Chapter 15 Learning Curve

In the election of 1876, on what grounds did Republican officials certify the states of Louisiana, Florida, and South Carolina for Rutherford B. Hayes? A. There was ample evidence of Democratic voter fraud. B. The Supreme Court of the United States ordered them to do so. C. The votes had been recounted numerous times, always favoring Hayes. D. Hayes had won a substantial popular majority in all three states.

A.

Which institutions were a central focus of African American culture in the Reconstruction South? A. Churches B. Businesses C. Political parties D. Schools

A.

How do scholars now view Freedmen's Bureau officials?

A. As dedicated and idealistic

Which former Confederate general was the first leader of the Ku Klux Klan? A. Thaddeus Stevens B. Nathan Bedford Forrest C. William G. Brownlow D. James S. Pike

B.

What were the "Redemption" governments of the South in the late 1800s? A. The administration of Rutherford B. Hayes B. The governments of freedmen and Republicans C. Governments formed of ex-Confederates D. The governments formed immediately after the end of the Civil War

C.

How did sharecropping develop as an agricultural system in the post-Civil War South?

D. By way of strained, need-based negotiations between landlords and freedmen

Why did some Republicans begin to revolt against the Grant administration in the early 1870s?

D. They lost faith in their party because of the economic depression.

What was radical about the Fourteenth Amendment? A. It defined citizenship in national rather than state terms. B. It imposed military rule on the South. C. It abolished slavery throughout the country. D. It granted African Americans the right to vote.

A.

Which of the following best assesses the role of Ulysses S. Grant in the impeachment crisis of 1868? A. Grant had stepped down as secretary of war in favor of Edwin Stanton, precipitating the crisis. B. Grant had warned against impeachment as an unsavory precedent. C. As Republican presidential candidate, Grant tried to gain publicity from the impeachment proceedings. D. As an attorney, he took on the job of defending Andrew Johnson in the congressional proceedings.

A.

Why did many Republicans believe after 1874 that Reconstruction needed to end? A. They had suffered a stunning defeat in the 1874 midterm elections. B. They felt that the only way toward economic recovery was to save money by ending Reconstruction. C. They believed that everything that could be done for African American rights had already been done. D. Southern African Americans were calling for the end of military occupation.

A.

Why did some Republicans in the Senate vote to acquit President Andrew Johnson of criminal misconduct at the end of his impeachment trial? A. They thought that removing a president over a policy dispute would be a dangerous precedent. B. They thought a powerful executive was necessary to conduct foreign policy. C. Johnson was clearly not guilty of the charge. D. They believed that the country needed a strong president.

A.

Why were the odds stacked against freedmen who became sharecroppers? A. They could not escape debt. B. Farms were too small to make a profit. C. Sharecroppers moved frequently, adding to their costs. D. Landlords and merchants illegally charged high interest rates and increased prices.

A.

What was the name of the paramilitary force that was founded in Tennessee and used violence against Republicans and blacks across the South?

A. Ku Klux Klan

In an 1865 published letter to his former master in Tennessee, Jourdon Anderson asked "if there would be any safety for my Milly and Jane. . . . I would rather stay here and starve—and die, if it come to that—than have my girls brought to shame by the violence and wickedness of their young masters." Judging by this statement, what was one of the most important benefits of black freedom after the Civil War? A. The ability to write and get published B. Safety from a master's sexual violence C. Having the choice between starving and returning South D. The opportunity to criticize masters for their past cruelties

B.

In the South of the late 1800s, sharecroppers found themselves tied to the land and in debt to landlords and merchants in a system of forced labor known as A. crop-lien. B. peonage. C. sharecropping. D. homesteading.

B.

What benefit did sharecropping offer African Americans over the old institution of slavery? A. It proved a secure path into property ownership. B. It ended gang labor and allowed freedmen to work on their own terms. C. It allowed for better food. D. It gave children the opportunity to learn a trade and do better than their parents.

B.

What did American women's rights leaders hope to gain from Reconstruction? A. The end of inequality and marriage B. Suffrage C. Equal wages for women D. Freedom for black women

B.

What law was struck down in the Civil Rights Cases (1883) decision by the Supreme Court? A. Tenure of Office Act B. Civil Rights Act of 1875 C. Ku Klux Klan Act D. Fourteenth Amendment

B.

What service, in addition to religious services, did churches provide African Americans after the Civil War? A. They served as courts of law. B. They served as social centers. C. They served as voting stations. D. They served as Democratic Party headquarters.

B.

Which political leader supported reparations for slaves in the form of the planters' land? A. Andrew Johnson B. Thaddeus Stevens C. Rutherford B. Hayes D. Oliver O. Howard

B.

