US History: Reconstruction

Cheatsheet Content

### Reconstruction Overview (1865-1877) - **Definition:** The period after the Civil War during which the U.S. began to rebuild the South and address the status of freed slaves. - **Key Goals:** 1. Reintegrate Confederate states into the Union. 2. Define the rights of newly freed African Americans. 3. Rebuild the Southern economy and infrastructure. - **Major Phases:** * **Presidential Reconstruction (1865-1867):** Led by Lincoln (briefly) and Andrew Johnson; focused on quick reintegration with minimal protections for freedmen. * **Radical/Congressional Reconstruction (1867-1877):** Led by Republican-controlled Congress; aimed to punish the South and secure greater rights for African Americans. ### Andrew Johnson's Presidency (1865-1869) - **Background:** Southern Democrat, Unionist during the war, Lincoln's Vice President. - **Presidential Reconstruction Plan:** * Offered pardons to most ex-Confederates who swore loyalty to the Union. * Required states to ratify the 13th Amendment (abolishing slavery). * Did not protect voting rights for African Americans. * Allowed Southern states to quickly re-establish governments, often led by former Confederates. - **Conflict with Congress:** * Johnson clashed with Radical Republicans over the extent of federal power in the South and rights for freedmen. * Vetoed key legislation, including the Freedmen's Bureau Bill and the Civil Rights Act of 1866. * Congress often overrode his vetoes. - **Impeachment:** * 1868: Impeached by the House of Representatives for violating the Tenure of Office Act (dismissing Secretary of War Edwin Stanton without Senate approval). * Acquitted by the Senate by one vote, but his power was significantly weakened. ### Radical Reconstruction (1867-1877) - **Goals:** * Punish the South for secession and slavery. * Protect the rights and ensure the suffrage of African Americans. * Weaken the power of former Confederates. - **Key Legislation & Amendments:** * **Reconstruction Acts of 1867:** Divided the South into five military districts, required new state constitutions granting Black suffrage, and ratification of the 14th Amendment. * **13th Amendment (1865):** Abolished slavery. * **14th Amendment (1868):** Granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. (including former slaves), guaranteed "due process of law" and "equal protection of the laws." * **15th Amendment (1870):** Prohibited states from denying suffrage based on "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." - **Freedmen's Bureau (1865-1872):** * Provided aid to newly freed slaves and poor whites. * Established schools, hospitals, and helped negotiate labor contracts. ### Challenges and Resistance to Reconstruction - **Black Codes:** Laws passed by Southern states during Presidential Reconstruction to restrict the freedom and opportunities of African Americans (e.g., vagrancy laws, labor contracts). - **Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and other white supremacist groups:** Used violence and intimidation to prevent African Americans from exercising their rights and to restore white Democratic control. - **Sharecropping:** Economic system that replaced slavery; many freedmen became indebted to landowners, perpetuating a cycle of poverty. - **Compromise of 1877:** Unofficial agreement that ended Reconstruction. Democrats agreed to accept Rutherford B. Hayes as president in exchange for the withdrawal of federal troops from the South, effectively ending federal protection for African Americans' rights. ### Sample Multiple Choice Questions 1. Which of the following was a primary goal of President Andrew Johnson's Reconstruction plan? a) To grant immediate voting rights to all African Americans. b) To punish Southern states severely for their secession. c) To facilitate the quick readmission of Southern states to the Union. d) To establish military rule over the entire former Confederacy. * **Answer:** c) To facilitate the quick readmission of Southern states to the Union. 2. The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was significant because it: a) Abolished slavery throughout the United States. b) Granted women the right to vote in federal elections. c) Defined citizenship and guaranteed equal protection under the law. d) Prohibited states from denying the right to vote based on race. * **Answer:** c) Defined citizenship and guaranteed equal protection under the law. 3. The main purpose of the Ku Klux Klan during Reconstruction was to: a) Provide educational opportunities for former slaves. b) Promote economic development in the war-torn South. c) Intimidate African Americans and suppress their political rights. d) Support the policies of the Radical Republicans in Congress. * **Answer:** c) Intimidate African Americans and suppress their political rights. ### Sample Fill-in-the-Blanks 1. The period after the Civil War, from 1865 to 1877, is known as \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. * **Answer:** Reconstruction 2. President Andrew Johnson was impeached by the House of Representatives primarily for violating the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Act. * **Answer:** Tenure of Office 3. The \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ Amendment prohibited states from denying the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. * **Answer:** 15th 4. The system of labor that replaced slavery in the South, often trapping former slaves in debt, was called \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_. * **Answer:** sharecropping ### Sample Essay Response Question **Question:** Analyze the major differences between Presidential Reconstruction (under Andrew Johnson) and Congressional (Radical) Reconstruction, and evaluate the effectiveness of each in achieving its goals. **Sample Response Outline:** * **Introduction:** * Define Reconstruction as the post-Civil War period (1865-1877) aimed at reuniting the nation and addressing freedmen's rights. * State thesis: Presidential Reconstruction (Johnson) prioritized quick reunion with limited federal intervention, while Congressional Reconstruction aimed for fundamental societal change and federal protection of Black rights, leading to different and often conflicting outcomes. * **Body Paragraph 1: Presidential Reconstruction (Andrew Johnson)** * **Goals:** Rapid reintegration of Confederate states, leniency towards ex-Confederates, minimal federal role in protecting freedmen. * **Policies:** Easy pardons, requirement of 13th Amendment ratification, states allowed to set their own policies regarding Black rights. * **Outcomes/Effectiveness:** * Quick return of Southern states to the Union. * Rise of "Black Codes" and re-establishment of white supremacist power, undermining freedmen's rights. * Seen as ineffective in securing justice or equality for African Americans. * Led to significant conflict with Congress. * **Body Paragraph 2: Congressional (Radical) Reconstruction** * **Goals:** Punish the South, transform Southern society, secure full citizenship and voting rights for African Americans, protect federal authority. * **Policies:** Reconstruction Acts of 1867 (military districts, Black suffrage requirements), 14th Amendment (citizenship, equal protection), 15th Amendment (Black male suffrage), Freedmen's Bureau. * **Outcomes/Effectiveness:** * Temporary empowerment of African Americans (voting, holding office). * Establishment of public education in the South. * Significant constitutional amendments (14th, 15th) provided long-term legal framework for civil rights. * Faced violent resistance (KKK) and economic challenges (sharecropping). * Ultimately undermined by the Compromise of 1877 and the withdrawal of federal troops, leading to the rise of Jim Crow laws. * **Conclusion:** * Reiterate the distinct approaches: Johnson's leniency vs. Congress's intervention. * Summarize effectiveness: Johnson's plan failed to protect freedmen's rights and sparked congressional opposition. Radical Reconstruction achieved significant constitutional and social changes, but its gains were eventually rolled back due to Southern resistance and federal retreat. * Final thought: The legacy of Reconstruction is complex, demonstrating both the potential for federal intervention to promote equality and the enduring challenges of systemic racism and political will.