Reconstruction Era Review

A collection of flashcards covering key concepts and events from the Reconstruction Era in American history.

What was the Proclamation of Amnesty of May 1865?

It was a plan initiated to restore the Southern states to the Union after the Civil War.

What was the role of the Freedmen's Bureau during Reconstruction?

Provided basic necessities like food, clothing, medical care, built schools, and helped negotiate labor contracts between blacks and whites.

What was the Wade-Davis Bill?

A reconstruction plan requiring a majority of a southern state's white male citizens to pledge loyalty to the United States before elections could be held.

What were the differences between Presidential Reconstruction and Congressional Reconstruction?

Presidential Reconstruction focused on leniency and basic necessities; Congressional Reconstruction imposed stricter measures including the ironclad oath and penalties for former Confederate leaders.

What is the significance of the Compromise of 1877?

It resolved the disputed 1876 presidential election, resulting in Rutherford B. Hayes becoming president and the removal of federal troops from the South.

How did Reconstruction fail in relation to voting rights?

Southern states implemented poll taxes, literacy tests, and grandfather clauses to circumvent the 15th amendment and restrict African American voting.

What were Black Codes?

Laws designed to strip African Americans of their rights after the Civil War.

Define Sharecropping.

A system used on southern farms after the Civil War where farmers worked land owned by someone else in return for a small portion of the crops.

What did the 13th Amendment accomplish?

It abolished slavery in the United States.

Who were the Radical Republicans?

Members of Congress who believed southern states needed significant social changes before being readmitted to the Union.

What was the purpose of the Reconstruction Acts?

These laws put Southern states under U.S. military control and required them to draft new constitutions.

Who was John Wilkes Booth?

The man who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln.

What does the term 'New South' refer to?

A term used by some southerners to describe the South after Reconstruction, emphasizing a shift towards industrialization.

Who were carpetbaggers?

Derogatory name for northerners who moved to the South to help with Reconstruction, such as teachers and social workers.

What was the outcome of the 15th Amendment?

It ensures that the right to vote cannot be denied based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

What led to the rise of Jim Crow laws?

The failure of Reconstruction to secure lasting rights for African Americans, leading to systemic racial segregation.