unit 6

Lincoln’s Ten Percent Plan

A moderate plan that allowed a southern state to be readmitted into the Union once 10% of its voters swore an oath of allegiance to the Union.

Wade-Davis Bill

Proposed by Radical Republicans, it required that 50% of a state's voters take a loyalty oath before reconstruction could begin.

Freedman’s Bureau

Established in 1865, this agency helped former slaves transition to freedom and provided food, housing, and education.

Black Codes

Laws passed by southern states to restrict the rights of newly freed African Americans and maintain white supremacy.

Sharecropping

A system where freedmen worked land owned by whites in exchange for a share of the crop.

Plessy v. Ferguson

The 1896 Supreme Court decision that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

Jim Crow laws

State and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States.

Military Reconstruction Act

Enacted in 1867, it divided the South into five military districts governed by Union generals.

Thirteenth Amendment

Abolished slavery in the United States.

Fourteenth Amendment

Granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S., including former slaves.

Fifteenth Amendment

Prohibited the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Thaddeus Stevens

A leading Radical Republican who sought to reshape the social and political order in the South.

Scalawags

Southern whites who supported Reconstruction and the Republican Party.

Carpetbaggers

Northerners who moved to the South during Reconstruction to take advantage of the post-war economy.

Ku Klux Klan

A secret society formed to promote white supremacy through intimidation and violence against African Americans.

Compromise of 1877

An informal agreement that resolved the disputed 1876 presidential election and ended Reconstruction.

Homestead Act of 1862

Legislation that provided 160 acres of public land to settlers who would farm it for five years.

Sodbusters

Nickname for homesteaders who lived on the Great Plains and plowed the land.

Battle of Little Bighorn

A significant 1876 battle where Lakota Sioux forces annihilated Custer's troops.

Ghost Dance movement

A religious movement among Native Americans aimed at restoring native traditions and repelling white settlers.

Dawes Severalty Act (1887)

Legislation aimed at assimilating Native Americans by allotting them individual plots of land.

Populist Party

A political movement aimed at representing the common folk, increasing economic opportunity, and reducing the power of elites.

Gilded Age

A period (1870s-1900) marked by economic growth and stark inequality.

Transcontinental Railroad

Completed in 1869, it connected the Eastern U.S. to the West, facilitating trade and migration.

Bessemer process

An innovative method for producing steel from iron that revolutionized construction.

Andrew Carnegie

Established Carnegie Steel Company and promoted the responsibility of philanthropy.

Vertical integration

Business strategy of controlling all aspects of the production process to maximize efficiency.

Horizontal integration

Consolidation of many firms within the same industry to create monopolies or oligopolies.

Trust & Monopolies

Business structures where a group of companies consolidate control over an industry.

Social Darwinists

Advocates of applying Darwinian concepts of survival of the fittest to economic competition.

Laissez-faire

An economic philosophy advocating minimal government intervention in the economy.

Robber barons vs. Captains of Industry

Terms used to describe powerful industrialists who exploited workers or contributed positively to society.

Knights of Labor

A significant labor organization that sought to unite all workers and advocate for better conditions.

American Federation of Labor

A federation of labor unions focused on skilled labor and collective bargaining.

Collective bargaining

A process of negotiation between employers and a group of employees regarding working conditions.

Great Railroad Strike of 1877

A nationwide strike protesting wage cuts that led to violent clashes.

Homestead Strike

An 1892 strike against steel company management that led to violence.

Pullman Strike

A nationwide railroad strike that escalated into a confrontation with federal authorities.

Scabs

Workers who continue to work or replace striking workers, often leading to conflicts.

New Immigrants vs. Old

Recent immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe compared to earlier immigrants from Northern and Western Europe.

Ellis Island

The primary entry point for immigrants in New York undergoing inspections before entering the U.S.

Chinese Exclusion Act

1882 legislation prohibiting Chinese laborers from immigrating to the U.S.

Nativists

Individuals favoring native inhabitants over immigrants, leading to discriminatory policies.

Hull House

A settlement house offering social services to immigrants in Chicago.

Tenements

Overcrowded housing units where many immigrants lived, often under poor conditions.

Tammany Hall

A powerful New York City political machine known for its corruption.

Boss Tweed

The notorious leader of Tammany Hall engaged in rampant corruption.

Political machines

Organizations using patronage and corruption to maintain political power.

Hayes-Tilden Standoff, 1876

A controversial election leading to the Compromise of 1877 and the end of Reconstruction.

McKinley Tariff Act

An act that raised tariffs on imported goods to protect American industry.

Sherman Silver Purchase Act

Legislation aimed at increasing the amount of silver purchased by the U.S. government.