The FAILURE of RECONSTRUCTION [APUSH Review Unit 5 Topic 11] Period 5: 1844-1877

Reconstruction

The period after the Civil War focused on rebuilding the United States, particularly the South, and integrating formerly enslaved individuals into society.

Sharecropping

An agricultural system where landowners provide workers with seed and supplies in exchange for a share of the harvest, often leading to a cycle of debt and dependency.

Ku Klux Klan

A secret society founded in 1867 that used terror to maintain white supremacy and oppress African Americans through violence and intimidation.

Black Codes

Laws enacted in the South after the Civil War aimed at restricting the rights of African Americans and maintaining white supremacy.

Compromise of 1877

An agreement that resolved the disputed 1876 presidential election by withdrawing federal troops from the South, effectively ending Reconstruction.

Emancipation

The process of being freed from slavery, significant for African Americans after the Civil War.

Freedmen’s Bureau

A federal agency established to assist freed slaves and poor whites in the South by providing education, food, and reunification services.

White Supremacy

The belief that white people are superior to those of other racial backgrounds and should therefore dominate society.

Lynchings

Public executions carried out without legal trial, predominantly targeting African Americans in the post-Civil War South.

Agricultural Powerhouse

A region, particularly the South, characterized by extensive agricultural production and reliance on farming economy.