Key Topics in Reconstruction Era History

What was the Wade-Davis Bill?

A proposal for Reconstruction that required a majority of white males in a state to take a loyalty oath before rejoining the Union.

What were Black Codes?

Laws passed in the South to restrict the rights of freedmen and maintain white supremacy after the Civil War.

What significant event occurred on April 14, 1865?

Lincoln's Assassination.

What was Lincoln's 10% Plan?

A Reconstruction strategy that allowed a Southern state to rejoin the Union if 10% of its voters swore loyalty to the Union.

What did the 13th Amendment accomplish?

It abolished slavery in the United States.

What economic changes occurred in the South during Reconstruction?

Improvement in the Southern economy through industrialization.

What was the Freedmen's Bureau?

An agency established to assist freed slaves in the South by providing food, housing, education, and medical care.

What was sharecropping?

A system where freedmen and poor whites would farm land owned by others in exchange for a share of the crops.

Who was Hiram Revels?

The first African American to serve in the U.S. Congress.

What was the outcome of Johnson's Impeachment?

President Johnson was impeached but acquitted by one vote.

What did the Tenure of Office Act do?

It restricted the president's power to remove certain officeholders without the Senate's approval.

What was the Civil Rights Act of 1866?

Legislation that granted citizenship and equal rights to all persons born in the United States, including former slaves.

What did the 14th Amendment establish?

It granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. and provided equal protection under the law.

What was the Reconstruction Act of 1867?

Legislation that divided the South into military districts and outlined the process for Southern states to rejoin the Union.

What was the Ku Klux Klan?

A secret society formed in the South to oppose Reconstruction and maintain white supremacy through violence.

What did the 15th Amendment guarantee?

It prohibited the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on race.

What was significant about the Election of 1868?

Ulysses S. Grant was elected president, marking a significant victory for the Republican Party.

What were the Enforcement Acts of 1870 & 1871?

Laws aimed at protecting the voting rights of African Americans and curbing Klan violence.

What was the Republican Coalition?

An alliance of Republicans, including freedmen, Northern migrants, and Southern whites who supported Reconstruction.

What are carpetbaggers?

Northerners who moved to the South during Reconstruction, often perceived as opportunists.

What are scalawags?

Southern whites who supported Reconstruction and the Republican Party.

What were the factors that led to the collapse of Reconstruction?

Political compromise, economic challenges, and the rise of white supremacist groups.

What was the Civil Rights Act of 1875?

Legislation that aimed to guarantee African Americans equal treatment in public accommodations.

What was the significance of the Election of 1876?

It was a disputed election that led to the Compromise of 1877, effectively ending Reconstruction.

Who was Samuel Tilden?

The Democratic candidate in the disputed Election of 1876.

What was the Compromise of 1877?

An agreement that resolved the disputed 1876 election and resulted in the withdrawal of federal troops from the South.

What was the legacy of Reconstruction?

The establishment of Jim Crow laws that enforced racial segregation and disenfranchised African Americans.

What are the three different approaches to Reconstruction?

Wartime, Presidential, and Congressional (Radical) Reconstruction.

How did Reconstruction officially end?

It ended after the Election of 1876 and the subsequent Compromise of 1877.

What were the successes and failures of Reconstruction?

Successes included the abolition of slavery and the establishment of civil rights; failures included the rise of Jim Crow laws and ongoing racial discrimination.