Chapter 15 Inquizitive: The Era of Reconstruction

What roles did churches and schools play in the life of African Americans after the Civil War?

*African Americans established their own churches, which became centers of Black community life. *Ministers became social and political leaders in Black communities. *Many schools were established in African American communities after the war.

Many African Americans in the postbellum period viewed President Grant as a "savior". What were some of the reasons why they supported him?

*As White resistance increased in violence and frequency in the South, Grant urged Congress to act to protect African Americans. *Despite the eventual distractions from Reconstruction during the economic recession, Grant personally advocated for African Americans before Congress.

The Fifteenth Amendment made it illegal to deny a citizen the right to vote due to race, color, or previous condition of servitude. Identify the groups who continued to be denied the right to vote during this period.

*Chinese immigrants *Native Americans *women

Identify the events and groups that contributed to the end of Congressional Reconstruction.

*Compromise of 1877 *Panic of 1873 *redeemers *Ku Klux Klan

What conclusions can we draw about Reconstruction?

*Enslaved people in states such as Texas, Mississippi, and North Carolina gained their legal freedom through the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. *The means by and time at which slavery was abolished differed from state to state. *Within ten years of being readmitted to the Union, conservative White Democrats were leading every state in the former Confederacy.

Reconstruction is often characterized as a failure, though there were some successes. what were some of the achievements of the new Republican state governments established during Reconstruction?

*Infrastructure improvements were made. *Free public schools were established in many southern counties. *Women gained rights they never had before.

In 1865, Henry Adams left the plantation where he had been enslaved. A group of Whites confronted him on the road, asked the name of his owner, and beat him when he declared, "I now belong to no one." How does the response to Henry Adams's claim reflect the status of enslaved people post-emancipation?

*It illustrated the complex status of African Americans after the war, as many did not immediately enjoy equal status. *It demonstrated why some enslaved people left plantations for cities. *It embodied the general feeling among southern Whites who resented the new status of African Americans.

Describe the impact of the Panic of 1873 on Congressional Reconstruction efforts.

*It weakened the national economy, in part due to the withdrawing of greenbacks from circulation. *It reduced the influence of northern Republicans, who lost control of the House of Representatives and maintained a defensive lead in the Senate after the 1874 congressional elections.

Identify the elements of the following Reconstruction efforts.

*Lincoln's Wartime Reconstruction Plan: Whenever a number equal to 10 percent of those who had voted in the 1860 election in a southern state took a loyalty oath to the Union, their state would be incorporated into the Union. *Johnson's Restoration Plan: prohibited anyone who owned property upwards of $20,000 from participating in the new governments or voting *Congressional Reconstruction Plan: placed the former Confederate states under military control and required them to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment as a condition of returning to the Union

In 1877 at the collapse of Reconstruction, formerly enslaved Louisianan Henry Adams remarked, "The whole South—every state in the South—has got [back] into the hands of the very men that held us as slaves." Another formerly enslaved man, Thomas Hall from South Carolina noted, "The Yankees helped free us, so they say, but [in 1877] they let us be put back in slavery again." What do these quotations reveal about the effectiveness of Reconstruction and its significance for the nation's future?

*Many White northerners abandoned the cause of Reconstruction and, in turn, many African Americans in the South felt a sense of abandonment. *Reconstruction ultimately failed to produce the conditions in which the federal government would successfully continue to protect Black civil rights in southern states.

Describe the status of race relations in the South by the end of Congressional Reconstruction.

*Most southern White still opposed civil rights and social equality for African Americans. *Many southern Whites were "conservative" members of the Democratic party, who thought of themselves as the men who would "redeem" the South from Reconstruction.

What group of people was not protected under the Civil Rights Act of 1866?

*Native Americans

Reconstruction policies initially focused on lenient terms in favor of restoring southern social structures. However, they eventually began to center on protecting the lives and rights of the formerly enslaved and ensuring that Black and White Republicans, not former Confederates, had a hand in creating their new state governments. Identify some of the reasons Republicans initiated this shift.

*Republicans felt compelled to address Black rights because mobs of White Southerners were murdering, terrorizing, and otherwise intimidating Black Southerners. *The lenient terms failed to prove effective in that many White Southerners who had supported the Confederacy had been determined to resist Reconstruction efforts. *Johnson's Restoration Plan was seen as not radical enough because the new southern state governments after the war looked remarkably similar to the ones that had led the nation into war.

