Reconstruction Flashcards
(22 cards)
Freedman’s Bureau
assisted former slaves by providing basic necessities (ex: education, food, water, hospitals, clothing), opposed by Johnson
14th amendment
The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. and ensured equal protection under the law.
citizenship clause, due process clause, equal protection clause, insurrection clause
Civil Rights Act 1866
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was enacted by a Republican-dominated Congress, overriding a veto by President Andrew Johnson. The law aimed to offer protection to slaves freed after the Civil War and declared that all people born in the United States were U.S. citizens with certain inalienable rights. It was the first time federal law defined citizenship and guaranteed “equal benefit of all laws”
10% reconstruction plan
The Ten Percent Plan, proposed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, aimed to reintegrate Southern states into the Union by allowing them to rejoin once 10% of their voters took an oath of allegiance to the United States.
scalawag
a pejorative slur referred to white Southerners who supported Reconstruction policies and efforts after the conclusion of the American Civil War.
13th amendment
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States, marking a significant step towards civil rights and equality.
citizenship clause, due process clause, equal protection clause, insurrection clause
Citizenship Clause: This clause states that all persons born or naturalized in the United States are citizens, thereby granting citizenship to formerly enslaved individuals.
Due Process Clause: It prohibits states from depriving any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law, ensuring fair treatment through the normal judicial system.
Equal Protection Clause: This clause mandates that no state shall deny any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws, which has been the basis for many landmark Supreme Court cases addressing civil rights.
Representation: The amendment also addresses the apportionment of representatives in Congress, stating that if a state denies the right to vote to any of its male citizens, its representation will be reduced.
Insurrection Clause: It prohibits individuals who have engaged in insurrection against the United States from holding office unless Congress removes this disability by a two-thirds vote.
15th amendment
The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, prohibits the denial of the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude, significantly impacting voting rights for African American men.
carpetbagger
e northern merchants who arrived in the South in the early days of Reconstruction (1865 – 1877). The term was originally used as a derogatory term to describe politicians and financial adventurers whom Southerners accused of coming south to use the newly enfranchised freedmen to obtain office or profit. The term arose during Reconstruction and became widespread. Some people called carpetbaggers had noble motives, but were opposed by white supremacist figures in the South.
Military Reconstruction Act
Key Provisions
Division into Military Districts: The Act divided the ten remaining Southern states (excluding Tennessee) into five military districts, each governed by a Union general. This military oversight was intended to maintain order and facilitate the implementation of new laws
New State Constitutions: Each state was required to draft a new constitution that guaranteed voting rights to Black men and abolished “Black Codes” aimed at restricting freedmen’s rights. These constitutions required approval from Congress for readmission
Voting Rights: The Act mandated that all male citizens aged 21 and older, regardless of race, could vote in the elections for delegates to these constitutional conventions
Ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment: Southern states had to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment, which conferred citizenship and equal civil rights on former slaves, before being readmitted into Congress
Wade-Davis bill
The Wade-Davis Bill, introduced in 1864 by Radical Republicans, aimed to impose stricter reconstruction terms on the Southern states after the Civil War but was ultimately vetoed by President Lincoln
