Reconstruction Era Quiz

Reconstruction Era

• Lincoln's goal for Reconstruction focused on bringing the South back into the Union.
• Radical Republicans aimed for significant social and political change in the South, punishing the Confederacy, and ensuring civil rights for African Americans.
• The Ten Percent Plan offered a lenient approach (10 % of voters pledged loyalty toward Union), for readmitting Southern states.
• Andrew Johnson's impeachment stemmed from disagreements with Radical Republicans over Reconstruction policies.
• Reconstruction's success included creating opportunities in the South for African Americans. This was one of the successes.
• The Compromise of 1877 effectively ended Reconstruction due to political maneuvering that gave the presidency to Rutherford B. Hayes.
• President Hayes ended Reconstruction by withdrawing federal troops.
• Following the 15th Amendment, African Americans joined the Republican party.
• The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) used violence and intimidation to suppress African American voting rights.
• Black Codes limited opportunities and freedoms and civil rights for African Americans in the South.
• Redeemers were white Southern Democrats who regained political control.
• Sharecropping was a system of agricultural labor that kept former slaves in a cycle of debt and poverty.
• The Enforcement Acts aimed to stop KKK violence against African Americans.
• The Freedmen's Bureau aided formerly enslaved people with food, housing, and education.

Other Topics

• Carpetbaggers were Northerners who moved to the South during Reconstruction.
• The Compromise of 1877 resolved the disputed presidential election and officially ended Reconstruction.
• Booker T. Washington advocated for vocational training and economic self-sufficiency for African Americans.
• The transcontinental railroad fostered economic growth and westward expansion, but it also impacted Native American populations.
• Labor unions sought better working conditions and wages for workers.
• Robber barons were wealthy industrialists who amassed fortunes through unethical business practices, including exploiting workers.
• Monopoly refers to a single company dominating a particular industry.
• The Gospel of Wealth, by Andrew Carnegie, advocated that the wealthy have a responsibility to use their wealth for the betterment of society.
• Social Darwinism applied Darwin's theory of natural selection to society, justifying social inequality.
• Manifest Destiny justified American expansion into western territories.
• American imperialism expanded the United States' influence and territory in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
• The Spanish-American War was a significant turning point in American history, marking the emergence of the U.S. as a global power.
• The Open Door Policy aimed to give all nations equal access to trade in China.
• Anti-imperialists opposed the acquisition of new territories by the US.
• The Roosevelt Corollary asserted that the US had the right to intervene in Latin American affairs.
• The "Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick" policy encouraged negotiating, but also implied that the US would use force if necessary.
• The spark for World War I included the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
• The Treaty of Versailles, intended to end WWI, ultimately contributed to the rise of WWII.
• Woodrow Wilson's Fourteen Points aimed to create a fair and lasting peace.
• Coolidge dealt with economic issues like inflation.
• Henry Ford's assembly line revolutionized vehicle production and labor practices.
• The 19th Amendment granted women the right to vote.
• The Palmer Raids targeted suspected communists and anarchists following World War I.
• The 18th Amendment established Prohibition, creating law violations and organized crime.
• The Red Scare was a period of fear and paranoia towards communism and radical ideas in society.
• The Roaring Twenties refers to the period following WWI leading to the Great Depression.
• The Sacco and Vanzetti trial was a highly contentious case of 2 Italian immigrants accused of murder and sentenced to death, raising questions about fairness and justice.