01 Reconstruction and Its Aftermath Free Online FlashCards

What was Reconstruction, and when did it usually take place?

Reconstruction was the effort to reunite the United States and define freedom after the Civil War, usually dated from 1865 to 1877.

What assistance did the Freedmen’s Bureau provide?

Created in 1865, the Freedmen’s Bureau provided aid and supported education and labor arrangements. It had limited resources, and its work ended in 1872.

How did sharecropping work, and what often limited families’ independence?

Sharecroppers farmed land in return for a share of the crop. Debt and limited access to land often kept families economically dependent on white landowners.

What were Black Codes designed to restrict?

Black Codes were laws passed by Southern legislatures to restrict Black people’s rights and labor choices.

What conditions did the Reconstruction Acts set for former Confederate states?

The Reconstruction Acts of 1867 divided former Confederate states into five military districts and required new constitutions, including Black male suffrage, before states could regain congressional representation.

What did the Thirteenth Amendment do?

The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery, except as punishment for a crime after conviction.

What were the Enforcement Acts intended to combat?

The Enforcement Acts of 1870 and 1871 empowered the federal government to combat political terror, including Ku Klux Klan violence.

How did white supremacist groups seek to weaken Reconstruction?

White supremacist groups used threats and violence to undermine Black political participation and Republican rule in the South.

Which methods were used to disfranchise many Black voters after Reconstruction?

Southern states used poll taxes, literacy tests, and other restrictions—often selectively enforced—to block many Black citizens from voting; threats and violence reinforced these measures.

What happened to the Civil Rights Act of 1875 in 1883?

In 1883, the Supreme Court limited the reach of the Civil Rights Act of 1875, which had sought to prohibit racial discrimination in public accommodations.

What doctrine did Plessy v. Ferguson uphold, and what was its practical effect?

In Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), the Supreme Court upheld segregation under “separate but equal.” In practice, Black Americans were denied equal facilities and rights.

What key protections did the Fourteenth Amendment establish?

The Fourteenth Amendment established birthright citizenship and required states to provide due process and equal protection.