AP US History — Civil War & Reconstruction

Describe the purpose of the **Freedmen's Bureau**.

Established in 1865, the Freedmen's Bureau was created to aid freed slaves and poor whites in the South by providing food, housing, education, and medical care.

What was the **Compromise of 1877**?

An unwritten deal that settled the disputed 1876 presidential election, resulting in the withdrawal of federal troops from the South and effectively ending Reconstruction.

Explain the **Dred Scott v. Sandford** decision.

A 1857 Supreme Court case where it was ruled that African Americans were not citizens and had no standing to sue in federal court, and that Congress had no authority to prohibit slavery in the territories.

What are **Black Codes**?

Laws passed by Southern states after the Civil War to restrict the rights and movements of newly freed African Americans.

Identify the **Civil Rights Act of 1866**.

The first federal law to define citizenship and affirm that all citizens are equally protected by the law, regardless of race.

What was the result of the **Battle of Gettysburg**?

A turning point in the Civil War, fought from July 1 to July 3, 1863, resulting in a significant Union victory and ending General Robert E. Lee's invasion of the North.

Define **sharecropping**.

A system where freed slaves and poor whites worked land owned by others in exchange for a share of the crops, often leading to a cycle of debt and poverty.

What was the purpose of the **15th Amendment**?

Ratified in 1870, it aimed to protect the voting rights of African American men by prohibiting voter discrimination based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

Explain **Lincoln's Ten Percent Plan**.

A Reconstruction strategy that allowed Southern states to be readmitted into the Union once 10% of their voters swore an oath of allegiance to the Union.

What was the **Wade-Davis Bill**?

A 1864 proposal requiring 50% of a state's white males to take a loyalty oath for reentry into the Union, which Lincoln pocket-vetoed.

Describe the impact of the **Ku Klux Klan** during Reconstruction.

Founded in 1865, the KKK used violence and intimidation to oppose Reconstruction efforts and maintain white supremacy.

What was the **Homestead Act of 1862**?

A law that provided 160 acres of public land to settlers for a small fee, encouraging westward expansion.

Who was **Andrew Johnson** and what was his role in Reconstruction?

The 17th President of the United States, he succeeded Lincoln and pursued lenient policies towards the South, clashing with Radical Republicans.

What is the significance of **Appomattox Court House**?

The site of General Robert E. Lee's surrender to General Ulysses S. Grant on April 9, 1865, effectively ending the Civil War.

Define **carpetbaggers**.

Northern opportunists who moved to the South during Reconstruction to seek personal gain or to promote industrialization and reform.

What was the goal of the **Civil Rights Act of 1875**?

To guarantee African Americans equal treatment in public accommodations and public transportation, and to prohibit exclusion from jury service.

Explain the term **scalawags**.

Southern whites who supported Reconstruction and the Republican Party after the Civil War, often seen as traitors by other Southerners.

What was **Sherman's March to the Sea**?

A military campaign led by General William Tecumseh Sherman from November 15 to December 21, 1864, devastating Georgia to cripple Confederate war efforts.

What role did the **National Banking Act** play during the Civil War?

Passed in 1863, it established a system of national banks and created a national currency, stabilizing the Northern economy.

What was the purpose of the **Tenure of Office Act**?

A law intended to restrict the power of the President by requiring Senate approval for the removal of certain officeholders, leading to Andrew Johnson's impeachment.

Who were the **Copperheads**?

A faction of Northern Democrats who opposed the Civil War and advocated for an immediate peace settlement with the Confederates.

What was the **Morrill Land-Grant Act**?

An 1862 act donating public lands to states to establish colleges focused on agriculture and the mechanical arts.

Explain the **Anaconda Plan**.

The Union's strategic plan to defeat the Confederacy by blockading Southern ports and controlling the Mississippi River, thereby splitting the South.

What was the **Gettysburg Address**?

A famous speech by Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863, dedicating the Gettysburg battlefield and redefining the purpose of the war.

Describe the **Panic of 1873**.

A financial crisis triggered by over-speculation and the collapse of major banks, leading to a severe economic depression in the United States.

What was the **Redemption** period?

The term used by Southern Democrats to describe their return to power and the end of Reconstruction, marked by the removal of Republican governments.

What was the **Battle of Antietam** known for?

Fought on September 17, 1862, it was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history and led to Lincoln issuing the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation.