Civil War & Reconstruction 1

Vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, constitutional amendments, key figures, and post-Civil War legislation during the Reconstruction Era (1865–1898).

Reconstruction

The post-Civil War period (1865-1898) focused on rebuilding the South's destroyed cities and railroads, as well as reunifying the nation, its transportation, and its factories.

End of the Civil War

The conclusion of the American Civil War, which officially ended on April 9, 1865.

Lincoln's 10% Plan

Abraham Lincoln's proposal to quickly reunite the nation by allowing a Southern state to be readmitted to the Union once 10% of its 1860 voters took an oath of allegiance to the U.S. and pledged to abide by emancipation.

13th Amendment

The constitutional amendment passed to abolish slavery.

14th Amendment

The constitutional amendment that granted citizenship.

15th Amendment

The constitutional amendment that gives citizens the right to vote.

Freedmen's Bureau

An agency established to help displaced people and newly freed slaves in the South by founding schools and providing food, shelter, and medical assistance.

Assassination of Abraham Lincoln

The event on April 15, 1865, where President Abraham Lincoln was killed while watching a play.

John Wilkes Booth

A Southerner angry at President Lincoln who assassinated him on April 15, 1865.

Andrew Johnson

The Vice President who became President after Lincoln's assassination; he was the first president to undergo impeachment proceedings and escaped removal from office by a single vote.

Black Codes

Laws passed in the Southern states immediately after the Civil War to restrict the freedom, work options, and movement of African Americans while reinforcing white supremacy.

Poll Tax

A fee required in order to vote, utilized by Southern states to prevent African Americans and poor people from voting.

Grandfather Clause

A law allowing individuals to vote if their grandfather had been permitted to vote, effectively excluding African Americans whose grandfathers were enslaved while exempting white voters from restrictions.

Ku Klux Klan (KKK)

A violent group formed during Reconstruction that used threats and violence against African Americans and their supporters to restore white control in the South.

Plessy v. Ferguson

An 1896 Supreme Court ruling that declared racial segregation legal under the principle that facilities could be 'separate but equal'.

Grant's Presidency (Reconstruction Role)

The administration of Ulysses S. Grant, which actively protected African American voting rights and combated the KKK with federal troops, but was ultimately weakened by internal scandals and corruption.