Aftermath Flashcards
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The Ten-Percent Plan
A Reconstruction plan proposed by Abraham Lincoln in 1863, allowing a Southern state to be readmitted to the Union once 10% of its 1860 voting population took an oath of allegiance and accepted the end of slavery.
Radical Republicans
A faction within the Republican Party that sought a harsh Reconstruction policy, advocating for civil and voting rights for freed Black individuals and opposing leniency towards former Confederates.
Thaddeus Stevens
A leading Radical Republican who fought for the rights of freed Blacks and played a key role in the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson.
13th Amendment
Ratified in December 1865, this amendment abolished slavery in the United States.
14th Amendment
Adopted in July 1868, it addresses citizenship, equal protection, and due process under the law, requiring states to protect citizens’ rights.
15th Amendment
Ratified in February 1870, it prohibits denying the right to vote based on race.
Slaughterhouse Cases (1873)
A Supreme Court case interpreting the 14th Amendment, ruling that citizenship rights are limited to those defined by the Constitution and do not include state-granted rights.
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln
Occurred on April 14, 1865, when Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth; he died the next day, marking the first presidential assassination in U.S. history.
Reconstruction
The period from 1865 to 1877 aimed at rebuilding the South and integrating freed Blacks into society; often viewed as a failure due to economic struggles and systemic racism.
Freedmen’s Bureau
Established in 1865 to aid newly freed Blacks with education, employment, and land ownership; it operated until 1872.
Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
In 1866, Radical Republicans attempted to impeach Johnson due to his lenient policies towards the South; he was acquitted by one vote.
Reconstruction Act of 1867
Legislation that divided the South into military districts and set conditions for readmission to the Union, including loyalty oaths and constitutional conventions.
Panic of 1873
An economic depression lasting from 1873 to 1879 that impacted Reconstruction efforts and economic recovery in the South.
Compromise of 1877
A political agreement that resolved the disputed election of 1876; it ended military rule in Southern states, effectively marking the end of Reconstruction.
Jim Crow Laws
Racial segregation laws enacted after Reconstruction that enforced discrimination against Black Americans until 1965.
Black Codes
Laws passed in Southern states post-Civil War aimed at restricting Black people’s freedoms and maintaining a labor force similar to slavery.
Ku Klux Klan (KKK)
A violent extremist group formed during Reconstruction that targeted freed Blacks and Republican leaders; officially disbanded in 1869 but continued operating into the early 1870s.
Carpetbaggers and Scalawags
Carpetbaggers were Northerners who moved South during Reconstruction for profit; scalawags were Southern whites who supported Republican policies.
40 Acres and a Mule
A proposed policy for land redistribution to freed Blacks that ultimately did not materialize due to political pressures and economic realities.
Sharecroppers
Farmers who worked land owned by others in exchange for a share of the crop; this system perpetuated poverty among Black families post-Civil War.
Civil Rights Act of 1871
Legislation aimed at protecting the rights of emancipated slaves and combating KKK violence; allowed President Grant to take action against Klan activities.