Which statements accurately describe the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson in the spring of 1868? *Johnson made a private promise to support the congressional process of Reconstruction, which he later went back on. *Johnson's impeachment strengthened public support for Congressional Reconstruction. *Radical Republicans wanted to impeach Johnson because he continued to obstruct Congressional Reconstruction. *The Senate voted overwhelmingly in favor of Johnson's removal, quickly sealing his fate. *The House of Representatives introduced articles of impeachment against Johnson because of his attempt to fire Secretary of War Edwin Stanton.

*The House of Representatives introduced articles of impeachment against Johnson because of his attempt to fire Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. *Johnson made a private promise to support the congressional process of Reconstruction, which he later went back on. *Radical Republicans wanted to impeach Johnson because he continued to obstruct Congressional Reconstruction.

Which of the following statements accurately describe those challenges? *Four million formerly enslaved African Americans had gained their freedom but had practically nowhere to go. *Having just weathered the Civil War, the resources of the federal government were utterly inadequate. *The federal government had never taken on such a large responsibility, so Reconstruction was a new challenge altogether. *White Southerners were resentful at having lost the Civil War, which made them less likely to embrace efforts to reconstruct the region. *The southern economy was thriving after the war since the states hadn't spent the same amount as the North on transportation and infrastructure.

*The federal government had never taken on such a large responsibility, so Reconstruction was a new challenge altogether. *Having just weathered the Civil War, the resources of the federal government were utterly inadequate. *Four million formerly enslaved African Americans had gained their freedom but had practically nowhere to go. *White Southerners were resentful at having lost the Civil War, which made them less likely to embrace efforts to reconstruct the region.

Identify all of the aspects of the Radical Republicans' stance on Reconstruction.

*They believed Congress alone should be in control of Reconstruction. *They consistently argued that southern society should be drastically transformed.

Describe the legacy of Republican rule in the South during Reconstruction.

*accomplished a significant number of achievements despite hostile circumstances *left behind physical reminders of their rule

Identify the institutions that proved to be essential in easing the transition for many southern Blacks from slavery to freedom.

*churches *schools *the U.S. military *labor unions

Identify the ways the Freedmen's Bureau assisted newly freed Blacks in their transition to life outside bondage.

*provided health care, clothing, and food to formerly enslaved people to help them establish themselves *negotiated labor contracts between freed Blacks and White employers in the South *assisted with finding family members that had been separated during the course of their enslavement *established schools so that freed people could have the opportunity to learn to read and write

Match the economic terms with the appropriate definition or description. *soft-money currency *greenbacks *hard-money currency *This term refers to the paper money issued by the federal government during the Civil war to help pay for the cost of war. *This term refers to the presence of paper money in circulation, which tended to be supported by farmers and debtors. *This terms refers to gold, silver, and copper coins, which were sometimes viewed as more reliable than paper currency and often favored by eastern creditors.

*soft-money currency: This term refers to the presence of paper money in circulation, which tended to be supported by farmers and debtors. *greenbacks: This term refers to the paper money issued by the federal government during the Civil war to help pay for the cost of war. *hard-money currency: This terms refers to gold, silver, and copper coins, which were sometimes viewed as more reliable than paper currency and often favored by eastern creditors.

General Grant was considered a hero of the Civil War by the Union, but once elected as president, the effectiveness of his administration was undermined. Match each situation with the correct description of how it undermined Grant's administration. *the Whiskey Ring Scandal *corrupt cabinet *Public Credit Act (1869) *Grant was overwhelmed with the power of the presidency, and, as a result, appointed cabinet members who ultimately were revealed to be dishonest. *Distillers bribed federal agents to avoid paying taxes, bilking the government out of millions of dollars in revenue. *Grant paid back investors who purchased government bonds in gold coin, rather than paper currency, leading to a decline in consumer prices and igniting a political debate over the hard and soft money.

*the Whiskey Ring Scandal: Distillers bribed federal agents to avoid paying taxes, bilking the government out of millions of dollars in revenue. *corrupt cabinet: Grant was overwhelmed with the power of the presidency, and, as a result, appointed cabinet members who ultimately were revealed to be dishonest. *Public Credit Act (1869): Grant paid back investors who purchased government bonds in gold coin, rather than paper currency, leading to a decline in consumer prices and igniting a political debate over the hard and soft money.

