U.S. Reconstruction

U.S. Reconstruction

U.S. Reconstruction

The process of reuniting the country and rebuilding the South after the Civil War.

Abraham Lincoln

U.S. President led the nation during the Civil War and initiated the Reconstruction process to restore the Union.

Andrew Johnson

Lincoln's vice president; Was impeached as President because Congress thought he was abusing his power.

freedmen

Former slaves who were granted freedom after the Civil War, often seeking land and rights during Reconstruction.

Emancipation Proclamation

A presidential order issued by Abraham Lincoln in 1863 that declared the freedom of all enslaved people in Confederate states.

13th Amendment

A constitutional amendment ratified (approved) in 1865 that abolished slavery in the United States.

Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction

Lincoln’s Reconstruction plan (1863) that required 10% of a southern state population to swear loyalty; granted pardons to most Southerners; Required southern states to accept the emancipation of slaves.

Wade-Davis Bill

A bill introduced in 1864 that proposed stricter requirements for southern states to rejoin the Union, including a majority of white males to take a loyalty oath and banned Confederate leaders from running for office..

Freedmen’s Bureau

A federal agency established in 1865 to assist freed slaves and poor whites in the South by providing food, housing, education, and medical care.

ratify

To approve a law or amendment

Thomas Nast

"Father of American Cartoons;” Drew political cartoons during Reconstruction.

Johnson’s Reconstruction Plan

Did not punish the South except for the rich & highest ranking Confederate officers - though, he was generous with pardons; Opposed equal rights for African Americans.

Radical Republicans

A faction within the Republican Party that advocated for stringent policies towards the South during Reconstruction, seeking to secure civil rights for freed slaves and to ensure their political and social equality.

Thaddeus Stevens

A leading Radical Republican and powerful advocate for African American civil rights, Stevens was instrumental in the push for Reconstruction policies.

Black Codes

Laws passed in Southern states to restrict the rights and freedoms of freed slaves after the Civil War (labor contracts, vagrancy laws, and restrictions on property ownership).

14th Amendment

An amendment to the U.S. Constitution that grants citizenship rights to all persons born or naturalized in the United States (except for Native Americans) and guarantees equal protection under the law.

Reconstruction Acts of 1867

Laws that divided the South into military districts and outlined the process for reintegration into the Union, aimed at enforcing civil rights for freed slaves.

Civil Rights Acts of 1867

Legislation aimed at protecting the civil rights of African Americans, prohibiting discrimination and ensuring equal rights in various aspects of public life.

impeach

To formally charge a public official with misconduct or wrongdoing, leading to a trial to determine removal from office.

removal

The process of dismissing a public official from their position, often following impeachment.

Civil Rghts Act of 1866

Granted citizenship to all those born in the U.S.

Election of 1868

A pivotal presidential election in which Ulysses S. Grant was elected as the 18th President of the United States, significantly influencing Reconstruction policies.

carpetbaggers

Northerners who moved to the South after the Civil War, often viewed as opportunists seeking to exploit the region's post-war turmoil.

scalawags

Southern whites who supported Reconstruction efforts, often perceived as traitors by other Southerners.

15th Amendment

The constitutional amendment that granted African American men the right to vote, prohibiting the federal and state governments from denying the right based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Civil Rights Act of 1875

A landmark law that aimed to protect all Americans, regardless of race, in their civil rights, prohibiting discrimination in public accommodations and on public transportation.

Hiram Revels

The first African American to serve in the U.S. Senate, representing Mississippi during Reconstruction. Revels was a minister and a prominent leader in the African American community.

Blanche K. Bruce

The second African American to serve in the U.S. Senate, representing Mississippi during Reconstruction. Bruce was a former slave and an advocate for civil rights.

Robert Smalls

An African American politician and former enslaved person who served in the U.S. House of Representatives during Reconstruction. Smalls is known for his daring escape from slavery and his significant contributions to civil rights.

The White League

A white supremacist paramilitary organization formed in the post-Civil War South that aimed to restore white Democratic control and suppress African American political power.

Ku Klux Klan

A secret society founded in the 1860s that used terror and violence to oppose Reconstruction and maintain white supremacy in the South.

Poll Tax

A fee required for voting, often used to disenfranchise African American voters and poor white citizens during the Reconstruction era.

literacy test

A method used to restrict voting by requiring individuals to demonstrate reading and writing skills, which disproportionately affected African Americans and poor white voters during Reconstruction.

Jim Crow laws

Laws that enforced racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans in the Southern United States, particularly after Reconstruction.

Amnesty Act of 1872

Legislation that restored voting rights and political participation to most former Confederates, helping to end Reconstruction efforts.

sharecropping

An agricultural system where farmers worked land owned by someone else in exchange for a share of the crops produced, often leading to a cycle of debt and poverty for African American families.

Election of 1876

A contested presidential election between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden, which ultimately led to the end of Reconstruction and the compromise that withdrew federal troops from the South. This election was significant due to its disputed results and the subsequent compromise that effectively ended Reconstruction policies.

Compromise of 1877

An agreement that resolved the disputed 1876 presidential election, resulting in Rutherford B. Hayes becoming president in exchange for the removal of federal troops from the South, effectively ending Reconstruction.

veto

A constitutional power that allows a president or governor to reject a bill or resolution passed by the legislature, preventing it from becoming law.

override

The process by which a legislature can nullify a veto by a president or governor, typically requiring a two-thirds majority in both chambers.