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Library of Virginia Offered Reconstruction-Era Focused Courses to Teachers

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A two-day teacher institute at the Library of Virginia has provided educators with the opportunity to advance their knowledge about the post-Civil War era-especially how the Commonwealth was transformed by the emancipation of slaves and Reconstruction. One major focus was on the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution-and their significant legacy. 

The “Reconstruction Amendments” sought to eliminate vestiges of the defeated system. The Library’s Public Services and Outreach Director, Greg Kimball, says that began with the 13th Amendment to outlaw slavery.

“A lot of people think Lincoln-quote-unquote-‘freed the slaves,’ but no.  The Emancipation Proclamation only applied to people enslaved in the states in rebellion.  And that didn’t include places like Maryland or Delaware.”

The Bill of Rights had applied to federal laws.  But Kimball says the 14th Amendment began extending those rights to states.

“This is one of the key struggles-is about whether states are going to be able to define what people’s rights are versus this new, emboldened federal government, who’s saying, ‘No, there are going to be some standards at the federal level for human rights on all the states.’” 

The 15th Amendment’s voting rights resulted in roughly 100 African-Americans serving in the General Assembly, as well as a public school system.  But white elites eventually set up a political machine that blocked those rights and ran the state until the 1960s.  Kimball says that’s one reason why emancipation was a process-not a single point in history.

The Library of Virginia’s Anne and Ryland Brown Teacher Institute provides educators with opportunities for in-depth study and training in history and social science instruction.

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