Which provision was part of the Wade-Davis Bill of July 1864, the first congressional plan for Reconstruction? A. Confederate leaders were ineligible for office and could only participate as regular voters. B. Those who had fought against the United States could not form new governments. C. Only Republicans and freedmen could hold office in the new state governments. D. New governments could only be formed by those with experience in office.

B.

Why did the Democratic loser of the contested 1876 election, Samuel Tilden, urge Democratic House members to go along with the decision of the electoral commission? A. He had been a reluctant candidate for president in the first place. B. Republican candidate Hayes had indicated his willingness to offer substantial patronage to the South. C. Tilden had been bribed by Republican Party officials to give in. D. There were still thousands of Union troops in the South who could have undermined "Redemption" in a heartbeat.

B.

Why did wage labor not become common in cotton-producing areas of the South? A. Freedmen rejected wage labor. B. Landowners did not have the cash to pay wages. C. Inflation eroded the value of wages. D. Landowners refused to pay wages.

B.

Why were Supreme Court decisions of the 1870s and 1880s regarding the Civil War amendments and civil rights acts significant? A. They extended the reach of these laws to women. B. They restricted the impact of these amendments and rulings. C. They declared them unconstitutional. D. They ruled that the placement of troops in the South was illegal.

B.

With what was President Andrew Johnson charged when he was impeached in 1868? A. Being a traitor to his party B. Engaging in misconduct and infringing on the powers of Congress C. Overstepping his powers when he instituted his own version of Reconstruction in 1865 D. Condoning violations of the Fourteenth Amendment

B.

What did President Andrew Johnson's opposition to the Fourteenth Amendment succeeded in achieving?

B. Helping Republicans win an overwhelming majority in Congress in 1866

By the late 1870s, how did the majority of freedmen and freedwomen in the South live? A. In circumstances much like slavery B. Enjoying their political rights C. In poverty with uncertain political rights D. In modest prosperity

C.

How was Reconstruction taught in American children schools at least until the 1960s? A. As the first civil rights movement B. As the second American Revolution C. As the illegitimate regime of lazy blacks D. As an important affirmation of the Union

C.

The Black Codes instituted by southern state governments created under Andrew Johnson's Reconstruction plan aimed to achieve what goal? A. Conform African Americans' status to federal government dictates B. Redistribute plantation lands to freedmen C. Place African Americans in a situation as close to slavery as possible D. Ensure the voting rights of freedmen

C.

Under President Andrew Johnson's Reconstruction plan, how could high-ranking Confederate military officers regain their property and win amnesty? A. By taking an oath of allegiance to the Union B. By accepting the Union's wartime acts, including the abolition of slavery C. By petitioning the president D. By supporting African American suffrage

C.

What did Republicans in Congress do in 1865 to block implementation of President Andrew Johnson's Reconstruction plan? A. They appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. B. They initiated the impeachment process against Johnson. C. They refused to admit southern delegates to Congress. D. They passed the Civil Rights Act.

C.

What position did Frederick Douglass assume on the issue of women's voting rights during Reconstruction? A. He viciously attacked Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. B. He stood firmly with Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. C. Douglass asked women to allow black male suffrage to take priority. D. He stated that he would not accept the right to vote until his sisters earned the same privilege.

C.

What statement describes Abraham Lincoln's Ten Percent Plan for Reconstruction? A. It remained in effect only while the war progressed and was replaced by congressional Reconstruction afterward. B. It reflected congressional Republicans' plans for restoring the South to the Union. C. It included general amnesty to all but high-ranking Confederates willing to pledge loyalty to the Union. D. It followed the Constitution's rules for readmitting states to the Union.

C.

What triggered the 1873 depression in the United States? A. The exposure of the Crédit Mobilier scandal B. Bankruptcy of the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company C. Bankruptcy of the Northern Pacific Railroad D. The end of Reconstruction

C.

What was the primary reason Republican governments across the South fell one by one to Democrats in the mid-1870s? A. They were unable to diversify agricultural production and were voted out of office. B. Black politicians were unable to lead effectively. C. Ex-Confederate politicians, using terrorism, silenced the black and Republican vote. D. They lost the support of northern politicians.

C.

Why did Congress pass the Civil Rights Act of 1875 after the bill had remained on Capitol Hill for five years? A. Congress needed to have all states reconstructed and in congressional session to pass this act. B. Ulysses S. Grant had urged Congress to pass the law before the end of his term. C. Congress passed the law to honor Charles Sumner, who had died the year before. D. Congress had debated this law for five years, longer than any other piece of legislation in American history.

