Reconstruction

Reconstruction = The period after the US Civil War when the southern states were reorganized and reintegrated into the Union Amnesty = An official pardon for people who have been convicted of political offenses Black codes = Laws passed by Southern states in 1865 and 1866, after the Civil War, to restrict African Americans' freedom Impeach = Charge the holder of a public office with misconduct

Scalawag = A white Southerner who collaborated with northern Republicans during Reconstruction Sharecropping = A system of agriculture in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crops produced on the land Poll tax = A tax levied on every adult, without reference to income or resources, that was used to prevent African Americans from voting in southern states Literacy test = A test of a person's understanding of a particular language, used to disenfranchise racial voting groups

Grandfather clause = A provision in which an old rule continues to apply to some existing situations while a new rule will apply to all future cases Segregation = The enforced separation of different racial groups in a country, community, or establishment Lynching = Killing someone for an alleged offense without a legal trial, especially by hanging Corruption = Dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery