Quiz: Reconstruction to Jim Crow

Reconstruction

The period from 1865 to 1877 when the U.S. government attempted to rebuild the South and integrate formerly enslaved people into society.

Location of Confederate Surrender to Union

Appomattox Court House, Virginia; General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865, effectively ending the Civil War.

Challenges South Faced After Civil War

The South faced economic devastation, destroyed infrastructure, social upheaval, and the challenge of integrating newly freed Black Americans into society.

3 Goals of Reconstruction

Reunite the nation, rebuild the Southern economy, and establish rights and protections for freed African Americans.

Johnson's Reconstruction Plan

Lenient on the South; allowed Confederate states to rejoin the Union quickly if they ratified the 13th Amendment and pledged loyalty, but did little to protect Black rights.

Radical Republican's Reconstruction Plan

Harsher approach; required Southern states to grant Black men the right to vote and established military districts to enforce civil rights.

Grant's Stance on Civil Rights

Supported civil rights for African Americans, signed the Enforcement Acts to combat the KKK, and pushed for the 15th Amendment.

Sharecropping

A labor system where freedmen and poor whites rented land from plantation owners, paying with a portion of their crops; kept many in economic dependence.

13th Amendment

Abolished slavery in the U.S., ratified in 1865.

14th Amendment

Granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. and provided equal protection under the law (1868).

15th Amendment

Granted Black men the right to vote, stating voting rights cannot be denied based on race, color, or previous servitude (1870).

Elected Black State and Federal Officials During Reconstruction

During Reconstruction, over 2,000 Black Americans were elected to office, including U.S. senators and congressmen.

Freedmen's Bureau

Government agency created to help freed Black people and poor whites with food, housing, education, and employment.

Education for Newly Freed Black People (Howard University)

Founded in 1867 to provide higher education opportunities to Black Americans, one of the first historically Black colleges (HBCUs).

40 Acres & a Mule

A promise made by Union General Sherman to redistribute land to freed slaves; ultimately, the land was taken back, leaving Black Americans without economic support.

Black Codes

Southern laws designed to limit the rights and freedoms of African Americans, forcing many into low-wage labor and restricting movement.

KKK & Lynchings

White supremacist terror group that used violence and intimidation, including lynching, to suppress Black civil rights and maintain white dominance.

Election of 1876

Disputed election where Rutherford B. Hayes became president in exchange for ending Reconstruction by withdrawing federal troops from the South.

Hayes presidency

Hayes became president in exchange for ending Reconstruction by withdrawing federal troops from the South.

Reconstruction failure

Reconstruction failed due to Southern resistance, violence against Black Americans, lack of enforcement, and the federal government prioritizing national unity over racial justice.

Plessy v. Ferguson

1896 Supreme Court case that upheld racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the South, limiting Black rights from the late 1800s to the mid-1900s.

Voter suppression tactics

Literacy Test, Grandfather Clause, Poll Tax - tactics used to disenfranchise Black Americans and prevent them from voting.

Great Migration

Movement of millions of Black Americans from the rural South to northern and western cities between 1910 and 1970 to escape racism and seek economic opportunities.

Green Book

A guide for Black travelers to find safe places to stay.

Sundown Towns

All-white communities where Black people were not welcome after dark.

Redlining

Discriminatory banking and real estate practices that denied Black Americans homeownership and economic opportunities in certain neighborhoods.

Richmond Shipyard

Industrial site where many Black Americans worked during WWII, facing discrimination while contributing to the war effort.

Black American War Contributions

Black soldiers fought in segregated units, including the Tuskegee Airmen in WWII; the Double V Campaign promoted victory against both fascism abroad and racism at home.

Race Riots

Violent clashes, often sparked by racial tensions, such as the Chicago Race Riot (1919), Tulsa Race Massacre (1921), and Watts Riots (1965).

Kerner Commission

1968 report that analyzed racial unrest in the U.S., concluding that systemic racism and economic inequality caused urban riots.

President Wilson

Woodrow Wilson's presidency was marked by resegregation of federal workplaces and racist policies despite leading the U.S. during WWI.

Bronzeville, Chicago

A historically Black neighborhood known for its cultural and economic achievements, especially during the Great Migration.

Harlem Renaissance

A cultural, artistic, and intellectual movement of the 1920s centered in Harlem, celebrating Black identity and creativity.

Booker T. Washington

Civil rights leader who promoted economic self-sufficiency and vocational education for Black Americans; founded Tuskegee Institute.

W.E.B. DuBois & NAACP

DuBois advocated for immediate civil rights and co-founded the NAACP to fight racial discrimination.

Marcus Garvey

Leader of the Pan-African movement and founder of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA); promoted Black pride and self-reliance.

A. Philip Randolph

Labor leader who organized the first Black labor union and pressured FDR to end discrimination in defense industries during WWII.

Ida B. Wells

Journalist and activist who led anti-lynching campaigns and co-founded the NAACP.