Chapter 2 Reconstruction Study Guide

What reason did Stevens give in his statement for granting voting rights to African Americans?

African Americans deserved the right to vote after contributing their unpaid labor for centuries.

What impact did Radical Republicans in Congress have on Reconstruction?

They encouraged the freedmen to exercise their new political rights.

Which is the best contemporary definition of a "scalawag"?

A white Southerner who supported Reconstruction.

Which phrase completes the diagram on the left?

Discriminated against African Americans

What was an important effect of the sharecropping system and debt peonage?

Freedmen often remained in a state of economic dependence on their former masters.

The cartoon on the left by Thomas Nast was published in 1874. What was the main message of this cartoon?

Opponents of Reconstruction were using violence to intimidate the freedmen.

Which practices were introduced in Southern states after Reconstruction to circumvent this amendment?

Poll taxes, literacy tests, and residency requirements were passed, which affected African Americans more than other citizens.

What was a positive long-term impact of Radical Reconstruction on the South?

Public education systems were established for students of all races.

What practice did this ruling uphold?

Racial segregation in public places.

Which two groups most helped the freedmen during the Reconstruction Era?

Radical Republicans and Carpetbaggers

How did this law influence conditions for African Americans in Florida?

Schools for African American children received fewer resources than schools for white children.

Which amendment guaranteed the "equal protection" of the laws to all American citizens?

The 14th Amendment

What was an immediate effect of the changes described above, which were implemented by Congressional Reconstruction?

The balance of power in the Southern state governments shifted.

What was one impact of these issues on Republicans following the Civil War?

They disagreed over whether the President or Congress should set conditions for Reconstruction.