1. Reconstruction
12 years after the Civil War when former Confederate States were brought back to the United States.

2. New Amendments
Amendment: change to the Constitution
13th Amendment: Bans slavery in the United States and any of its territories

3. New Amendments Amendment: changes to the Constitution
14th Amendment: Grants citizenship to all persons born in the U.S. and guarantees them equal protection under the law
15th Amendment: Ensures all citizens the right to vote regardless of race or color or previous condition of servitude
Radical Republicans believed the South should be forced with an army to ratify the 14th and 15th amendments

4. Reconstruction Policies:
Policies were harsh and created problems in the South
Reconstruction attempted to give rights and freedom to freedmen

5. Reconstruction Policies
Southern military leaders could not hold office
African Americans could hold public office
Northern soldiers supervised the South
Military Reconstruction Act: divided the South into military districts. Northern soldiers were sent to enforce reconstruction polices.

7. Freedmen’s Bureau: Created during Reconstruction
The country’s 1st federal relief agency
Established to aid former enslaved African Americans from the South
Gave out meals, medical supplies, and clothing
Set up schools for African Americans
Educated more than 250,000

8. Freedom Civil Rights Act of 1866:
African Americans gained equal rights
Authorized the use of federal troops for its enforcement

9. Carpetbaggers
Northerners who moved to post war South to profit from the South
Name was given because of cheap suitcase made of carpet
Southern resented Northern “carpetbaggers” who took advantage of South during reconstruction

10. Scalawags White Southern Republicans
To be a southern republican was seen as being a traitor to the South

11. Black Codes
As freedmen gained their freedom and some rights, Southern states started Black Codes to restrict black rights
Black Codes limited the economic and physical freedoms of former slaves
Curfews (could not go out after sunset)
Vagrancy (those convicted of not working were fined for years work)
Land restrictions (could only rent homes in rural areas)

12. Limited freedmen’s economic freedom
Sharecropping
A farming system where white planters rented individual pieces of land to freedmen in return for a large portion of crops
Limited freedmen’s economic freedom