Reconstruction and Intro

Vocabulary flashcards based on the introductory lecture covering course overview, historical methodology, and key concepts of the Reconstruction Era.

The Cold War

The post-World War II period that shaped much of United States foreign and domestic policy, occurring alongside major domestic events like the civil rights movement.

West Texas Collection Assignment

A major outside course assignment worth 15% of the total grade, involving archival research at a collection that opens an hour early on November 6.

History

An interpretive account of the past constructed through a disciplined process of problem solving supported by evidence that survives.

Historical Empathy

The skill and ability within the history discipline to put oneself into the shoes of past historical actors and past situations.

Civil War

A four-year conflict fought from 1861 to 1865 between the United States and seceding Southern states over long-standing disagreements regarding slavery.

Reconstruction Era

The period from 1865 to 1877 concerned with resolving post-Civil War issues, including rebuilding the South, reincorporating seceded states, and incorporating roughly 4,000,000 formerly enslaved people into the nation.

Andrew Johnson

The Southern Democrat Vice President who assumed the US presidency after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated and favored a lenient approach toward former Confederate states.

Radical Republicans

A group within Congress during the Reconstruction era that advocated for strict measures and punishments against the former Confederacy to prevent future rebellion.

Reconstruction Acts

Congressional laws that dissolved Southern state governments, divided the region into five military districts led by generals, mandated new state constitutional conventions, permitted black men to vote and serve as delegates, and excluded former Confederates from participating.