US History 1 Chapter 12

Freedman's Bureau

A committee set up in 1865 to provide help to the thousands of black and white southerners uprooted by the war.

Radical Republicans

A group of senators and representatives who favored much tougher requirements for restoring southern states' governments and total equality for African Americans. Led by Thaddeus Stevens and allowed Congress to take control of reconstruction.

Ku Klux Klan

A social club that began terrorizing African Americans and whites loyal to the United States government. Terrorized blacks to act well beneath them and "keep order".

Pocket-Veto

An indirect veto, when a president chooses not to sign a bill during the final 10 days of a legislative session.

Amnesty

Another term for forgiveness.

Civil Rights Act

Gave African Americans citizenship and "equal benefit of all laws and proceedings for the security of person and property as in enjoyed by white citizens."

Samuel Tilden

Governor from New York who ran as the democratic presidential candidate in the Presidential Election of 1876. He won the popular and electoral vote, the first time with 184 votes to 165 votes.

Rutherford B. Hayes

Governor from Ohio who ran as the republican candidate in the Presidential Election of 1876. He won as a result of committee made up of 15 people who awarded 20 votes to him.

Robert E. Lee

Head general of the Confederate army who surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomatox Court House, VA. He was indicted for treason but was freed to seek amnesty. He wasn't officially pardoned until July 1975.

Wade-Davis Bill

In opposition to Lincoln's 10% Plan, Congress passed this in 1864. This required the majority of a state's population to take an oath. Lincoln thought this would encourage a state to fight now and thus killed it using a pocket-veto.

Lincoln's Assassination

John Wilkes Booth assassinated Lincoln at Ford's Theater in DC on April 14, 1865. This came five days after Robert E Lee's surrender.

Black Codes

Laws designed to keep freedmen in slave-like conditions and give planters a cheap source of labor.

Thaddeus Stevens

Leader of the Radical Republicans who believed if they were not helping the freedmen and left the states to take care of them, it was better to keep them enslaved.

Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction

Lincoln pronounced this in 1863 offering amnesty to all Southerners who pledged loyalty to the Union and emancipation. This excluded high ranking officials.

Hiram Revels

One freedman who ran for office in a Southern legislature during Reconstruction. He replaced Jefferson Davis in his seat as Senator.

Abraham Lincoln

President after Civil War who announced the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction in 1863 and used a pocket-veto to kill the Wade-Davis Bill in 1864. He was assassinated on April 15, 1865 at Ford's Theater in DC by John Wilkes Booth.

Edwin Stanton

Republican Secretary of War fired by President Andrew Johnson.

Ulysses S. Grant

Republican candidate of the Election of 1868 who won due to the 500k new African American voters in the South.

John Wilkes Booth

The assassin of Abraham Lincoln. He assassinated Lincoln on April 5, 1865 at Ford's Theater. He intended to assassinate Lincoln, VP Johnson, and Secretary of State, William H. Seward. After assassinating Lincoln, he jumped from the president's box to the stage below and broke his leg. He shouted "Sic semper tyrannis" (Thus ever to tyrants), the Virginia state motto.

Andrew Johnson

Vice President from Tennessee chosen by Lincoln for his second term. He stayed loyal to the Union throughout the Civil War. He started his own Reconstruction Plan after Lincoln's assassination while Congress was out of session. He did not punish southerners and pardoned most as a result to him thinking the southern states "never left."

Radical Recontruction

When a united Congress took control of Reconstruction with help to the Radical Republicans.