Reconstruction and the West

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture on Reconstruction and the West, focusing on important events, legislation, and figures.

Reconstruction

The process of rebuilding and reforming the United States after the Civil War.

Federal Reconstruction Policy

The government’s approach to integrating Southern states into the Union and addressing the rights of freed slaves.

Radical Republicans

A faction of the Republican Party that advocated for the abolition of slavery and equal rights for ex-slaves.

Freedmen’s Bureau

Agency established in March 1865 to provide assistance to freed slaves and impoverished Southerners.

Black Codes

Laws passed in the South to restrict the rights of freed blacks and control black labor.

Presidential Reconstruction

Period of reconstruction focused on lenient policies toward the Southern states led by President Andrew Johnson.

Amnesty

A government pardon for individuals who participated in rebellion.

Fourteenth Amendment

Constitutional amendment that granted citizenship to all persons born in the U.S., including former slaves.

Fifteenth Amendment

Constitutional amendment that granted African American men the right to vote.

Ku Klux Klan

A secret organization that used terror to enforce white supremacy and prevent African Americans from exercising rights.

Reconstruction Act of 1867

Legislation that established military rule in Southern states and required them to create new constitutions guaranteeing male suffrage.

Military Districts

The divisions created by Congress to oversee the transition of the Southern states during Reconstruction.

Civil Rights Bill of 1866

Legislation that aimed to define citizenship and protect the civil rights of African Americans.

Scalawags

Southern whites who supported the reconstruction efforts and the Republican Party.

Carpetbaggers

Northerners who moved to the South during Reconstruction to seek economic and political opportunities.

Hiram R. Revels

The first African American to be elected to the U.S. Senate.

Sharecropping

A system where landowners provided land and supplies to laborers in exchange for a share of the crops produced.

Jim Crow Laws

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

Plessy v. Ferguson

A landmark Supreme Court case that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

Dawes Act

Legislation that aimed to assimilate Native Americans by allotting them individual plots of land.

Transcontinental Railroad

Railroad that connected the eastern U.S. with the Pacific Coast, facilitating transport and trade.

Buffalo Soldiers

African American soldiers who served in the U.S. Army during the Indian Wars.

Ghost Dance

A religious movement among Native Americans that expressed a desire for renewal and resistance against white oppression.

Tenure of Office Act

A law intended to restrict the President's ability to remove certain officeholders without Senate approval.

Ulysses S. Grant

Union General during the Civil War who became the 18th President of the United States.

Enforcement Acts

Laws passed to protect African Americans’ right to vote and to suppress the Ku Klux Klan.

Great Dakota Land Boom

A period when thousands of settlers moved to claim land in the Dakota Territory.

Fort Laramie Treaty

A treaty between the U.S. government and the Lakota Sioux that promised peace and land rights.

Quanah Parker

A leader of the Comanche tribe known for his resistance against U.S. government policies.

Medicine Lodge Creek Treaty

An agreement between the U.S. government and the Comanche to limit their territory and promote farming.

Little Bighorn

The site of a major victory for Native Americans against U.S. troops led by General Custer.

Wounded Knee

The site of the last major battle between U.S. forces and Native Americans.

Segregated South

A region characterized by laws and practices intended to enforce racial segregation and oppression.

Lumber Industry

The sector involving the logging and processing of timber, significant during the westward expansion.

Indian Peace Commission

A government body created to negotiate peace with Native American tribes and establish reservations.

Cattle Drives

The practice of moving large herds of cattle from grazing lands to market.

Barbed Wire

A type of fencing used on farms and ranches that transformed cattle ranching and land ownership.

Chisholm Trail

A cattle driving trail used in the post-Civil War era to herd cattle from Texas to Kansas.

Sitting Bull

A Hunkpapa Lakota leader who played a significant role in resisting U.S. government policies.

Homestead Act

A law that provided 160 acres of public land to settlers in exchange for a small fee and a commitment to cultivate the land.

Mining Towns

Settlements that sprang up around mining sites, often characterized by rapid growth and instability.

Texas Rangers

A law enforcement agency with a history of involvement in conflicts during the late 19th century.

Freedmen's Schools

Educational institutions established to teach formerly enslaved people.

Transcontinental Connection

The linking of railroads that enabled transportation across the continental United States.

Navajo Nation

A Native American territory that emerged as the largest reservation in the United States.

Pioneers

Settlers who moved westward to explore and develop new territories.

Reconstruction Amendments

The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, which addressed issues related to slavery and civil rights.

Public School System

An educational system funded and run by the government, established in the South during Reconstruction.

Black Churches

Religious institutions that played a crucial role in the African American community during Reconstruction.

Annexation

The act of adding a territory to an existing political unit, such as a state or country.

Reconstruction Efforts

The political, social, and economic initiatives taken to rebuild the Southern states after the Civil War.

Labor System

The organization and methods of labor used in the economy, particularly regarding agricultural work during Reconstruction.

Cultural Assimilation

The process by which a minority group adopts the customs and practices of the dominant culture.