restrictive immigration laws like the Chinese Exclusion Act. It represents an important and complex part of U.S. immigration history, highlighting both opportunity and discrimination.
200
What is being forced on the “Freesoiler” in this cartoon, and what does this symbolize?
The “Freesoiler” is being forced to swallow slavery, symbolizing the pro-slavery forces pushing slavery onto unwilling Northerners. (Visual analysis of the cartoon’s imagery.)
200
What is Thomas Nast attempting to communicate through this image?
This wood engraving by Thomas Nast was published in Harper’s Weekly in 1876 during the tense presidential election between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden. In the picture, Nast shows how deeply divided the country was and how much anger surrounded the results of the election. Symbols of violence, like weapons and threatening slogans, remind viewers that some groups were willing to use force to get their way.
Nast wanted readers to see that the compromises made to settle the election were not fair and that they gave in to intimidation rather than protecting democracy. The engraving suggests that Reconstruction was collapsing and that African Americans’ rights would soon be at risk as the South regained control.
200
What is this image symbolic of? Why is it significant?
Knights of Labor (1869)
- The first Major Union
- Open to all workers (men, women, skilled, unskilled)
- Wanted 8-hour workday and end to child labor
- Favored peaceful negotiation
200
Where is this? What was it used for?
This is Ellis Island, located in New York Harbor near the Statue of Liberty. Ellis Island was the main immigration processing center for millions of immigrants coming to the United States from 1892 to 1954. Immigrants were inspected here to decide if they could enter the country.
200
What law was put into effect in 1882 that relates to Angel Island?
The Chinese Exclusion Act was a U.S. law passed in 1882 that banned Chinese immigration for 10 years and prevented Chinese immigrants already in the country from becoming citizens.
300
What words or phrases in the telegraph display the tone concerning Lincoln’s death?
National Horror, Murderers, Tragedy, DEATH
300
What event is being referred to in this image? Why is it significant?
This wood engraving by Thomas Nast was published in Harper’s Weekly in 1876 during the tense presidential election between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden. In the picture, Nast shows how deeply divided the country was and how much anger surrounded the results of the election. Symbols of violence, like weapons and threatening slogans, remind viewers that some groups were willing to use force to get their way.
Nast wanted readers to see that the compromises made to settle the election were not fair and that they gave in to intimidation rather than protecting democracy. The engraving suggests that Reconstruction was collapsing and that African Americans’ rights would soon be at risk as the South regained control.
300
Who is this individual and what significance does he have in history?
Samuel Gompers. He created the American Federation of Labor (AFL), which focused on practical goals like higher wages, shorter work hours, and better working conditions for skilled workers. By the early 1900s, it had over 2 million members, making it the most powerful labor organization in the United States at the time.
300
What did the 6 second inspection at Ellis Island involve?
When immigrants arrived at Ellis Island, doctors performed a very quick health check called the 6-second inspection. In just a few seconds, the doctor looked for obvious signs of illness or disability to decide if the person might be too sick to enter the United States. If something suspicious was found, the immigrant had to undergo a longer medical exam.
Doctors checked immigrants’ eyes to look for signs of trachoma, a contagious eye disease that can cause blindness. If someone had trachoma, they might be quarantined or sent back because the disease could spread easily and was a serious public health concern.
300
What is happening in this picture? How is this symbolic of the experience at this place?
A young boy is being questioned or interviewed by three immigration officials at Angel Island. This image represents the intense and often intimidating interrogation process many immigrants faced at Angel Island. Unlike Ellis Island, where the focus was mostly on processing, Angel Island was known for long detentions and strict questioning, especially of Asian immigrants. The boy’s experience shows how immigrants were scrutinized and sometimes separated from their families, symbolizing the challenges, uncertainty, and discrimination many faced during their journey to enter the United States.
400
The minister mentions hope for “speedy tranquility” and a leader who would “secure it.” How does this reflect expectations for Lincoln’s approach to reunifying the nation? How might his death have affected plans for Reconstruction?
People believed that Lincoln would have been able to reunify the nation quickly and in an equitable fashion. When he was killed, it removed the uncertainty of plans to stabilize and reunify the country.
400
What groups are being exposed in this photograph? Is the artist in support of or against these groups? How do you know?
In this cartoon by political artist Thomas Nast, two groups, the Ku Klux Klan and the White League, are shown shaking hands. Behind them, an African American family lies on the ground, attacked and powerless. Above them, Lady Liberty, a symbol of freedom and America, is shown collapsing, strangled by violence and hate.
Nast wanted people to see how these groups used fear, violence, and murder to keep African Americans from voting, working, and living freely during Reconstruction. The cartoon suggests that the KKK and White League were destroying the promises of the Civil War and threatening democracy itself.
400
What were the three major strikes during the Gilded Age? Describe who was striking and big takeaways.
Haymarket Riot (1886) – Labor rally in Chicago turned violent after a bomb exploded; public blamed unions.
Homestead Strike (1892) – Steelworkers struck against Carnegie Steel; ended violently with Pinkerton guards.
Pullman Strike (1894) – Railroad workers’ strike shut down trains; federal troops broke it up.
400
Where is this? What is it called? Why is it so significant?
This is the Great Hall located on Ellis Island in New York Harbor. The Great Hall was the main processing center for millions of immigrants entering the United States from 1892 to 1954. Here, immigrants were inspected, registered, and given a chance to begin their new lives in America. It symbolizes the hopes, struggles, and diverse backgrounds of those who helped shape the country.
400
What does this image represent?
This image shows poems and engravings left by immigrants detained at Angel Island. These writings express their feelings of hope, frustration, loneliness, and longing while they waited to be allowed into the United States. The engravings are powerful reminders of the emotional and difficult experience many immigrants faced during their time on Angel Island.