Questions and Answers
What was the main goal of Reconstruction?
To reunite the nation and rebuild the southern states.
What was the Freedman's Bureau?
An agency established by Congress in 1865 to help poor people throughout the South.
How did the Wade-Davis Bill differ from Lincoln's 10 percent plan?
Under the Wade-Davis Bill, only southerners who swore they had never supported the Confederacy could vote or hold office.
What did the ratification of the 13th Amendment mean?
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How did the Freedman's Bureau affect education for freed slaves?
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What was Lincoln's main vision for Reconstruction?
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Why did many Republicans disagree with Lincoln's 10 percent plan?
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How did Reconstruction affect the social structure of the South?
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What were the Black Codes?
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Why did Southern governments believe they were justified in passing Black Codes?
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Why did the Black Codes require that African Americans sign work contracts?
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Why did Congress refuse to admit Southern states into the Union in 1865 when VP Andrew Johnson became president?
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What was President Johnson's plan for wealthy southerners and former Confederate officials?
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What was working life like at Southern mills in the late 1800s?
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Why did Republicans propose the 14th Amendment before the Southern states were readmitted to the Union?
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What group was excluded from being considered a US citizen under the 14th Amendment?
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Why did President Johnson reject the Freedmen's Bureau?
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How did the Reconstruction Act passed by Congress in March 1867 affect the Southern states?
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Why did the House of Representatives vote to impeach President Johnson?
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Why did Congress pass a law limiting President Johnson's powers in 1868?
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What right did the 15th Amendment guarantee for African American men?
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How did Radical Republicans increase their influence in Congress?
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What group criticized the 15th Amendment?
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How did state legislatures in the South begin to change as a result of Reconstruction?
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Whom did white Southerners call 'carpetbaggers'?
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Hiram Revels was the first African American to hold what position?
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What was the reason behind the creation of the KKK in 1866?
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Why did Congressional Republicans think passing the 15th Amendment would protect the Reconstruction Plan?
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How did members of the KKK demonstrate their anger toward African Americans?
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Why was the KKK able to obtain power in the South before 1870?
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What did the formation of the KKK inspire Congress to declare?
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In 1872, what change in southern state governments brought an end to many Reconstruction reforms?
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What was the direct effect of the Compromise of 1877?
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How did the Redeemers attempt to limit the rights of African Americans?
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What were the Jim Crow laws?
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What was the verdict in Plessy v. Ferguson?
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Who were the Redeemers?
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How did the sharecropping system limit opportunities for African Americans?
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What industry offered jobs to many Southern workers as an alternative to farming in the late 1800s?
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Study Notes
Reconstruction Goals and Policies
- Objective of Reconstruction was to reunite the nation and rebuild Southern states after the Civil War.
- Lincoln's Ten Percent Plan offered amnesty to southerners willing to swear loyalty, aiming for a swift reunification.
- The Wade-Davis Bill proposed stricter measures, requiring military leaders to swear they had not supported the Confederacy, delaying Southern state reintegration.
Freedman's Bureau
- Established in 1865 to assist poor individuals in the South, focusing on education, health care, and employment for freed slaves.
- Helped create educational institutions like Howard and Fisk universities for African Americans.
Amendments and Civil Rights
- The 13th Amendment abolished slavery in the United States.
- The 14th Amendment defined U.S. citizenship, explicitly excluding Native Americans.
- The 15th Amendment granted voting rights to African American men, stirring dissatisfaction among women who sought similar rights.
Black Codes and Social Impacts
- Black Codes were laws limiting the rights of African Americans in Southern states post-Civil War.
- Southern governments justified Black Codes to maintain white supremacy and control labor through work contracts.
Congressional Actions and Tensions
- Congress refused to admit Southern states in 1865 due to newly elected representatives' Confederate ties.
- Radical Republicans sought to implement laws countering Johnson's lenient policies and to protect the rights of African Americans.
KKK and Challenges to Reconstruction
- The Ku Klux Klan emerged in 1866, opposing African American civil rights and using violence against voters and officials.
- Their actions prompted Congress to enact laws protecting citizens' voting rights and equal treatment.
Decline of Reconstruction
- The General Amnesty Act of 1872 allowed many former Confederates to regain political power, undermining Reconstruction reforms.
- The Compromise of 1877 led to the withdrawal of federal troops from the South, facilitating Democratic dominance.
Jim Crow Laws and Segregation
- Jim Crow laws institutionalized racial segregation in the South during the 1880s.
- The Plessy v. Ferguson ruling affirmed the "separate-but-equal" doctrine, legitimizing segregation.
Economic Conditions for African Americans
- Sharecropping trapped African Americans in cycles of debt, as they worked land for landowners while giving up most of their harvest.
- Textiles became a significant employment sector for Southern workers, offering alternatives to traditional farming.
Political Dynamics
- Redeemers were Southern Democrats who sought to restore white control, reduce government size, and limit African American rights post-Reconstruction.
- Poll taxes and literacy tests were implemented to disenfranchise African American voters, further consolidating power among white Southerners.
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Test your knowledge of Reconstruction era concepts with these flashcards. Explore key terms and their definitions to understand the efforts to reunite the nation after the Civil War and support those affected in the South.