C.

Why did Republicans nominate Rutherford B. Hayes for the presidential election of 1876? A. He was one of the most skilled members of the Grant administration. B. He came from a southern state and could draw new party members to the election. C. He came from the important swing state of Ohio. D. He had built a reputation as a strong advocate of civil rights for African Americans.

C.

Why did the economic troubles brought on by the panic of 1873 hit southern governments particularly hard? A. They had placed state funds in the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company, which collapsed. B. They had invested in the Crédit Mobilier. C. The southern economy had already been growing slowly before the downturn. D. Southern governments borrowed heavily to meet expenses.

C.

Why did Congress believe it was important for military commanders in the occupied South to supervise new state constitutional conventions?

C. Congress wanted to ensure that new constitutions guaranteed black suffrage

Why did the Grant administration's reaction to the depression that began in 1873 deepen resentment toward Washington Republicans?

C. It rejected calls for providing relief for debt and unemployment.

Why are the Republican Reconstruction governments of the South categorized as reforming governments?

C. They expanded education and health care.

As of 1876, which state no longer had any U.S. military units remaining? A. Louisiana B. South Carolina C. Florida D. Mississippi

D.

How did the Supreme Court ruling in U.S. v. Cruikshank (1876) weaken the Fourteenth Amendment? A. By limiting the amendment to access to public transportation B. By saying the amendment did not apply to local elections C. By saying the amendment did not apply to women D. By saying it did not apply to the actions of private citizens

D.

In early 1877, who replaced Supreme Court Justice David Davis on the electoral commission empowered to settle the disputed presidential election of 1876? A. Rutherford B. Hayes B. Ulysses S. Grant C. Samuel Tilden D. Joseph P. Bradley

D.

Under President Andrew Johnson's Reconstruction plan, how could high-ranking Confederate military officers regain their property and win amnesty? A. By supporting African American suffrage B. By accepting the Union's wartime acts, including the abolition of slavery C. By taking an oath of allegiance to the Union D. By petitioning the president

D.

What made the failure of the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company (FSTC) in 1874 so tragic? A. After the failure of the FSTC, the government decided to bail out any future banks at risk. B. Two weeks after the failure of the FSTC, the economy started to turn around. C. With the bankruptcy of the FSTC, a good number of African American businessmen ended up in debtors' jail. D. This bank was predominantly used by black farmers, charities, and small businesses.

D.

What was significant about the results of the 1866 congressional elections? A. Ku Klux Klan violence disrupted voting in the South. B. Anti-Reconstruction Democrats gained a majority in the Senate. C. Southerners sent Republicans to Congress. D.Republicans won enough seats to override President Andrew Johnson's vetoes.

D.

Which of the following best assesses the significance of the election of 1876 for the South? A. It marked a sudden end to Reconstruction, which had been running strong. B. It would take another 15 years before Reconstruction would finally be declared dead in the South. C. It was an unexpected surrender to the principle of southern home rule. D. It made little immediate difference in the South, where Redeemers had already assumed power.

D.

Which statement best describes the constitutional revolution associated with Reconstruction? A. The Thirteenth Amendment served as the foundation for a successful reparations movement. B. The Fourteenth Amendment quickly became a new foundation for civil rights struggles across the nation. C. The Fifteenth Amendment undermined white supremacist political power in the South for good. D. The Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments laid the foundation for the civil rights movement of the twentieth century.

D.

Why did Congress pass the Enforcement Laws in 1870? A. To fund the Freedmen's Bureau B. To enforce the Black Codes being enacted by Redeemer governments in the South C. To create military districts in the South D. To try to stop violence perpetrated by the Ku Klux Klan and similar groups

D.

Why did some African Americans in the Reconstruction South resist the idea of desegregated schools? A. Racial prejudice B. Residual anger against whites C. Discomfort being with whites D. Fear for children's safety

D.

Why did the freedmen insist that they needed to receive grants of land? A. As reparations for centuries of slavery B. As punishment to their former masters C. Because they had purchased the land D. As the only way to guarantee their freedom

D.

Why was the outcome of the 1876 election given to an electoral commission to determine? A. The winner of the popular vote had fewer electoral votes than the other candidate. B. The two presidential candidates had the same number of electoral votes. C. With multiple candidates, no one had a majority of the electoral votes. D. Electoral votes from three states were disputed.

D.

Which adjective accurately describes Republican state governments in the Reconstruction South?

D. Ambitious in goals

During Reconstruction, the term "scalawag" referred to what group of southern whites?

D. Those who supported Reconstruction