The first image, The “Rail Splitter” at Work Repairing the Union is a political cartoon. A political cartoon is similar to a meme with a political message.
The second image, “Reconstruction” is a lithograph that also conveys a political message. The message is explained on the Library of Congress source page:
https://www.loc.gov/resource/pga.01366/
Your reading defines Reconstruction as “the effort to restore southern states to the Union and to redefine African Americans’ place in American society.”
Rephrase the goals of reconstruction in your own words. That is, how would you explain reconstruction to a 9 or 10 year old?
Given what you have read about slavery and the Civil War in the background reading, do you consider these images to be optimistic (expecting the best
outcome) or pessimistic (expecting the worst outcome) about Reconstruction? You should describe what you see in each image to defend your answer. ( An
excellent answer will answer all parts of the question, and cite more than one descriiption of the image as evidence.) +600 WORDS
Reconstruction was a period of time when people tried to rebuild the parts of the United States that had been damaged due to the Civil War. This included repairing highways, schools and other buildings; making sure that people had food, clothing and homes; helping African-Americans become citizens with equal rights; and determining how states would be governed.
The first image, “The Rail Splitter” at Work Repairing the Union is an optimistic view of Reconstruction in that it depicts Abraham Lincoln taking personal action to help rebuild the nation by mending rail lines—symbolizing his dedication to restoring order after years of conflict. The use of a metaphor like this reveals an expectation for positive results from Reconstruction, as well as faith in America’s ability to bounce back and overcome its troubles.
The second image,”Reconstruction”, is a lithograph depicting two symbols: an American flag held up by Lady Liberty on one side, representing freedom and democracy; and Uncle Sam being aided in reconstructing a broken fence on the other side, symbolizing his effort in rebuilding what has been destroyed during war. This suggests optimism about Reconstruction as it shows hope for restoring stability to both society and politics through healing old wounds caused by racism, slavery, economic decline etc., thus paving way for a brighter future for all Americans regardless of their race or social class.
Overall these images are generally optimistic about Reconstruction because they show confidence in America’s ability to rise above its troubles with hard work and unity instead of furthering divisions within society. They also illustrate faith in government institutions providing support during times of hardship while symbolizing national pride even amidst chaos – suggesting successful outcomes from reconstruction efforts if everyone works together towards achieving peace and progress.