Reconstruction

Reconstruction

Period after the Civil War (1865–1877) focused on rebuilding the South, readmitting states, and securing rights for freed African Americans

Civil War End (1865)

Union victory that began Reconstruction and ended slavery

Primary Goals of Reconstruction

Reunite the Union, rebuild the Southern economy, and protect African American rights

Challenge of Reuniting the Union

Debate over how Southern states should be readmitted and whether to punish or forgive Confederates

Challenge of Southern Economy

War destruction left farms, railroads, and cities ruined and economy collapsed

Challenge of Citizenship

Freed African Americans lacked full legal rights and protections

Abraham Lincoln

President during Civil War who proposed a lenient Reconstruction plan

Ten Percent Plan

Lincoln’s plan allowing states to rejoin when 10% of voters took loyalty oath

Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction

Lincoln’s official name for the Ten Percent Plan

Lincoln’s Goal

Quick and peaceful reunification of the nation

Lincoln’s View of Union

Believed Southern states never legally left the Union

Andrew Johnson

Lincoln’s successor who favored lenient Reconstruction but opposed Black rights

Johnson’s Plan

Allowed Southern states to rejoin after ratifying 13th Amendment and abolishing slavery

Johnson’s Beliefs

Supported states’ rights and opposed African American suffrage

Johnson vs Congress

Conflict due to Johnson vetoing civil rights laws

Radical Republicans

Group in Congress that wanted strict Reconstruction and full rights for African Americans

Thaddeus Stevens

Radical Republican leader who supported harsh Reconstruction

Charles Sumner

Radical Republican leader who supported equality for African Americans

Wade-Davis Bill

Radical plan requiring 50% loyalty oath and Black equality (vetoed by Lincoln)

Freedmen’s Bureau

Agency providing food, education, jobs, and legal help to freed slaves

Freedmen’s Bureau Importance

Helped establish schools and legal rights for African Americans

13th Amendment (1865)

Abolished slavery in the United States

14th Amendment (1868)

Granted citizenship and equal protection under the law

15th Amendment (1870)

Gave Black men the right to vote

Civil Rights Act of 1866

Guaranteed basic civil rights and overrode discriminatory state laws

Black Codes

Laws passed in the South restricting African American freedom and rights

Vagrancy Laws

Allowed arrest of unemployed African Americans and forced labor

Purpose of Black Codes

Maintain white control and limit African American independence

Radical Reconstruction

Period when Congress took control and enforced stricter policies in the South

Military Reconstruction Act

Divided the South into military districts under federal control

African American Suffrage

Right of African American men to vote during Reconstruction

African American Political Participation

Black men held offices such as senators, representatives, and local officials

Hiram Revels

First African American U.S. senator

Blanche K. Bruce

African American senator during Reconstruction

Republican Party (Reconstruction)

Dominated Southern governments and supported African American rights

Scalawags

Southern whites who supported Reconstruction and Republicans

Carpetbaggers

Northerners who moved South for economic or political opportunities

Women in Reconstruction

Worked in education and reform but did not gain voting rights

Public School System

Tax-supported schools established in the South during Reconstruction

Segregation in Schools

Separate schools for Black and white students

Corruption

Misuse of political power for personal gain during Reconstruction

Railroad Expansion

Government supported railroads, leading to both growth and corruption

Freed People

Formerly enslaved African Americans building new lives after the war

Freed People Goals

Family reunification, education, land ownership, and independence

African American Churches

Centers for community, education, and political organization

Freedmen’s Bureau Schools

Provided education to African Americans

Land Distribution Problem

Most land owned by few wealthy whites, leaving many landless

40 Acres and a Mule

Proposed land redistribution plan that failed

Sharecropping

System where farmers worked land for a share of crops and often fell into debt

Share-Tenancy

System where farmers chose crops and paid landowners with crops

Tenant Farming

System where farmers paid cash rent and had more independence

Debt Peonage

Cycle of debt that trapped farmers in poverty

White Resistance

Opposition to Reconstruction and African American rights

White Supremacy

Belief that white people are superior and should dominate society

Ku Klux Klan (KKK)

White supremacist group using terror to control African Americans

KKK Tactics

Violence, intimidation, lynching, and voter suppression

Enforcement Acts (1870–71)

Federal laws to stop KKK violence and protect voting rights

Decline of Reconstruction

Decrease in Northern support and federal involvement in the South

Ulysses S. Grant

President during Reconstruction whose administration faced corruption

Freedmen’s Bureau End (1872)

Marked weakening of federal support for freed people

Slaughterhouse Cases (1873)

Supreme Court decision limiting 14th Amendment protections

U.S. v. Cruikshank (1875)

Ruled federal government could not punish individuals for civil rights violations

Redeemers

Southern Democrats who sought to restore white control

Redeemer Strategy

Appeal to white voters, criticize taxes, and discredit Reconstruction

Election of 1876

Disputed election between Hayes and Tilden

Rutherford B. Hayes

Republican who became president after Compromise of 1877

Samuel Tilden

Democrat who won popular vote but lost election

Compromise of 1877

Deal that made Hayes president in exchange for ending Reconstruction

End of Reconstruction (1877)

Federal troops withdrawn from the South

Reconstruction Successes

Union restored, slavery ended, citizenship and voting rights gained

Reconstruction Failures

Racism persisted, rights not enforced, economic struggles continued

Jim Crow Laws

Laws enforcing racial segregation in the South

Segregation

Separation of races in public and private life

De Facto Segregation

Segregation by practice rather than law

Civil Rights Cases (1883)

Supreme Court struck down Civil Rights Act of 1875

Voting Restrictions

Methods used to prevent African Americans from voting

Poll Tax

Fee required to vote

Literacy Test

Test used to determine voting eligibility

Grandfather Clause

Allowed voting if ancestors had voted before Civil War

All-White Primaries

Elections limited to white voters

Voter Intimidation

Use of violence to prevent voting

Lynching

Mob killing used to enforce racial control

Nadir

Lowest point of race relations in late 1800s

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Supreme Court case that legalized segregation

Separate but Equal

Doctrine allowing segregation if facilities were supposedly equal

Booker T. Washington

Advocated gradual progress through economic success and vocational education

Tuskegee Institute

School led by Washington focusing on industrial education

W.E.B. Du Bois

Advocated immediate equality and higher education

Ida B. Wells

Anti-lynching activist and journalist

Women’s Suffrage Movement Split

Division over whether to support Black male voting first

American Woman Suffrage Association (AWSA)

Supported 15th Amendment without women’s suffrage

National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA)

Supported voting rights for both women and African Americans

Republican Party Identity

Associated with ending slavery and supported by African Americans

Democratic Party Identity

Dominated white South and opposed Reconstruction

Federal vs State Power Debate

Conflict over whether federal or state governments should control rights

Result of Debate

Federal government reduced involvement, allowing states more control

Long-Term Impact of Reconstruction

Set foundation for civil rights but failed to protect African Americans in the long run