Reconstruction and Industrialization in America (1865-1941)

A comprehensive set of flashcards covering key terms and ideas from the Reconstruction Era, Industrialization, and the early 20th century.

Reconstruction Era

Period after the Civil War focused on rebuilding the South and integrating formerly enslaved people into society.

Presidential Reconstruction

Lenient Reconstruction plan by Lincoln and Johnson that quickly readmitted Southern states with minimal protections for freedpeople.

Congressional Reconstruction

Radical Republican plan that imposed stricter requirements on the South to protect Black rights and reshape society.

Reconstruction Act of 1867

Law dividing the South into military districts and requiring new constitutions and Black male suffrage.

Andrew Johnson

President after Lincoln who favored lenient policies toward the South and opposed civil rights protections.

Fourteenth Amendment

1868 amendment granting citizenship and equal protection under the law to all born in the U.S.

Fifteenth Amendment

1870 amendment prohibiting denial of voting rights based on race, color, or former slave status.

Freedmen’s Bureau

Federal agency providing food, education, and legal help to formerly enslaved people after the Civil War.

Jordan Anderson

Former enslaved man who wrote a famous letter demanding back pay, highlighting injustices of slavery.

Lost Cause Narrative

Post–Civil War Southern ideology that minimized slavery and glorified the Confederacy to justify racism.

Black Codes

Laws passed in the South to restrict Black freedom and maintain a cheap labor force.

Sharecropping

Agricultural system where farmers worked land for a share of crops, often trapping them in debt.

Ku Klux Klan

White supremacist group that used violence to suppress Black political and social rights.

Post-Reconstruction South

Period after 1877 when federal troops left and white Southern control led to segregation and discrimination.

Jim Crow Laws

State and local laws enforcing racial segregation and inequality in the South.

Weakening Amendments

Methods like poll taxes, literacy tests, and violence used to undermine the 14th and 15th Amendments.

Industrialization

Growth of industry and factories that transformed the U.S. economy in the late 1800s.

Second Industrial Revolution

Period of rapid industrial growth (1870–1914) involving steel, oil, electricity, and mass production.

Gilded Age

Late 1800s era of economic growth marked by inequality, corruption, and wealth concentration.

Capital Accumulation

Concentration of wealth among industrial leaders through monopolies and business expansion.

Telegraph

Communication system that sent messages over long distances using electrical signals.

Railroads

Expanded transportation network that boosted trade, unified markets, and displaced Native Americans.

Transcontinental Railroad

Completed in 1869, it connected the eastern and western U.S., speeding travel and trade.

Railroad Acts of 1862 and 1864

Federal laws granting land and loans to railroad companies to promote construction.

Homestead Act of 1862

Law granting 160 acres of land to settlers willing to farm it for five years.

Immigration (late 19th/early 20th century)

Large influx of immigrants from Southern/Eastern Europe and China who worked in labor-intensive jobs.

Chinese Exclusion Act

1882 law banning Chinese laborers from immigrating to the United States.

Progressives

Reformers who sought to address problems of industrialization like corruption, inequality, and poor working conditions.

Progressive Era

Period (1890s–1920s) focused on reforming government, business, and society.

Nineteenth Amendment

1920 amendment granting women the right to vote.

Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

1911 factory fire that killed 146 workers and led to workplace safety reforms.

U.S. Imperialism

Expansion of U.S. influence overseas for economic and military power.

Spanish-American War

1898 war where the U.S. defeated Spain and gained overseas territories.

Philippine-American War

War between the U.S. and Filipino forces resisting American rule.

World War I

1914–1918 global conflict; U.S. entered in 1917 and emerged as a world power.

Spanish Flu

1918 global pandemic that killed millions worldwide.

The 1920s

Decade of economic growth, cultural change, and social tension.

Roaring Twenties

Nickname for the 1920s highlighting economic prosperity and cultural dynamism.

Consumerism

Economic system driven by mass purchasing of goods, often using credit.

Harlem Renaissance

Cultural movement celebrating African American art, music, and literature.

Tulsa Race Massacre

1921 attack destroying a wealthy Black community in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Great Depression

Severe economic downturn starting in 1929 marked by unemployment and bank failures.

New Deal

FDR’s set of programs aimed at relief, recovery, and reform during the Great Depression.

CCC

Civilian Conservation Corps; provided jobs for young men in environmental projects.

WPA

Works Progress Administration; created jobs through public works projects.

Social Security

Program providing financial support to the elderly and disabled.

FDIC

Federal agency insuring bank deposits to prevent bank runs.

SEC

Agency regulating the stock market to prevent fraud.

Herbert Hoover

President during the early Great Depression who favored limited government intervention.

Franklin D. Roosevelt

President who implemented the New Deal and expanded the federal government’s role.