Reconstruction Era Flashcards

Flashcards about the Reconstruction era in the United States after the Civil War.

What year did Reconstruction officially end in the United States?

1877

What was the Reconstruction era?

The era immediately following the Civil War focused on reunifying the North and South and addressing the status of freed slaves.

What event marked the end of the Civil War?

Robert E. Lee surrenders to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox, Virginia.

What were the main consequences of the Civil War for the South?

The South's economy suffered greatly due to the loss of life, destruction of infrastructure, and emancipation of enslaved people.

What were the two major questions that Reconstruction aimed to settle?

How to reunify the North and South and what to do with freed slaves.

What two events in 1863 began the Reconstruction process?

The Emancipation Proclamation and the restoration of Tennessee to the Union.

What was the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation?

It initiated the liberation of millions of enslaved African Americans.

What event opened up the question of how other states would rejoin the Union?

The state of Tennessee being fully restored to the union.

What was the main characteristic of presidential reconstruction under Lincoln?

A lenient approach towards the South when readmitting Southern states into the Union.

What were Lincoln's three requirements for Southern states to rejoin the Union?

Revoke ordinances of secession, 10% of the male population take loyalty oaths, and ratify the 13th Amendment.

What did the 13th Amendment do?

Abolished slavery in the United States.

Who became president after Lincoln's assassination?

Andrew Johnson

Who was Andrew Johnson?

He was a southerner from Tennessee who remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War.

What was Andrew Johnson's stance on Reconstruction?

He initially seemed like he would take revenge on the Southern planters but then adopted a moderate approach to Reconstruction.

What was the extent of legal consequences for Confederate leaders?

Practically no Southern leaders were held legally accountable, with only Henry Wirtz being executed for atrocities at Andersonville prison camp.

How did the Republicans respond to Johnsons actions?

They were angered by Johnson's lenient policies and wanted more protections for African Americans.