Place the following Reconstruction events in chronological order. *The Freedmen's Bureau is created. *Johnson commences his Restoration Plan. *The Congressional Reconstruction acts are passed. *Lincoln issues the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction.

1. Lincoln issues the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction. 2. The Freedmen's Bureau is created. 3. Johnson commences his Restoration Plan. 4. The Congressional Reconstruction acts are passed.

Place the events that led up to the end of Reconstruction in chronological order. *Redeemers begin to control southern states. *Congress passes the Military Reconstruction Act. *The Compromise of 1877 ends Congressional Reconstruction. *The Fourteenth Amendment is ratified.

1. The Fourteenth Amendment is ratified. 2. Congress passes the Military Reconstruction Act. 3. Redeemers begin to control southern states. 4. The Compromise of 1877 ends Congressional Reconstruction.

According to the ________, if the _________ states had actually seceded and were conquered territories, then the __________ branch would be in charge of reconstructing the South.

Constitution; southern; legislative

True or false: President Johnson's veto of a bill renewing funding for the Freedmen's Bureau, as well as his criticism of Radical Republican support for the Black civil rights, did little to drive a wedge between the two wings of the Republican party.

False

What impact did the failure of Congressional Reconstruction have on the Union?

It enabled White Southerners to pursue discriminatory policies against African Americans.

Match the following Reconstruction plans with some of their defining features. *Johnson's Restoration Plan *Congressional Reconstruction plan *Lincoln's Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction *forced southern states to create new constitutions that ensured voting rights for African American men *established Confederate states as conquered territories governed by Congress *allowed for the readmission of southern states to the Union following their ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment *encouraged giving only a few Blacks voting rights *allowed for the readmission of former Rebel states to the Union when at least 10 percent of those who voted in 1860 took an oath of allegiance to the Union

Johnson's Restoration Plan *encouraged giving only a few Blacks voting rights *allowed for the readmission of southern states to the Union following their ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment Congressional Reconstruction plan *established Confederate states as conquered territories governed by Congress *forced southern states to create new constitutions that ensured voting rights for African American men Lincoln's Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction *allowed for the readmission of former Rebel states to the Union when at least 10 percent of those who voted in 1860 took an oath of allegiance to the Union

Which statement best describes the economic prospects of African Americans in the South during Reconstruction? *Their economic futures brightened as a result of land distribution. *Many opted for sharecropping due to lack of money and land. *The majority of freed people became landowners within a decade of the end of the Civil War. *They generally found themselves in debt to southern banks as a result of discriminatory lending policies.

Many opted for sharecropping due to lack of money and land.

How did the Supreme Court influence Reconstruction and the equality of African Americans?

The court's rulings in several cases weakened the Fourteenth Amendment and left African Americans more vulnerable to discrimination.

Lincoln believed that the Confederate states had never actually left the Union. Why was his view important in deciding how these states would be reintegrated into the Union after the Civil War?

The executive ranch of the federal government is in charge of reconstituting state governments, so that meant it was Lincoln's responsibility to re-form the state governments.

True or false: Religious life was significant for African Americans after the Civil War because Black churches were the first social institutions that they could control.

True

True or false: The chief debate within the federal government over who should direct the Reconstruction of the South was between the executive and legislative branches of government.

True

True or false: While Reconstruction did not immediately provide for the full protection of economic opportunities or social equality for African Americans, it did leave behind a constitutional legacy that allowed for future civil rights achievements.

True

Identify the outcome of Congressional Reconstruction that gave birth to a second reconstruction as the civil rights movement in the twentieth century.

ratification of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments

True or false: Johnson proved to be a strong supporter of Black civil rights throughout his presidency.

False

The question of who within the federal government had authority over Reconstruction was a major source of debate. What was Lincoln's position?

Southern states had never left the Union, so the executive branch had authority over Reconstruction.

Congressional Reconstruction in the South enabled the majority of Blacks to experience freedom but not the benefits of _________. The collapse of Congressional Reconstruction helped perpetuate the long-standing discrimination against African Americas. Oppressive systems such as sharecropping and __________, which Republicans attempted to counteract through the formation of _________ throughout the former Confederacy, persisted during and after Reconstruction. However, some of the failures of the Reconstruction era laid the groundwork for the civil rights movement nearly a century later.

equality; voter suppression; Union Leagues