Reconstruction & Civil Rights

• Identifications require historical context and significance.

Reconstruction & Civil Rights

• Special Field Order No. 15 (1865) was issued by General William T. Sherman, promising 40 acres of land and a mule to freed slaves in the South.
• President Andrew Johnson revoked Special Field Order No. 15.
• The Special Field Order No. 15 showed early efforts at Black economic independence.
• The Special Field Order No. 15 showed the federal government's backtracking on Reconstruction promises.
• Freedmen’s Bureau (1865-1872) was a federal agency created to assist formerly enslaved people.
• The Freedmen's Bureau provided food, housing, education, and legal aid.
• The Freedmen’s Bureau played a crucial role in Reconstruction.
• The Freedmen’s Bureau was underfunded and dismantled due to Southern opposition.
• The Reconstruction Act of 1867 divided the South into five military districts.
• Southern states had to draft new constitutions guaranteeing Black male suffrage before rejoining the Union, per the Reconstruction Act of 1867.
• The Reconstruction Act of 1867 marked the beginning of Radical Reconstruction.
• Radical Reconstruction aimed at enforcing racial equality in the South.
• Jim Crow Laws were state and local laws enforcing racial segregation in the South after Reconstruction.
• Jim Crow Laws legally codified discrimination and disenfranchisement of Black Americans for decades.
• Booker T. Washington was known for his Atlanta Compromise speech (1895).
• Booker T. Washington advocated vocational education and economic self-reliance over immediate civil rights activism.
• Booker T. Washington's philosophy contrasted with more radical approaches, such as those of W.E.B. Du Bois.

Industrialization & Labor Movements

• Andrew Carnegie was an industrialist and philanthropist who dominated the steel industry.
• Andrew Carnegie promoted the Gospel of Wealth, arguing that the rich should use their wealth for societal good.
• Andrew Carnegie symbolized the rise of big business and economic inequality in the Gilded Age.
• The Knights of Labor was a national labor union that welcomed workers of all races and skill levels.
• The Knights of Labor advocated for an eight-hour workday and other labor rights.
• The Knights of Labor was one of the first major labor unions.
• The Knights of Labor declined after being associated with radicalism following the Haymarket Affair.
• The Haymarket Affair (1886) was a labor protest in Chicago that turned violent when a bomb exploded, killing several police officers.
• The Haymarket Affair led to a crackdown on labor movements and heightened fears of anarchism in the U.S.

Immigration & Nativism

• The Chinese Exclusion Act (1882) was the first U.S. law banning immigration based on nationality, targeting Chinese laborers.
• The Chinese Exclusion Act reflected rising anti-immigrant sentiment.
• The Chinese Exclusion Act set a precedent for future immigration restrictions.

Western Expansion & Native American Policies

• The Dawes Act (1887) aimed to assimilate Native Americans by dividing tribal lands into individual plots.
• The Dawes Act led to the loss of millions of acres of Native land.
• The Dawes Act weakened tribal identities.
• The Wounded Knee Massacre (1890) involved the U.S. Army killing over 250 Lakota Sioux, including women and children.
• The Wounded Knee Massacre occurred during a confrontation over the Ghost Dance movement.
• The Wounded Knee Massacre marked the violent suppression of Native American resistance and the end of the Indian Wars.

Southern Politics & Agrarian Movements

• Redeemers were Southern Democrats who sought to “redeem” the South from Republican rule.
• Redeemers sought to restore white supremacy.
• The actions of the Redeemers led to the rollback of Reconstruction reforms and the rise of Jim Crow laws.
• Farmers’ Alliances were regional organizations of farmers.
• Farmers’ Alliances advocated for economic reforms such as government control of railroads and inflationary monetary policies.
• Farmers’ Alliances paved the way for the Populist movement and the formation of the People's Party were from the Farmers' Alliance Movement.

Reconstruction: Success or Failure?

• Thesis: Reconstruction brought major political and social changes but ultimately failed due to resistance from white Southerners and lack of federal enforcement.
• Presidential Reconstruction (1865-1867) involved lenient policies under Andrew Johnson, allowing former Confederates to regain power.
• Radical Reconstruction (1867-1877) involved Congressional intervention, military rule, and Black suffrage.
• The End of Reconstruction (1877) involved the Compromise of 1877, which removed federal troops, leading to the rise of Jim Crow.
• Accomplishments of the Reconstruction era included the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments (abolished slavery, granted citizenship, and Black male suffrage).
• The Freedmen’s Bureau’s educational efforts were an accomplishment of the Reconstruction.
• White resistance (KKK, Black Codes, voter suppression) contributed to the failure of the Reconstruction.
• Economic limitations for freedmen (sharecropping, land loss) contributed to the failure of the Reconstruction.
• Segregation in the “New South” and civil rights struggles into the 20th century represents the long-term impact and legacy of the Reconstruction era.

Populism: Rise and Decline

• Thesis: The Populist movement emerged from farmers’ frustrations with industrial capitalism and sought economic reforms but declined after the 1896 election.
• Origins for the Populist Movement include industrialization and economic hardship for farmers (low crop prices, high railroad rates).
• Farmers’ Alliances led to the formation of the People’s Party in 1892.
• Key Policies of the Populist movement included Free silver to combat deflation, government regulation of railroads and monopolies, and direct election of senators.
• The Populist movement gained support from farmers and some laborers in the South and West.
• The Populist movement lost momentum after William Jennings Bryan’s defeat in 1896 and the economy’s recovery.
• The Populist movement inspired Progressive Era reforms (direct elections, banking reforms).

The Gilded Age & Underrepresented Groups

• Thesis: The Gilded Age brought economic growth but also heightened racial and ethnic discrimination against African Americans, Native Americans, and Chinese immigrants.

African Americans

• African Americans faced segregation under Jim Crow laws.
• Disenfranchisement of African Americans occurred through literacy tests, poll taxes, and violence.
• Responses from African Americans activism (Booker T. Washington’s self-help, later W.E.B. Du Bois’s calls for immediate rights).

Native Americans

• Native Americans faced forced assimilation via the Dawes Act.
• Military conflicts against Native Americans included the Wounded Knee Massacre.
• Native Americans responded by Resistance with the Ghost Dance movement and the seeking of cultural survival efforts.

Chinese Immigrants

• Chinese Immigrants were targeted by the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882).
• Chinese Immigrants faced violence and job discrimination.
• Chinese immigrants responded by forming protective associations and pursuing legal challenges.

Explore Special Field Order No. 15 and its impact on Black economic independence during Reconstruction. Learn about the Freedmen's Bureau and the Reconstruction Act of 1867. Understand early efforts and federal government backtracking during Reconstruction era.