Reconstruction Study Guide
Plans for reconstruction-
Lincoln - 10% of people in a Confederate state needed to take an oath to be readmitted in the US. No
protection for African-Americans.
Johnson - More than 50% of people in Confederate states needed to take an oath to be readmitted in the
US. Didn’t want African American equality. Wanted African American equality
Radical Republicans - 51% of people in a Confederate state needed to take an oath to be readmitted in
the US.
Freedmen's Bureau - The goal of the Freedmen's Bureau was to protect the legal rights of the
freedmen; it provided food, clothing, and shelter.
Amendments -
13th Ends Slavery-
Short Term Effect: When the slaves were freed they had no money, food, or shelter. As a result they would
be sharecroppers.
Long Term Effect: Southerners depended on slaves to grow their crops and without them they started to
tenant farm.
14th Gives Citizenship to Everyone Born in the US-
Short Term Effect: The freedmen that lived in southern states don’t want equal rights, so they created the
“Black Codes”. These codes were very racist and unfair.
Long Term Effect: Led many people racist to African Americans.
15th Gives the Every Man the Right to Vote-
Short Term Effect: Southern states required freedmen to pay a tax upon voting. They also had to read and
understand the Constitution.
Long Term Effect: Almost every African American never got the chance to vote.
Lincoln Assassination - John Wilkes Booth killed him in Ford Theater.
The Black Codes - The black codes were laws that restricted freedom from African-Americans.
Example - a black person couldn’t exchange or sell anything without permission and couldn’t own or rent
a house.
Sharecroppers- Sharecropping is when a landowner lets you live and work on a piece of land in
exchange for part of the crop that they produce.
Southern Military districts - States must agree to the 13th Amendment, and more than half the states
population must take an oath.
Forty Acres and a Mule - Wanted to divide up land in former Confederacy and give it to the freedmen.
Never successful
Andrew Johnson - He was Lincoln's vice president and was sworn into presidency after
Lincoln’s assassination. He didn’t promote the same views of equality towards freedmen and
didn’t include them in his plans for reconstruction.
African American Politicians -
Robert Elliott - Elected twice to the House of Representatives and fought for equal rights.
Hiram Revels - First African American senator.
Blanche K. Bruce - First African American to preside in the senate.
Election of 1876 - Rep. Hayes v Dem. Tilden. There were many disputes due to the difficulties getting
freedmen to vote so Tilden agreed to concede if Union troops leave the south.
KKK- Terrorized black Americans to discourage them from voting and fighting for their rights.
Also targeted Scalawags (Southerners who supported the Republican Party) and carpetbaggers
(Northerners who moved to the south).
Jim Crow laws - The Jim Crow laws were to segregate whites from blacks. Example- different
schools or phone booths
Why was reconstruction a success or failure