Reconstruction Terms For Test

Radical Republicans

A faction within the Republican Party during Reconstruction that advocated for the civil rights of freed slaves and harsh penalties for the Southern states that rebelled during the Civil War. They played a key role in passing the Reconstruction Amendments.

13th Amendment

A constitutional amendment that abolished slavery in the United States, ratified in 1865. It marked a significant milestone in the fight for civil rights.

14th Amendment

A constitutional amendment that granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States and guaranteed equal protection under the laws, ratified in 1868.

15th Amendment

A constitutional amendment that granted African American men the right to vote, ratified in 1870. It aimed to eliminate racial discrimination in voting.

Freedmen’s Bureau

A federal agency established in 1865 to aid formerly enslaved people in their transition to freedom, providing services such as education, healthcare, and employment assistance.

Pocket Veto

The presidential power to prevent a bill from becoming law by taking no action on it for ten days while Congress is adjourned, effectively "vetoing" the bill without a formal rejection.

10% Plan

A Reconstruction strategy proposed by President Abraham Lincoln that allowed Southern states to rejoin the Union if 10% of their voters pledged allegiance to the Union.

Wade Davis Bill

A Reconstruction proposal by Congress in 1864 that required a majority of white male citizens in a Southern state to take an oath of allegiance before the state could be readmitted to the Union, significantly stricter than Lincoln's 10% Plan.

Civil Rights Act

Legislation passed in 1964 that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, aimed at ending segregation in public places and employment.

Pardon

An official remission of punishment or a release from the guilt of a crime, often granted by a president or other authority to individuals who have committed offenses.

Black Codes

Laws enacted in the South after the Civil War that restricted the rights and freedoms of African Americans, aimed at maintaining white supremacy.

Presidential Reconstruction

The period following the Civil War when President Andrew Johnson implemented his plan for reorganizing Southern states, focusing on restoring the Union while offering leniency to former Confederate states.

Tenure of Office Act

A federal law enacted in 1867 that restricted the president's power to remove certain officeholders without the Senate's approval, primarily aimed at protecting members of Johnson's cabinet from being dismissed.

Military Reconstruction

The phase of Reconstruction where the South was divided into military districts governed by Union generals, to enforce order and protect the rights of freedmen.

Impeach

To charge a government official with misconduct in office, leading to a trial and potential removal from office.

Enforcement Acts

A series of laws passed between 1870 and 1871 aimed at protecting the civil rights of African Americans and combating the Ku Klux Klan's violence in the South.

Ku Klux Klan

A white supremacist group formed in the South during the Reconstruction era, known for intimidating African Americans and civil rights activists through violence and terror.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local laws enacted in the Southern United States, enforcing racial segregation and disenfranchising African Americans from the late 19th century until the mid-20th century.

Compromise of 1877

A political agreement that resolved the disputed 1876 presidential election, resulting in the withdrawal of federal troops from the South and effectively ending Reconstruction.

Wade Davis Bill

A proposal for Reconstruction that required a majority of white male citizens to take an oath of allegiance to the Union before a state could be readmitted.

Carpetbaggers

Northerners who moved to the South after the Civil War to profit from Reconstruction, often seen as exploiting the region's misfortunes.

Scalawags

White Southerners who cooperated with Northern Republicans during Reconstruction, often viewed as traitors by other Southerners.