Political Conflict
This president encouraged former Confederate states to reject the Fourteenth Amendment and campaigned against Radical Republicans in 1866
Who is Andrew Johnson?
Who led the Radical Republicans in the House and who led them in the Senate? (Two names
Thaddeus Stevens (House) and Charles Sumner (Senate)
The Fifteenth Amendment forbids denying the right to vote based on these three criteria (name any two).
Race, color, or previous condition of servitude (any two)
In July 1866, riots in this city killed 34 black Americans who had gathered to support voting rights
New Orleans
Name the Radical Republican leader from Pennsylvania who was the primary enemy of President Johnson?
Thaddeus Stevens
Name the 1868 presidential winner who benefited from nearly 500,000 black American votes.
Who is Ulysses S. Grant
What 1866 law gave citizenship to black Americans and was passed over Johnson's veto?
Civil Rights Act (April 1866)
The Fourteenth Amendment guarantees “equal _____ of the laws.”
protection
What name is given to the laws southern legislatures passed that limited freedmen’s rights after the Civil War?
Black codes
Name the Radical Republican leader from Massachusetts who worked in the Senate.
Charles Sumner
What action by President Johnson (firing certain officials) pushed Republicans in Congress to try to remove him from office?
He removed/fired military commanders who supported Radical Reconstruction
The First Reconstruction Act of March 1867 took away governments of southern states that refused to ratify which amendment?
The Fourteenth Amendment
Under the Fourteenth Amendment, a state that denied males 21+ the right to vote would lose what?
Representation in Congress would be reduced
During the Memphis violence of 1866, which group was attacked that sparked wider outrage and helped radicalize Republicans?
Black American Union soldiers (in Memphis)
Which president’s lenient Reconstruction plan allowed many southern states to quickly ratify the Thirteenth Amendment yet enabled black codes?
Andrew Johnson
During the 1866 campaign, a heckler suggested hanging Jefferson Davis. President Johnson responded by asking, "why not hang ____?"
Thaddeus (Thad) Stevens
Describe one reason Republicans wanted the Fourteenth Amendment instead of relying solely on the Civil Rights Act. (1–2 sentences)
Republicans feared the Supreme Court might declare the Civil Rights Act unconstitutional (as in Dred Scott), so they made the protections part of a constitutional amendment
In which year was the Fifteenth Amendment ratified?
1870
Why did many white southerners resent military rule during Reconstruction?
Many southerners argued military occupation violated their rights because it was done without their consent or representation.
Which congressional committee produced a report accusing the South of trying to "preserve slavery…as long as possible"?
The Joint Committee on Reconstruction
Explain how President Johnson used the 1866 congressional elections to influence the debate over Reconstruction policy.
President Johnson publicly campaigned against the Fourteenth Amendment and urged voters to reject Radical Republicans in the 1866 elections to try to block congressional Reconstruction.
The Military Reconstruction Acts of 1867 divided the South into how many military districts?
Five
Explain how the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments were intended to work together to protect freedmen’s political rights.
The Fourteenth Amendment defined citizenship and guaranteed equal protection, while the Fifteenth prohibited denying the vote based on race; together they aimed to secure voting and legal protections so freedmen could defend their rights politically.
Describe one way the army's presence affected voter turnout among black and white southerners when new state constitutions were being written.
Many white southerners stayed away from the polls in protest, while black southerners, protected by the army, were able to vote — helping Republicans win control of new state governments.
Provide a brief description (2–3 sentences) of Ulysses S. Grant’s role in Reconstruction-era politics and why black voters supported him in 1868.
Grant was the Union war hero nominated by Republicans in 1868; nearly all of the roughly 500,000 black voters supported him, helping him win. Black voters saw Grant and Republicans as defenders of Reconstruction and voting rights.