APUS Ch. 22

Ku Klux Klan

The KKK intimidated blacks and white republicans. It was founded by made white southerners that were angered at the success of black government officials.

14th Amendment

This amendment declared that all persons born or naturalized in the United States were entitled to equal rights regardless of their rights were protected at both the state and national levels.

15th Amendment

citizens cannot be denied the right to vote because of race, color, or precious condition of servitude

Tenure of Office Act

it required that the president has to get approval from the senate in order to fire one of his cabinet members. This was put in place in order to stop Johnson from firing Edwin Stanton

Union League

After gaining the right to vote, blacks united to form political power and participated in the Union League which was at first a pro union league but then evolved into a network of clubs led by freedmen that educated members in republican ideals

Carpetbaggers

Carpetbaggers were northerners who went to the south to get rich and be famous.

Wade Davis Bill

Congress disagreed with Lincoln in that 10 percent of states voters would satisfy or rebuild the Union sufficiently so they issued the Wade Davis Bill which stated that 50 percent of states voters were required to oath allegiance to regain statehood. President Lincoln did not sign the bill.

Scalawags

Scalawags were southerners who robbed and destroyed southern treasuries through their influence in politics in a radical government system

Sharecropper

Sharecropping made it necessary that blacks continue to work on plantations. The owners of plantations would take advantage and rent land to blacks and charge them more for rent then the plot could monetarily produce.

Reconstruction Act

The Reconstruction Act divided the South into five military territories which were commanded by union generals and they were policed by union soldiers. The act also made states that desired to be admitted into the union had to ratify the 14th amendment and that they had to allow black males to vote. The goal was to get votes that would vote the states into the union and thus free the government from the responsibility of protecting black rights.

Black Codes

The black codes were put in place in order to regulate the dealings of newly freed slaves. Mississippi was the first state to pass these codes or laws. The goal of the black codes was to keep labor under control so that the economy would be stable.

The Freedmen's Bureau

The goal of the Freedman's Bureau was intended to provide medical supplies, clothing, and other necessary items to the freedmen and white refugees because they were uneducated, and impoverished, and had no idea of how to lead a life by themselves. The greatest success of the Bureau was the accomplishment of teaching freedmen to read. However the Freedmen's Bureau expired in 1872 because of lack of support from the President and southerners.

Force Acts

The government instituted the Force Acts of 1870 and 1871 to stop the atrocities committed by the KKK but the KKK had already accomplished their goal of intimidation

Civil Rights Bill

Then congress passed the Civil Rights bill that gave blacks the privilege of citizenship and would shut down the black codes. Then in response to this congress passed the 14th Amendment which was designed to stop the South from repealing the Civil Rights Law. Congress began to start pulling a lot of weight in the control of the government