A deep dive into the period after the Civil War, when the country struggled to both heal and find a way forward. An essential read for students ages 12 to 15 in today's cultural climate. After the Civil War, Americans struggled to repair the divided nation. How does a country rebuild the infrastructure, government, and economy of a huge region while taking steps to resolve the status of 4 million newly freed slaves? In Reconstruction: The Rebuilding of the United States After the Civil War, middle schoolers examine the era from 1865 to 1877, a time when the United States wrestled with questions that still plague the country today: Who should have access to citizenship and voting rights? How should the power of the federal government be balanced against the rights of the states? What is the proper government response to white supremacy? Readers use an inquiry-based approach to explore how political, economic, and social problems were handled during Reconstruction. Along the way, they design models for combating similar twenty-first-century problems, using critical and creative thinking skills. Graphic novel-style illustrations, amazing historical photography, and primary sources bring the past to life and illustrate how Reconstruction affected both blacks and whites. Despite the fact that the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments were routinely violated, they did not disappear, and even formed the legal basis for the civil rights movement--what some historians call the Second Reconstruction. An interdisciplinary approach explores the themes of Power, Authority, and Governance, Civic Ideals and Practices, and Individuals, Groups, and Institutions. Aligns with Common Core state standards. Additional materials include a glossary, a list of media for further learning, a selected bibliography, and index. Essential questions guide readers' investigations while hands-on activities promote critical and creative problem solving, and text-to-world connections highlight the way the past provides context for the present-day world. About the Inquire & Investigate series and Nomad Press Nomad Press books in the Inquire & Investigate series integrate content with participation, encouraging readers to engage in student-directed learning. Combining content with inquiry-based projects stimulates learning and makes it active and alive. Nomad's unique approach simultaneously grounds kids in factual knowledge while allowing them the space to be curious, creative, an