Reconstruction Amendments and Civil Rights (1865-1877)

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Questions and Answers

Which of the following Reconstruction Amendments freed slaves?

13th Amendment (correct)

14th Amendment

15th Amendment

What did the 14th Amendment guarantee to African Americans?

The right to vote

Citizenship (correct)

Equal protection under the law (correct)

What did the 15th Amendment ensure for African Americans?

Freedom of speech

Equal access to education

The right to vote (correct)

What were the "Black Codes"?

Laws passed by Southern states after the Civil War to limit the rights of African Americans. Signup and view all the answers

President Andrew Johnson was a strong advocate for African American rights.

False Signup and view all the answers

What was the Freedmen's Bureau?

A federal agency created to help African Americans transition to freedom. Signup and view all the answers

What was the "Compromise of 1877"?

An informal agreement that ended Reconstruction and resulted in the election of Rutherford B. Hayes as president in exchange for withdrawing federal troops from the South. Signup and view all the answers

What was the main reason for the failure of Reconstruction? (Select all that apply)

The unwillingness of the federal government to enforce Reconstruction policies. Signup and view all the answers

What was the Ku Klux Klan, and how did it contribute to the oppression of African Americans during Reconstruction?

The Ku Klux Klan was a white supremacist organization that used violence and intimidation to terrorize African Americans and prevent them from exercising their rights. Signup and view all the answers

During Reconstruction, African Americans were able to successfully achieve complete social and economic equality.

False Signup and view all the answers

What was the purpose of the Civil Rights Act of 1875?

To outlaw segregation in public accommodations, including hotels, theaters, and transportation. Signup and view all the answers

What did the Supreme Court rule in the Slaughterhouse Cases of 1873? (Select all that apply)

That the 14th Amendment did not apply to state citizenship rights. Signup and view all the answers

What was the "redemption" movement in the South?

A movement by white Southerners to regain political control and overturn Reconstruction policies. Signup and view all the answers

President Ulysses S. Grant was a strong supporter of African American rights and Reconstruction.

True Signup and view all the answers

What was the "crop-lien system"?

A system in which farmers, particularly sharecroppers, had to take out loans to buy crops and pay them back with their profits, often resulting in debt and financial insecurity. Signup and view all the answers

What were some of the limitations faced by African Americans in the North during Reconstruction?

While technically having the right to vote and equality of opportunity, African Americans in the North faced de facto discrimination and limited access to good jobs, education, and housing. Signup and view all the answers

What were some of the reasons for the decline in federal support for African American rights during Reconstruction? (Select all that apply)

The rising popularity of white supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Reconstruction Amendments (1865-1870)

13th Amendment (1865): Freed enslaved people.
14th Amendment (1868): Granted citizenship to African Americans.
15th Amendment (1870): Granted voting rights to African American men.

African American Civil Rights (1865-1877)

Employment: African Americans faced significant difficulty finding jobs, as white employers often refused to hire them.
Voting Rights: Despite the 15th Amendment, grandfather clauses and poll taxes still disenfranchised many African Americans, who were often impoverished.
Presidential Opposition: President Johnson actively opposed measures improving African American rights, vetoing many legislative attempts and defunding programs like the Freedmen's Bureau.

Reconstruction Policies

Congressional Actions: Republicans in Congress successfully overrode Johnson's vetoes on civil rights bills and implemented the Military Reconstruction Act, dividing the South into military zones.
Key Figures: Charles Sumner and Thaddeus Stevens were prominent opponents of Johnson's policies and strong advocates for African American rights.
Impeachment Attempt: Johnson faced an impeachment attempt for trying to remove Edward Stanton, Secretary of War and a setback for his power.

Black Codes and Southern Resistance

Pardons: Johnson granted pardons to many former Confederate officials, allowing them to regain power and influence.
Black Codes: Southern states enacted Black Codes to limit African American rights, these laws formed the foundation of Jim Crow laws. These codes restricted employment, punished unemployed African Americans with forced labor, and protected perpetrators of violence against them.

African American Political Participation

Increased Political Power: African American men registered to vote and held political offices, demonstrating significant political power, sometimes alongside "carpetbaggers" (Northerners who moved South) and "scalawags" (Southerners who supported Reconstruction).
Northern Neglect: While African Americans in the South made strides, African American rights in the North remained largely theoretical.

Freedmen's Bureau

Purpose: The Freedmen's Bureau was established in 1865 to provide support and aid to recently freed slaves, focusing on education and basic necessities.
Limited Success: Despite some successes, the Bureau was underfunded by Johnson and its support for education wasn't sufficient, with a large literacy gap remaining by 1890.

Land Ownership and Economic Oppression

Land Distribution Failure: Johnson’s pardons allowed land ownership to return to former slaveowners.
Sharecropping System: The sharecropping system, designed in reality to maintain inequality, often trapped African Americans in cycles of debt and economic hardship.

Quality of Life and White Resentment

Continued Challenges: Despite legal gains, significant challenges persisted (e.g., limited educational opportunities, widespread racism, and violence).
Southern White Resistance: White Southerners fiercely resisted Reconstruction efforts, fuelled by resentment over lost power and status.

End of Reconstruction (1877)

Compromises: The Compromise of 1877 effectively ended Reconstruction, as President Hayes withdrew federal troops from the South in return for Democratic acceptance of his presidency.
Legal Setbacks: Supreme Court decisions (like the Slaughterhouse Cases) weakened constitutional protections for African Americans.
Rise of Violence: Groups like the Ku Klux Klan used violence to undermine African American rights.

Overall Impact

Gains: African Americans gained fundamental rights, freedoms, and opportunities.
Losses: Despite initial gains, the loss of federal protection led to a setback, violence, and economic hardship for many African Americans.
Failure of Reconstruction: The ultimate failure of Reconstruction stemmed from a combination of factors, including waning Northern commitment and persistent southern resistance to racial equality.

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Description

Test your knowledge on the Reconstruction Amendments and the struggle for African American civil rights from 1865 to 1877. This quiz covers the key amendments, the challenges faced by African Americans, and the congressional actions taken during this tumultuous period in history.