Reconstruction 1865-1877 — Practice Quiz
A US History cheat sheet for Reconstruction 1865-1877 — every key formula with its symbols defined — plus a medium-level practice quiz to test recall.
Formulas & key concepts
Period following the Civil War during which the US government worked to reunite the nation and rebuild the South
Where: Ended by Compromise of 1877
Lincoln's lenient plan for Reconstruction; offered amnesty to Southerners if 10% of voters swore loyalty to Union
Where: Opposed by Radical Republicans
Congressional plan for Reconstruction requiring 50% of voters to swear loyalty; much harsher than Lincoln's plan
Where: Pocket-vetoed by Lincoln
Constitutional amendment that abolished slavery throughout the United States
Where: Ratified in December 1865
Federal agency established to help former slaves and poor whites in the South
Where: Provided food, schools, and legal assistance
17th US President; became president after Lincoln's assassination
Where: First president to be impeached; opposed Radical Reconstruction
Laws passed by Southern states to restrict the rights of freedmen
Where: Aimed to restore pre-war racial hierarchy
Congressmen who wanted to punish the South and ensure civil rights for African Americans
Where: Led by Thaddeus Stevens and Charles Sumner
Constitutional amendment granting citizenship to all persons born in the US and guaranteeing equal protection under the law
Where: Overturned Dred Scott decision
Laws that divided the South into five military districts controlled by the US Army
Where: Required states to ratify 14th Amendment to rejoin Union
House of Representatives voted to impeach Johnson for violating Tenure of Office Act
Where: Acquitted by Senate by one vote
Constitutional amendment giving African American men the right to vote
Where: Did not guarantee right to hold office; women excluded
Derogatory term for Northerners who moved to the South during Reconstruction
Where: Accused of exploiting the South for profit
Derogatory term for white Southerners who supported Reconstruction and the Republican Party
Where: Seen as traitors by other Southerners
First African American US Senator (from Mississippi)
Where: Took the seat formerly held by Jefferson Davis
Secret society formed by white supremacists to terrorize African Americans and their allies
Where: Used violence to prevent blacks from voting
Laws passed by Congress to stop KKK violence and protect civil rights
Where: Allowed federal government to use military force against Klan
Severe economic depression that turned Northern attention away from Reconstruction
Where: Weakened Republican Party
Law guaranteeing African Americans equal treatment in public accommodations
Where: Declared unconstitutional by Supreme Court in 1883
Political deal that settled the disputed 1876 election; Hayes became president in exchange for removing federal troops from South
Where: Formally ended Reconstruction
Southern Democrats who regained control of state governments and "redeemed" the South from Republican rule
Where: Restored white supremacy
Tax required to vote; used to disenfranchise African Americans and poor whites
Where: Part of Jim Crow laws
Forced separation of people of different races in public places
Where: Legalized by Jim Crow laws
Laws enforcing racial segregation in the South
Where: Upheld by Plessy v. Ferguson ("separate but equal")
Supreme Court ruling that established "separate but equal" doctrine
Where: Legalized segregation for decades
System where landowners provided land, tools, and supplies, and sharecroppers provided labor
Where: Created cycle of debt resembling slavery
System where farmers rented land from landowners
Where: Offered slightly more independence than sharecropping
Vision of a modernized Southern economy based on industry and diversified agriculture
Where: Promoted by Henry Grady; limited success
African Americans who migrated from the South to Kansas in the late 1870s
Where: Seeking freedom from discrimination and poverty
African American soldiers who served in the US Army in the West
Where: Fought in Indian Wars
Practice quiz
What was the primary goal of the Reconstruction era following the American Civil War?
- To expand U.S. territory westward through new acquisitions.
- To reunite the nation and rebuild the Southern states.
- To establish new trade routes with European powers.
- To develop new industrial technologies in the North.
Answer: To reunite the nation and rebuild the Southern states.
How did President Lincoln's Ten Percent Plan for Reconstruction differ significantly from the Wade-Davis Bill proposed by Congress?
- Lincoln's plan required 50% of voters to swear loyalty, while the Wade-Davis Bill required only 10%.
- Lincoln's plan was much harsher on the South, while the Wade-Davis Bill offered amnesty.
- Lincoln's plan offered a more lenient path to readmission, requiring 10% loyalty, while the Wade-Davis Bill required 50%.
- The Wade-Davis Bill was pocket-vetoed by Congress, while Lincoln's plan was widely accepted.
Answer: Lincoln's plan offered a more lenient path to readmission, requiring 10% loyalty, while the Wade-Davis Bill required 50%.
Which constitutional amendment, ratified in 1868, granted citizenship to all persons born in the United States and guaranteed them equal protection under the law?
- Thirteenth Amendment
- Fourteenth Amendment
- Fifteenth Amendment
- Nineteenth Amendment
Answer: Fourteenth Amendment
The Freedmen's Bureau was a federal agency established during Reconstruction with the primary purpose of:
- Overseeing the impeachment process of President Andrew Johnson.
- Providing assistance, such as food, schools, and legal aid, to former slaves and poor whites in the South.
- Enforcing Black Codes in Southern states.
- Organizing military districts to control the former Confederate states.
Answer: Providing assistance, such as food, schools, and legal aid, to former slaves and poor whites in the South.
President Andrew Johnson faced impeachment by the House of Representatives primarily for what reason?
- His support for the Radical Republican agenda.
- His alleged violation of the Tenure of Office Act.
- His role in the Compromise of 1877.
- His refusal to enforce the Thirteenth Amendment.
Answer: His alleged violation of the Tenure of Office Act.
What was the main purpose of the "Black Codes" enacted by Southern states immediately after the Civil War?
- To grant full voting rights and land ownership to African Americans.
- To establish public education systems for all citizens regardless of race.
- To restrict the rights and freedoms of newly emancipated African Americans.
- To encourage African American migration to Northern industrial cities.
Answer: To restrict the rights and freedoms of newly emancipated African Americans.
Which group of Congressmen during Reconstruction advocated for punishing the South and ensuring civil rights for African Americans?
- Southern Democrats
- Moderate Republicans
- Radical Republicans
- Whig Party members
Answer: Radical Republicans
The Compromise of 1877 is significant because it:
- Led to the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson.
- Established the Freedmen's Bureau to aid former slaves.
- Formally ended the Reconstruction era by removing federal troops from the South.
- Ratified the Fifteenth Amendment, granting voting rights to African American men.
Answer: Formally ended the Reconstruction era by removing federal troops from the South.
The system of sharecropping that emerged in the South after the Civil War often resulted in:
- Economic independence and prosperity for former slaves.
- A cycle of debt and economic dependence for sharecroppers.
- Large-scale industrial development across the Southern states.
- Equal distribution of land among all agricultural workers.
Answer: A cycle of debt and economic dependence for sharecroppers.
The Supreme Court case of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) established the legal precedent of:
- Universal suffrage for all citizens.
- "Separate but equal," legalizing racial segregation.
- Federal protection against Ku Klux Klan violence.
- The right of African Americans to hold public office.
Answer: "Separate but equal," legalizing racial segregation.
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