1. During Reconstruction, many farmers continued to grow cotton as their main cash crop, but some also diversified and began growing other crops such as tobacco, vegetables, and fruits.
2. During Reconstruction, the use of slave labor was abolished, and many former slaves became sharecroppers, working on the same plantations they had worked on as slaves, but as paid laborers.
3. During Reconstruction, many former slaves and poor whites were able to vote and hold political office, disrupting the power structure that had existed before the Civil War.
4. During Reconstruction, some small farmers were able to purchase land from plantations that had been divided up and sold off, but many struggled to make a living due to economic instability and lack of resources.
5. During Reconstruction, schools were established for former slaves and many African Americans gained education and political power for the first time.
6. During Reconstruction, some African Americans were able to purchase land through programs like the Freedmen's Bureau and the Homestead Act, but many were unable to do so due to discrimination and lack of resources.
To show before and after for statement #2 (Before the Civil War, large plantations used slaves as workers. During Reconstruction, the use of slave labor was abolished and many former slaves became sharecroppers), the group could create a skit or play that shows the daily life of a plantation before and after emancipation. In the first scene, slaves could be seen working in the fields while the plantation owner watches over them. In the second scene, the same plantation owner is seen hiring former slaves as sharecroppers, negotiating wages and work conditions. The scenes could be accompanied by narration or dialogue that explains the changes that occurred during Reconstruction. The group could also use pictures or drawings to illustrate the scenes and create a visual display.
Hoped this helped!