Civil War in Texas
Texas was one of the Confederate states during the Civil War.
True: Texas officially seceded from the United States in 1861 to join the Confederacy.
The Freedmen’s Bureau was created to help rebuild Texas' railroads after the Civil War.
False: The Freedmen’s Bureau wasn’t focused on railroads, it was created to help African Americans and poor people after slavery ended. It provided education, food, and helped people find jobs.
The Emancipation Proclamation did not immediately free all enslaved people in Texas.
False: The proclamation was issued in 1863, but enslaved people in Texas were not freed until June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers enforced the order.
The Civil War caused big changes to the way people in Texas traded goods, like cotton.
True: The Union blockades along Texas' ports, like Galveston, stopped Texans from trading goods like cotton with other countries. This caused Texas' economy to suffer during the war
African Americans in Texas gained their freedom during the Reconstruction period
True: When the Civil War ended, enslaved African Americans in Texas were freed. This began on June 19, 1865, a day known as Juneteenth, when Union soldiers announced the end of slavery in Texas.
Why did Texas decide to fight on the side of the South (Confederacy) in the Civil War?
a) Texas wanted to end slavery.
b) Texas wanted to keep slavery and states’ rights.
c) Texas wanted to create its own country.
d) Texas wanted to stay out of the war.
b) Texas wanted to keep slavery and states’ rights.
Detail:Many Texans supported slavery because they needed enslaved people to grow crops like cotton. They also believed that states should have the power to make their own laws, including allowing slavery.
After slavery ended, what system did many African Americans in Texas use to work and grow crops?
a) Sharecropping
b) Free farming
c) Factory jobs
d) Cattle ranching
a) Sharecropping
Detail: In sharecropping, freed African Americans rented land to farm but had to give part of their crops to the landowner. Many families stayed poor because they couldn’t earn enough money to own their own land.
Which of the following amendments was NOT created during the Reconstruction era?
a) 13th Amendment
b) 14th Amendment
c) 15th Amendment
d) 19th Amendment
d) Union forces captured the entire state.
d) 19th Amendment
Detail: The 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote, was passed in 1920, long after the Reconstruction era. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were all created during Reconstruction to address issues of slavery, citizenship, and voting rights.
What was one big problem that Texas faced during Reconstruction?
a) Teaching farmers to grow cotton.
b) Rebuilding the economy after the Civil War.
c) Moving people into new towns.
d) Keeping Texas out of the War.
b) Rebuilding the economy after the Civil War.
Detail: During Reconstruction, Texas faced big challenges in fixing its economy. The Civil War had damaged trade and transportation, and cotton farming was struggling because enslaved workers were no longer available. Many people were poor, and new systems like sharecropping kept families from earning enough money to improve their lives. Texas had to work hard to rebuild and recover from the war's impact.
The group called the ________ Bureau helped African Americans after the Civil War by giving food, jobs, and education.
Answer: Freedmen's Bureau
Detail: The Freedmen’s Bureau helped freed African Americans and poor families during Reconstruction.
How did the Civil War affect Texas’ economy the most?
a) Union blockades stopped ships from trading.
b) Texas traded more cotton than ever.
c) Big factories opened in Texas.
d) New gold mines were found in Texas.
a) Union blockades stopped ships from trading.
Detail: The Union navy blockaded Texas ports like Galveston, preventing supplies and trade. This made it hard for Texans to sell crops like cotton and hurt the economy.
When did Texas officially rejoin the United States after the Civil War?
a) 1865
b) 1870
c) 1861
d) 1880
b) 1870
Detail: Texas rejoined the United States in 1870 after completing the requirements of Reconstruction, such as making slavery illegal and agreeing to treat African Americans fairly.
Which amendment granted citizenship to African Americans during Reconstruction?
a) 13th Amendment
b) 14th Amendment
c) 15th Amendment
d) 16th Amendment
b) 14th Amendment
Detail: The 14th Amendment granted citizenship and equal protection under the law.
Many African Americans became sharecroppers because they didn’t have ________ and ________.
Answer: land, money
Detail: After the Civil War, African Americans were free but had very little money or land, so they worked as sharecroppers.
A group called the ________ used threats and violence to stop African Americans from voting during Reconstruction.
Answer: Ku Klux Klan
Detail: The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) tried to stop African Americans from voting or gaining rights by using threats and violence.
What was the result of the Union blockades on Texas?
a) Texas traded more goods with other countries.
b) The Texas economy suffered due to limited trade.
c) Texas became a major industrial state.
d) Union forces captured the entire state.
b) The Texas economy suffered due to limited trade.
Detail: The Union blockades along ports like Galveston disrupted trade and hurt Texas's economy.
During Reconstruction, Texas created new laws known as:
a) Black Codes
b) Civil Rights Acts
c) Slave Code
d) Reconstruction Amendments
a) Black Codes
Detail: Black Codes were laws that restricted the rights of African Americans and maintained control over their labor.
The ________ Amendment made slavery illegal in Texas and the United States.
Answer: 13th Amendment
Detail: The 13th Amendment was passed in 1865, right after the Civil War, and it made slavery illegal everywhere in the U.S., including Texas.
The Civil War caused Texas to lose ________ and ________, leading to economic struggles.
Answer: trade, transportation
Detail: Blockades and the destruction of infrastructure disrupted the economy in Texas.
Texas left the United States and joined the Confederacy in ________. Texas rejoined the United States in ________.
Answer: 1861, 1870
Detail: Texas joined the South (Confederacy) in 1861 but officially rejoined the United States during Reconstruction in 1870.
Who announced the end of slavery in Texas on June 19, 1865?
a) Abraham Lincoln
b) Union General Gordon Granger
c) Jefferson Davis
d) Sam Houston
b) Union General Gordon Granger
Detail: General Granger arrived in Galveston to announce the end of slavery, a day now celebrated as Juneteenth.
During Reconstruction, Texas faced challenges rebuilding its economy. Systems like ________ replaced enslaved labor, while laws such as ________ were created to limit the rights of African Americans.
Answer: Sharecropping, Black Codes
Detail: Sharecropping became common as a way to work the land without enslaved labor, but it often kept families in poverty. Black Codes were laws designed to restrict African Americans' freedoms and maintain control over their labor during Reconstruction.
African American men were allowed to vote after the ________ Amendment was passed during Reconstruction.
Answer: 15th Amendment
Detail: The 15th Amendment gave African American men the right to vote in 1870, but many faced challenges like violence and unfair voting rules.
After the Civil War, Texas plantations transitioned to systems like ________, changing how crops were grown and managed.
Answer: sharecropping
Detail: Without enslaved labor, plantation owners adopted sharecropping, where freed individuals rented land but had to give part of their crops to landowners, making it difficult to escape poverty.
On ________, Texans celebrate Juneteenth, marking the end of slavery in the state.
Answer: June 19, 1865
Detail: Juneteenth commemorates the announcement of emancipation in Texas, over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.