13th amendment
Stated that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude should exist within the US or any place within its jurisdiction, unless it is a punishment for a crime where the party shall have been duly convicted
Civil rights act of 1866
Pronounced that all African-Americans were US citizens, Nullifying the Dred Scott decision, and attempted to provide legal shield against the operation of the southern states black codes
14th amendment
Declared all persons born or naturalized in the US were citizens, obligated states to respect the rights of US citizens and provide them with equal protection of the laws and due process of law, disqualified former confederate political leaders from holding either state or federal offices, repudiated the debts of the defeated government of the confederacy, penalized a state if it kept any eligible person from voting by reducing that states proportional representation in Congress and the electoral college
Equal protection of the laws
The government body may not deny people protection; every individual must receive the same manner of treatment as others and similar circumstances
Due process of law
Legal matters must be resolved according to established rules and principles, and that individuals be treated fairly
15th amendment
Prohibited any state from denying or abridging a citizens rights to vote on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude
Civil rights act of 1875
Guaranteed equal accommodations in public places (hotels, railroads, in theaters) and prohibited Courts from excluding African-Americans from juries
Jay Gould
With James fisk, he obtained help from President Grant's brother-in-law in a scheme to corner the gold market. Treasury department brome scheme, but not before he made a huge profit
Crédit Mobilier
Insiders gave stock to influential members of Congress to avoid investigation of the profits they were making from government subsidies for building the transcontinental railroad
William tweed
Boss of local Democratic Party in New York City, masterminded dozens of schemes for helping himself and his cronies steal 200 million from New York taxpayers before the New York Times brought his arrest and imprisonment (boss tweed)
Spoilsmen
People who seek to profit by the spoil system or support in anyway; in the early 1870s, the early radical republican reformers gave way to such political manipulators
Patronage
Granting favors or giving contracts or making appointments to office in return for political support
Thomas Nast
Famous cartoonist who is artwork was based on political corruption. He drew boss tweed
Horace Greeley
Editor of the New York tribune That reform minded Republicans chose as their presidential candidate
Liberal Republicans
Reform minded citizens; advocated civil service reform, and an end railroad subsidies, withdrawal of troops from the south, reduce tariffs, and freer trade. Hated Grant
Panic of 1873
Overspeculation by financers and over building by industry and railroads led to widespread business failures and depression. Debtors on farms and in cities argued about what should be done; Grant finally adopted ideas of eastern bankers and creditors, and black southerners were the biggest losers as preoccupation with the financial crisis diverted the north attention away from what was happening in the south
Reconstruction
Period following the Civil War during which attempts were made to readdress the inequities of slavery and its political, social, and economic legacy and to solve the problems arising from the readmission to the union of the 11 states that had seceded
Proclamation of amnesty and reconstruction
Full presidential pardons would be granted to most Confederates who took an oath of allegiance to the union and the U.S. Constitution, and excepted the emancipation of slaves; a state government could be reestablished and excepted as legitimate by the US president as soon as at least 10% of the votes in that state took the loyalty oath
Wade Davis bill
Required to 50% of the voters of a state to take loyalty oath and permitted only non-Confederates to vote for a new state constitution
Andrew Johnson
Southerner from Tennessee, was vice president for Lincoln, and became president when Lincoln was killed. Opposed radical Republicans who passed reconstruction acts over his veto and he was the first US president to be impeached
Freedmen's Borough
Welfare agency providing food, shelter, and medical aid for both black and white Americans left destitute by the war. Established 3000 schools for freedpeople and taught 200,000 blacks to read
Congressional reconstruction
Second round of reconstruction where Congress featured policies that were harsher on southern whites and more protective of freed African-Americans
Radical Republicans
Champion to civil rights for black citizens; feared that reunify democratic party might again be dominant. Wish to punish the south for its secession
Charles Sumner
Leader of the radical republican party in the Senate
Thaddeus Stevens
Leading radical Republicans in the house of representatives; hoped to revolutionize southern society through period of military rule in which African Americans could exercise their civil rights, attend schools operated by federal governments, and take ownership of land confiscated from the planters
Benjamin Wade
Radical republican and US senator during reconstruction
Reconstruction acts
Divided the former confederate states into five military districts, disfranchised former confederates, and required them to ratify the 14th amendment and place guarantees in its constitution to grant franchise (right to vote) to all adult males regardless of race
Tenure of office act
Prohibited the president from removing a federal official or military commander without Senate approval
Edwin Stanton
Johnson secretary of war who was in charge of the military government in the south. Johnson try to dismiss him, but broke the tenure of office act and was impeached
Impeachment
Accuse a public official of misconduct in office
Scalawags
Name Democrats called Southern Republicans during reconstruction. (Were Whigs who were interested in economic development for their states and peace between sections)
Carpet baggers
Name Democrats gave to Northern newcomers during reconstruction (went South after war if they were investors interested in business, or if they were ministers and teachers with humanitarian goals)
Blanche K Bruce
African-American senator from the south that Republicans sent to the senate
Hiram revels
African-American who Republican sent to the Senate, and he took Davises seat in the Mississippi senate
Woman suffrage
Objected that right to vote only extended to men. 1869, Wyoming became first to grant women full rights
Redeemers
Southern conservatives who took Control of one state government after another; had different backgrounds but agreed on political program: states rights, reduce taxes and spending on social programs, and white supremacy
Rutherford B Hayes
Governor of Ohio who the Republicans nominated for president. He won
Samuel J Tilden
New York reform governor who had fought the corrupt tweed king who Democrats elected four president
Election of 1876
Republicans nominated someone untouched by grants administration and Democrats won popular vote and expected to put Tilden in the White House. The southern states returns were contested. To win, Tilden only needed one electoral vote from South Carolina, Florida, or Louisiana. In a straight party vote of 8-7, the commission gave all votes to Hayes and Democrats threaten to send election to house of representatives
Compromise of 1877
Democrats would let Hayes be president if he immediately and federal support for Republicans in the south, and supported the building of the transcontinental railroad. Hayes fulfill this by withdrawing federal troops protecting blacks in South
Ku Klux Klan
A white secret society founded in 1867 by former confederate general, Nathaniel Bedford forest. Burned black owned buildings and flogged and murdered several thousands Freedmen to keep them from exercising their voting rights
Force acts
Passed by Congress so government had power to stop KKK and protect black civil rights. Band clan membership, prohibited the use of intimidation to prevent blacks from voting, and gave the US military the authority to enforce the acts
Black codes
Restricted the rights and movement of blacks. They could not rent land nor borrow money to buy land, they cannot testify against whites in court, they had a sign work agreement or they could be arrested for vagrancy (under this contract labor system, blacks works Cottonfields under white supervision for low wages)
Sharecropping
Land Lord provided the seed and needed farm supplies in return for a share (usually 1/2) of the harvest
Amnesty act of 1872
Removed the last restrictions on ex Confederates, except for the top leaders. Chief political consequences was to allow southern conservatives to vote for Democrats thus re-taking control of the government