global history reconstruction

Lincoln’s Actions During the Civil War

• suspended habeas corpus

• issues the emancipation proclamation (1863)

• Expanded presidential power to preserve the Union.

• supported the passing of the 13th amendment to permanently end slavery

Suspended habeas corpus

so suspected Confederate sympathizers could be jailed without trial (raised constitutional concerns).

Emancipation Proclamation (1863)

freeing enslaved people in Confederate states to weaken the South and redefine the war as a fight against slavery

what happend in venezuela (2026)

Venezuela has had political problems and unrest, and other countries, including the U.S., are involved.

why did venezuela happen

The government has been accused of being unfair and corrupt, and the country is facing economic problems.

constitutional issues of venezuela

• Raises questions about how much power the U.S. president has in dealing with other countries.

• Involves foreign policy decisions without Congress directly voting.

why is what happend in veneuzela important

• Could lead to more foreign involvement in Latin America.

• Connects to the idea that the U.S. tries to limit foreign influence in the Western Hemisphere (Monroe Doctrine).

monroe doctrine

A U.S. policy from 1823 that said European countries were not allowed to colonize or interfere in the Americas.

what happend january 6th

A mob stormed the U.S. Capitol to stop Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election results.

constitional issues of january 6th

• Threatened peaceful transfer of power.
  
  

• Challenged Congress’s role in certifying elections.
  
  

Raised questions about limits of free speech and executive responsibility.

why is january 6th still relevant today

• Sparked debates about democracy, accountability, and executive power.

• Led to criminal charges and discussions on protecting democratic institutions.

why did january 6th 2021 happen

• Trump spread claims that the 2020 election was stolen and encouraged supporters to protest on January 6th, which led to the Capitol riot.

goals of reconstruction (1865-1877)

• Rebuild the Southern economy and infrastructure.

• Reunite the Southern states with the Union.

• Define the status and rights of formerly enslaved people.

• Protect African Americans from discrimination.

Lincolns reconstruction plan (10% plan)

• Southern state could rejoin if 10% of voters swore loyalty to the Union.

• Offered amnesty to most Confederates.

• Goal: quick reunification, not punishment.

Johnson’s Reconstruction Plan

• Similar to Lincoln’s but favored Southern whites.

• Pardoned many former Confederate leaders.

• Allowed Southern states to create Black Codes.

• Angered Congress and led to conflict.

Congressional (Radical) Reconstruction

• Divided the South into 5 military districts.

• Required Southern states to ratify the 14th Amendment.

• Protected African American voting rights.

• Much stricter and focused on civil rights.

Black codes

• Laws passed by Southern states to limit freedom of African Americans.

• Restricted movement, jobs, and voting.

• Purpose: maintain white control and cheap labor.

Freedmen’s Bureau

• Federal agency that helped formerly enslaved people.

• Provided food, education, medical care, and legal help.

• Opposed by Southern whites; limited success due to lack of funding.

• counter to the black codes

Reconstruction Amendments

• 13th amendment (1865)

• 14th amendment (1868)

• 15th amendment (1870)

13th amendment (1865)

Abolished slavery in the United States.

14th Amendment (1868)

• Granted citizenship to all people born in the U.S.

• Guaranteed equal protection under the law.

15th Amendment (1870)

• Gave African American men the right to vote.

• States later found ways to weaken it.

Impeachment of President Andrew Johnson

• Johnson violated the Tenure of Office Act by firing a cabinet member.

• House impeached him; Senate fell one vote short of removal.

• Showed limits of presidential power.
  

Southern Economic Systems

• sharecropping

• tenant farming

• replaced slavery in the south after it legally ended

sharecropping

• Farmers worked land owned by others for a share of crops.

• Trapped workers (often Black) in debt and poverty.

tenant farming

• Similar to sharecropping but farmers rented land.

• Slightly more independence but still led to debt.

Ku Klux Klan (KKK)

• White supremacist terrorist group.

• Used violence and intimidation to stop Black voting.

• Targeted Republicans and African American leaders.

Enforcement Acts (1870–1871)

• Allowed federal government to use troops to stop KKK violence.

• Protected African American voting rights.

• Temporarily weakened the KKK.

Election of 1876 & Compromise of 1877

• Disputed election between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel Tilden.

• Compromise:

  • Hayes became president.

  • Federal troops removed from the South.

  • Ended Reconstruction

Voter Suppression Methods

• poll tax

• literacy tests

• grandfather clause

poll tax

• Fee required to vote.

• Targeted poor African Americans.

Literacy Tests

• Required voters to read and interpret text.

• Used unfairly against African Americans.

grandfather clause

• Allowed voting only if your grandfather could vote before the Civil War.

• Excluded African Americans.

Jim Crow laws

• Laws enforcing racial segregation in the South.

• Legalized discrimination in schools, transportation, and public places.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

• Supreme Court case that upheld “separate but equal.”

• Made segregation legal.

• Overturned later by Brown v. Board of Education.

reconstruction sucsesses

• Ended slavery.

• Gave African Americans citizenship and voting rights.

• Established constitutional protections.

reconstruction failures

• Federal protection ended too soon.

• Southern states regained control and limited Black rights. (black codes and Jim Crow laws)

• Segregation and discrimination lasted for decades.

Overall - Reconstruction was partially successful but failed to protect African Americans long-term.