Examine “African American Officeholders in the Reconstruction South.” As a class, formulate several general statements about African-American officeholders, which the data support, and note them on the board.

Then, read the provided excerpt from James Shepherd Pike’s, The Prostrate State. This source includes racist language and caricatured depictions of Black legislators. See the “Teaching Tips” section above for suggestions about how to handle racist primary source content.

Discuss with the class: 

• How does Pike portray African Americans who held office? What point is Pike conveying to his readers?
• How does Pike’s portrayal repudiated align with the data on African American officeholders during Reconstruction? Does the data support or undermine Pike’s statements?

Individually or in small groups, have students write a letter to James Shepherd Pike, responding to his description of the South Carolina legislature. Students should use data from the chart to support their points.