Reconstruction Era

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the Reconstruction Era following the American Civil War.

Reconstruction

A period of significant political, social, and economic transformation following the Civil War, involving rebuilding the South, integrating newly freed slaves, and reintegrating Southern states.

Republicans during Reconstruction

Played a pivotal role in reshaping the South and integrating formerly enslaved people into American society during Reconstruction (1865-1877).

Democrats during Reconstruction

Largely the party of the former Confederacy, opposing Reconstruction policies; resisted civil rights and political power for Black Americans, favoring local control.

Freedmen's Bureau

A U.S. federal agency established in 1865 during Reconstruction to assist former slaves and poor whites in the South with food, clothing, shelter, and medical care.

Andrew Johnson

The 17th president of the United States (1865-1869), assumed the presidency after Abraham Lincoln's assassination.

Black codes

Discriminatory laws enacted by Southern states after the Civil War (1865-1866) to restrict the rights and freedoms of African Americans.

Thirteenth Amendment

Ratified in 1865, officially abolished slavery throughout the United States.

Fourteenth Amendment

Ratified in 1868, primarily focuses on citizenship and equal protection under the law.

Fifteenth Amendment

Prohibits the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude".

Hiram Revels

An American Republican politician, minister in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and college administrator who was born free in North Carolina.

The KKK

A white supremacist, far-right hate group founded in 1865 during Reconstruction in the South; considered America's first terrorist group.

Plessy v. Ferguson

An 1896 Supreme Court case upholding the constitutionality of racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine.

Sharecropping

A post-Civil War farming system where farmers worked land owned by a landowner in exchange for a share of the crop at harvest.

Civil Rights

The rights of citizens to political and social freedom and equality.

Poll Tax

Taxes implemented as a way to disenfranchise African Americans and prevent them from voting.

Literacy Test

Tests primarily used to restrict voting rights, particularly targeting Black Americans and recent immigrants.

Grandfather Clause

A clause exempting certain classes of people from the requirements of legislation affecting their previous rights.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local statutes enacted in the post-Civil War era to enforce racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans.