Forty Acres and a Mule | Reconstruction 360

Historian Kate Masur explains the origins of 40 Acres and a Mule, a famous phrase that many have heard but may not fully understand. It originated in the early days of Reconstruction, when General Sherman issued Field Order 15, giving thousands of freed people abandoned land along the coast of South Carolina and Georgia.

Reconstruction 360 is a digital educational program that explores Reconstruction history through humanities themes. This module, 40 Acres and a Mule, focuses on the theme of land and labor as experienced by freedpeople at the close of the Civil War. Set in South Carolina, it features 360-degree interactive video and short documentaries, and includes lesson plans, primary documents, and curriculum standards.