unit 6

6.1 Reconstruction

Plans for Reconstruction

  • Lincoln’s Ten Percent Plan: A moderate plan that allowed a southern state to be readmitted into the Union once 10% of its voters swore an oath of allegiance to the Union.

    • Wade-Davis Bill: Proposed by Radical Republicans, it required that 50% of a state's voters take a loyalty oath before reconstruction could begin and included protections for freedmen.

    • Freedman’s Bureau: Established in 1865, this agency helped former slaves transition to freedom and provided food, housing, and education.

Johnson Reconstruction

  • Black Codes: Laws passed by southern states to restrict the rights of newly freed African Americans and maintain white supremacy.

  • Sharecropping: A system where freedmen worked land owned by whites in exchange for a share of the crop, often leading to cycle debt and poverty.

  • Plessy v. Ferguson: The 1896 Supreme Court decision that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the “separate but equal” doctrine.

  • Jim Crow laws: State and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States.

Radical Republican

  • Military Reconstruction Act: Enacted in 1867, it divided the South into five military districts governed by Union generals, establishing safeguards for African American voting.

Amendments

  • Thirteenth Amendment: Abolished slavery in the United States.

  • Fourteenth Amendment: Granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S., including former slaves, and provided equal protection under the law.

  • Fifteenth Amendment: Prohibited the federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Important People/Key Terms

  • Thaddeus Stevens: A leading Radical Republican who sought to reshape the social and political order in the South.

  • Charles Sumner: An abolitionist and senator who fought for civil rights for African Americans.

  • Rutherford B. Hayes: The 19th U.S. president who oversaw the end of Reconstruction.

  • Ulysses S. Grant: Civil War general who became the 18th U.S. president, supporting Reconstruction efforts.

  • Scalawags: Southern whites who supported Reconstruction and the Republican Party.

  • Carpetbaggers: Northerners who moved to the South during Reconstruction to take advantage of the post-war economy.

  • Ku Klux Klan: A secret society formed to promote white supremacy through intimidation and violence against African Americans.

  • Redeemers: Southern Democrats who sought to regain control from the Republicans and restore white supremacy.

  • Exodusters: African Americans who migrated from the South to Kansas in the late 19th century to escape racial violence and find new opportunities.

Compromise of 1877

  • An informal agreement that resolved the disputed 1876 presidential election and resulted in the withdrawal of federal troops from the South, effectively ending Reconstruction.

4.2/4.3 Westward Expansion

  • Homestead Act of 1862: Legislation that provided 160 acres of public land to settlers who would farm it for five years.

    • Sodbusters: Nickname for homesteaders who lived on the Great Plains and plowed the land.

  • Battle of Little Bighorn: A significant battle in 1876 where Lakota Sioux forces annihilated Custer's troops.

    • George Custer: U.S. Army officer, his last stand resulted in a defeat that fueled the aggressive U.S. military actions against tribes.

  • Ghost Dance movement: A religious movement among Native Americans aimed at restoring native traditions and repelling white settlers.

    • Sitting Bull: Leader of the Hunkpapa Lakota who played a role in the Ghost Dance movement.

  • Battle of Wounded Knee: A tragic massacre in December 1890 where over 200 Native Americans were killed by U.S. troops.

  • Dawes Severalty Act (1887): Legislation aimed at assimilating Native Americans by allotting them individual plots of land and granting them citizenship after assimilation.

  • Populist Party: A political movement aimed at representing the common folk, increasing economic opportunity, and reducing the power of elites.

6.4/6.5/6.6 New Tech & Rise Industrialization of America

  • Gilded Age: A period (1870s-1900) marked by economic growth and stark inequality.

  • Transcontinental Railroad: Completed in 1869, it connected the Eastern U.S. to the West, facilitating trade and migration.

    • Cornelius Vanderbilt: Key figure in the railroad industry, known for building the New York Central Railroad.

    • Union Pacific Railroad and Central Pacific Railroad: Two companies responsible for the construction of the railroad from East to West.

  • Bessemer process: An innovative method for producing steel from iron that revolutionized construction.

  • Andrew Carnegie: Established Carnegie Steel Company and authored “The Gospel of Wealth,” promoting the responsibility of philanthropy.

    • Vertical integration: Carnegie's business strategy of controlling all aspects of the production process to maximize efficiency and profits.

    • Horizontal integration: The consolidation of many firms within the same industry to create monopolies or oligopolies.

  • J.P. Morgan: Influential banker and financier who aided in industrial consolidation.

  • John D. Rockefeller: Founder of Standard Oil Company, known for monopolizing the oil industry and practices like horizontal integration.

  • Trust & Monopolies: Business structures where a group of companies consolidate control over an industry.

  • Social Darwinists: Advocates of applying Darwinian concepts of survival of the fittest to economic competition.

  • Laissez-faire: An economic philosophy advocating minimal government intervention in the economy.

  • Robber barons vs. Captains of Industry: Terms used to describe powerful industrialists who exploited workers or those who contributed positively to society.

  • Major Unions:

    • Knights of Labor: A significant labor organization that sought to unite all workers and advocate for better conditions.

    • American Federation of Labor: A federation of labor unions focused on skilled labor and collective bargaining as a means to achieve labor goals.

    • Collective bargaining: A process of negotiation between employers and a group of employees aimed at agreements to regulate working conditions.

  • Major Strikes:

    • Great Railroad Strike of 1877: A nationwide strike that protested wage cuts and led to violent clashes.

    • Homestead Strike: An 1892 strike against steel company management leading to violence.

    • Pullman Strike: A nationwide railroad strike that escalated into a major confrontation with federal authorities.

  • Scabs: Workers who continue to work or replace striking workers, often leading to tensions and conflicts in labor disputes.

6.9 Immigration

  • New Immigrants vs. Old: Differentiating between recent immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe and earlier immigrants from Northern and Western Europe.

  • Cause and Effect of Immigration: Understanding the economic and political factors driving immigration to the U.S. and their impacts on society.

  • Ellis Island: The primary entry point for immigrants in New York, where they underwent inspections before entering the U.S.

  • Chinese Exclusion Act: 1882 legislation that prohibited Chinese laborers from immigrating to the U.S., reflecting racial prejudice.

  • Nativists: Individuals who favor native inhabitants over immigrants, often leading to discriminatory policies and sentiments.

  • Living Conditions:

    • Hull House: A settlement house offering social services to immigrants in Chicago.

    • Tenements: Overcrowded housing units where many immigrants lived, often in unsanitary conditions.

    • Spread of diseases: Poor living conditions contributed to the spread of diseases among urban immigrant populations.

6.11 Politics of the Gilded Age

  • Tammany Hall: A powerful New York City political machine known for its corruption and influence.

  • Boss Tweed: The notorious leader of Tammany Hall who engaged in rampant corruption.

  • Political machines: Organizations that used patronage and corruption to maintain political power.

  • The Hayes-Tilden Standoff, 1876: A controversial election leading to the Compromise of 1877 and the end of Reconstruction.

  • Wilson-Gorman Tariff: A minor tariff act intended to reduce tariffs but did not accomplish its goals fully.

  • “Billion-Dollar” Congress: The first Congress to appropriate over a billion dollars for various expenditures.

  • McKinley Tariff Act: An act that raised tariffs on imported goods to protect American industry.

  • Sherman Silver Purchase Act: Legislation aimed at increasing the amount of silver purchased by the U.S. government, reflecting economic debates of the time.