Topic 1: Reconstruction Key Terms

Ten Percent Plan

President Abraham Lincoln’s proposal for Reconstruction, announced in 1863. It allowed southern states to be readmitted into the Union once 10% of their voters swore allegiance to the U.S. and accepted emancipation. This plan applied in areas with existing Union support like Louisiana and Tennessee. It reflected Lincoln’s leniency and focus on reunification rather than punishment. Critics, especially Radical Republicans, believed it was too forgiving to former Confederates.

Radical Republicans

were a faction within the Republican Party who strongly advocated for the rights of freedpeople and harsher punishment for the South. Led by figures like Thaddeus Stevens and Charles Sumner, they clashed with President Andrew Johnson and passed key legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1866. They were instrumental in crafting the 14th and 15th Amendments. Their push for racial equality marked the most progressive period of federal civil rights action in the 19th century.

13th Amendment

Ratified in 1865, abolished slavery in the United States, except as punishment for crime. Passed by Congress before the end of the Civil War, it formally ended the institution that had defined southern society and economy. Its significance lay in transforming formerly enslaved people into free citizens in law. However, it did not provide protections for those freedoms, which would be contested during Reconstruction.

14th Amendment

Ratified in 1868, granted birthright citizenship and guaranteed equal protection under the law. It overturned the Dred Scott decision and extended civil rights protections to formerly enslaved people. Congress required southern states to ratify it before rejoining the Union. Its significance lies in its enduring role as a cornerstone of civil rights law in the U.S.

15th Amendment

ratified in 1870, prohibited denying a citizen the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. It aimed to protect the voting rights of Black men, particularly in the South. The amendment followed years of Black political engagement and participation. Despite its intent, southern states later undermined it through literacy tests and poll taxes.

Freedmens bureau

Established in 1865, was a federal agency created to assist freedpeople with education, labor contracts, and legal disputes. It also provided food and medical care to displaced Southerners. Though initially empowered, the Bureau was underfunded and faced resistance from white southerners. It symbolized the federal government’s brief attempt to protect Black rights and provide support during Reconstruction.

Black Codes

were laws passed by southern states after the Civil War to restrict the freedoms of African Americans. These laws criminalized vagrancy, limited mobility, and forced many freedpeople into exploitative labor contracts. States like Mississippi and South Carolina were among the first to enact them. They aimed to reassert white dominance and led to Congressional Reconstruction.

Civil Rights Act

This law was the first U.S. federal legislation to define citizenship and guarantee equal protection for all citizens regardless of race. It was passed by Congress over President Johnson’s veto in response to Black Codes. The Act laid the groundwork for the 14th Amendment. Its passage marked a significant shift in federal responsibility for civil rights.

Hiram Revels

was the first African American to serve in the U.S. Senate, representing Mississippi in 1870. A minister and educator, Revels filled a seat once held by Jefferson Davis. His election demonstrated the radical changes brought by Reconstruction and Black political participation. Revels’s role countered white southern claims of “Negro misrule” and inspired Black civic engagement.

Negro Misrule

was a racist term used by white southerners to discredit Reconstruction governments led or supported by African Americans. It was part of the Lost Cause narrative, which falsely depicted Black leadership as corrupt and incompetent. In reality, Black politicians helped establish schools and fairer laws. This myth justified later disenfranchisement and segregation.

Sharecropping

was an agricultural system where freedpeople and poor whites worked land owned by others in exchange for a share of the crops. It became widespread in the postwar South. While offering an alternative to slavery, it often trapped families in cycles of debt and dependency. The system preserved white landowners’ power and hindered economic mobility for freedpeople.

Colfax Massacre

occurred in Louisiana in 1873, when white supremacists killed over 100 Black men defending a Republican-controlled courthouse. It was one of the deadliest instances of racial violence during Reconstruction. The event symbolized white resistance to Black political power and federal authority. Its aftermath revealed the limitations of federal enforcement of civil rights.

Compromise of 1877

resolved the disputed 1876 presidential election by awarding Rutherford B. Hayes the presidency in exchange for withdrawing federal troops from the South. This marked the end of Reconstruction. The deal allowed white Democrats to regain control of southern governments. As a result, Black civil rights were abandoned, and segregationist policies soon followed.