AMSCO: Chapter 15 Reconstruction 1863-1877

Johnsons reconstruction plan

If a former Confederate state wrote a new state constitution, elected new government, repealed its act of secession, canceled its war debts, and ratified the 13th amendment it could rejoin the Union

carpetbaggers

A derogatory term applied to Northerners who migrated south during the Reconstruction to take advantage of opportunities to advance their own fortunes by buying up land from desperate Southerners and by manipulating new black voters to obtain lucrative government contracts.

scalawag

A nickname southern Democrats gave to southern Republicans who were in control of the government during Reconstruction

Black Codes

After Confederates regained office in southern state legislatures, many formed ____________ which limited African Americans' freedoms. They included: 1) Prohibiting blacks from buying or renting land 2) Forcing blacks to sign work contracts, placing them in semi-bondage 3) Prohibiting blacks from testifying against whites in court When Congress took control of the Reconstruction, they passed amendments in attempt to outlaw these laws.

sharecropping

After slavery was abolished, the South's agricultural economy was in turmoil since there was its source of cheap labor was gone. Thus, planters turned to ____________ where the landlord provided the seed and other needed farm supplies in return for a share of the harvest. While this gave poor whites and black a chance to earn money, it also made them dependent on their landowners and/or in debt to merchants. Thus, _______ was very close to slavery and trapped generations of poor blacks.

Freedmen's Bureau

Created in March 1865, the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands provided food, shelter, and medical aid for blacks and poor whites. It first resettled blacks on confiscated Southern farmlands, but this was stopped when the Confederates got pardoned under Johnson. The Bureau opened many schools including black colleges and taught many blacks how to read.

Lincolns reconstruction plan

Granted amnesty to those who took a loyalty oath, and statehood would be re-established if 10% of citizens took the oath. Didnt pardon important military generals

Wade-Davis Bill

Passed through Congress in 1864, this bill was far stricter than Lincoln's 10% Plan and required 50 percent of the voters of a state to take the loyalty oath and permitted only non-Confederates to vote for a new state constitution. It was backed by the Radical Republicans, who thought Lincoln's plan would allow the southern aristocrats to assume power again and deny equality to blacks in the South.

Fourteenth Amendment

Ratified in 1868, this amendment: 1) Declared that all persons born or naturalized in the United States were citizens 2) Obligated the states to respect the rights of U.S citizens and provide them "equal protection of the laws" and "due process of law" 3) Forbid former Confederate political leaders from holding state or federal offices 4) Repudiated debts of the Confederacy 5) Reduced that state's representation in Congress and its electoral votes if it kept any eligible person from voting

Fifteenth Amendment

Releasing that the African Americans needed federal protection if their party wanted to maintain control (most blacks were Republicans), Republicans passed this amendment in 1869. It prohibited any state from denying or abridging a citizen's right to vote "on account of race, color, or previous condition or servitude". It essentially guaranteed male suffrage.

Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction

Set up by Lincoln in 1863, this "ten percent plan" shaped his picture for political Reconstruction that was very moderate: 1) Presidential pardons would be given to southerners (except highly ranked Confederates) who took an oath of allegiance to the Union and accepted the emancipation of slaves 2) When 10% of the voters had taken the oath, the state government could be reestablished and recognized Lincoln meant to shorten the war and add weight to his Emancipation Proclamation. The proclamation was criticized for being too lenient by the Radical Republicans.

Civil Rights Act of 1866

The Congress overrode Johnson's veto for this and the Freemen's Bureau Act. This act pronounced that all African Americans were U.S citizens and tried to prohibit southern black codes. However, fearing that this act would be repealed as soon as the Democrats took control of Congress, the Republicans sought a more permanent solution with the a constitutional amendment.

Civil Rights Act of 1875

This was the last of the civil rights reforms passed by Congress during the Reconstruction era. This act guaranteed blacks equal accommodations in public places like hotels, railroads and theaters and prohibited courts from excluding them from juries. However, this act was poorly enforced because Republicans were moving on to other issues and the Southern aristocrats had regained control of the South.

tennant farming

system of farming where farmers rented their land from the landowner, and were allowed to grow what ever crop the prefered.