Big Picture Reconstruction
What period followed the Civil War and focused on rebuilding the United States?
A: Reconstruction
Who was president during the early years of Reconstruction?
Andrew Johnson
What group in Congress pushed for stronger protections for African Americans?
Radical Republicans
What economic system replaced slavery for many freedpeople?
Sharecropping
What does the term “Jim Crow” refer to?
Laws and customs enforcing racial segregation
What year did Reconstruction begin?
1865
What was a key goal of Andrew Johnson’s Reconstruction plan?
To quickly restore Southern states to the Union with lenient punishment
What term describes the period when multiple races participated in government?
Interracial democracy
How did sharecropping work?
Freedpeople rented land and paid rent with a share of their crops
What is the difference between de jure and de facto segregation?
De jure segregation is enforced by law; de facto segregation occurs through customs and social practices
What year did Reconstruction officially end?
1877
What requirement did Johnson not include for Southern states regarding African American rights?
Voting rights for African Americans
About how many African Americans held political office during Reconstruction?
About 2,000
Why did sharecropping often trap families in poverty?
Unfair contracts, debt, poor land, and biased enforcement
What is a poll tax?
A fee required to vote
What were the three major issues the nation faced during Reconstruction?
Reuniting the Southern states with the Union, deciding how to punish former Confederates, and determining the rights of formerly enslaved people
What law divided the South into five military districts?
The Reconstruction Acts of 1867
What two requirements did Congress demand states meet before rejoining the Union?
Grant universal manhood suffrage and ratify the 14th Amendment
What was one way African Americans asserted independence socially?
Changing their names
What was the purpose of a grandfather clause?
To prevent African Americans from voting by tying voting rights to ancestry
Why was Reconstruction especially controversial in the former Confederate states?
It challenged white Southern power, federal authority increased, and African Americans gained new rights
Why did Congress reject Johnson’s approach to Reconstruction?
It allowed former Confederates back into power and failed to protect freedpeople’s rights
Why was interracial democracy seen as threatening by many white Southerners?
It threatened white political, social, and economic dominance
Why was choosing a new name a powerful act for formerly enslaved people?
It rejected slave identity and symbolized freedom and self-definition
What happened during the Memphis Race Riot of 1866?
White mobs killed 46 Black residents, raped women, burned homes, churches, and schools, and no one was prosecuted