1
What was the period following the Civil War known as?
Reconstruction
What was the goal of Congress during Reconstruction?
Congress wanted to rebuild the United States and bring the southern states back into the Union.
During Reconstruction, who needed housing, education, clothing, food, and jobs?
freed African Americans
What was the state of Virginia’s economy after the Civil War?
The economy was in ruins.
What was the problem with money and banks in Virginia after the Civil War?
Money had no value and banks were closed.
How were Virginia’s cities and land affected by the Civil War?
Railroads, bridges, plantations, and crops were destroyed. Businesses
needed to be rebuilt.
What was the Freedmen’s Bureau?
The Freedmen’s Bureau was a federal government agency established during Reconstruction to help freed African Americans and others in Virginia.
What three things did the Freedmen’s Bureau provide for those who needed them?
food, public schools, and medical care
It was difficult for many poor farmers in Virginia to afford farmland after the Civil War. What was the solution to this problem?
sharecropping
How did the system of sharecropping work during Reconstruction?
Freedmen and poor white farmers rented land from landowners by promising to pay the owners with a share of the crops.
What word means the separation of people (usually based on religion or race)?
segregation
What word means an unfair difference in the treatment of people?
discrimination
During Reconstruction, what gains did African Americans make?
African Americans began to have power in Virginia’s government. They could vote and hold office.
During Reconstruction, who could vote?
men of all races (but not women)
What was the name of the laws passed by southern states (after Reconstruction) that took away the gains made by African Americans?
the “Jim Crow” laws
What did the “Jim Crow” laws legally establish in the southern states?
segregation
Who did the “Jim Crow” laws affect?
African Americans and American Indians
What were two ways that the “Jim Crow” laws kept African Americans and American Indians from voting?
The laws established unfair poll taxes and voting tests.
Because of the “Jim Crow” laws, African Americans and American Indians had to use separate, poor-quality facilities and services. What are some examples?
drinking fountains, restrooms, and restaurants
How were children of different races affected by the “Jim Crow” laws?
They had to attend separate schools.
Name something that was impacted by segregation and discrimination.
housing, jobs, health care, education, political representation, and the lives of African Americans and American Indians
What form of transportation helped Virginia’s small towns,industries, businesses, and agriculture grow after the Civil War?
trains and railroads
In what Virginia county were coal deposits discovered after the Civil War?
Tazewell County
Why did Virginians need more — and better — roads after the Civil War and Reconstruction?
They needed more and better roads because cities, industries, and agriculture were growing. They needed to be able to move people and products easily from place to place.
What two industries became important in Virginia after the Civil War?
tobacco farming and the manufacture of tobacco products