Reconstruction
1865-1877
12 years after the Civil War when former
Confederate States were brought back to
the United States.
Amendment: change to the
Constitution
 13th Amendment: Bans slavery in the
United States and any of its territories
 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
 Policies were harsh and
created problems in the
South
 Reconstruction attempted
to give rights and freedom to
freedmen
 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.
 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
Civil Rights Act of 1866:
 African Americans gained equal
rights
 Authorized the use of federal
troops for its enforcement
 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
 White Southern Republicans
 To be a southern republican was seen
as being a traitor to the South
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)
• 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