During Reconstruction, the South was under occupation by federal forces, and Southern state governments were dominated by
Republicans
, elected largely by freedmen and allies.
Who controlled the South after Reconstruction?
The end of Reconstruction was a staggered process, and the period of
Republican
control ended at different times in different states. With the Compromise of 1877, army intervention in the South ceased and Republican control collapsed in the last three state governments in the South.
What were white Southerners who supported Reconstruction?
In addition to carpetbaggers and freed African Americans, the majority of Republican support in the South came from white southerners who for various reasons saw more of an advantage in backing the policies of Reconstruction than in opposing them. Critics referred derisively to these southerners as “
scalawags
.”
What was passed by the Southern states after Reconstruction?
After the end of Reconstruction,
racial segregation laws were enacted
. These laws became popularly known as Jim Crow laws. They remained in force from the end of Reconstruction in 1877 until 1965. The laws mandated racial segregation as policy in all public facilities in the southern states.
What did the South gain from Reconstruction?
Among the other achievements of Reconstruction were the South’s
first state-funded public school systems
, more equitable taxation legislation, laws against racial discrimination in public transport and accommodations and ambitious economic development programs (including aid to railroads and other enterprises).
What happened to African American civil rights after Reconstruction?
After the Civil War, with the protection of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution and the Civil Rights Act of 1866, African Americans enjoyed
a period when they were allowed to vote
, actively participate in the political process, acquire the land of former owners, seek their own …
What makes the Reconstruction Era significant in US history?
The Reconstruction era
redefined U.S. citizenship and expanded the franchise
, changed the relationship between the federal government and the governments of the states, and highlighted the differences between political and economic democracy.
Who was a famous scalawag?
Two of the most prominent scalawags were General James Longstreet, one of Robert E. Lee’s top generals, and Joseph E. Brown, who had been the wartime governor of Georgia. During the 1870s, many scalawags left the Republican Party and joined the conservative-Democrat coalition.
Is carpetbagger a dirty word?
In the history of the United States, carpetbagger was a derogatory term applied by Southerners to opportunistic Northerners who came to the Southern states after the American Civil War, who were perceived to be exploiting the local populace for their own financial, political, and/or social gain.
Where did the word scalawag come from?
The first citation of “scalawag” given by the Oxford English Dictionary is
from J.R. Bartlett’s 1848 Dictionary of Americanisms
, which defines it as “a favorite epithet in western New York for a mean fellow; a scape-grace.” From there, the word rose—it achieved prominence after the Civil War as a name for a white …
What did the South have to do to rejoin the Union?
To gain admittance to the Union, Congress required Southern states
to draft new constitutions guaranteeing African-American men the right to vote
. The constitutions also had to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment, which granted African Americans equal protection under the law.
What was one political impact of Reconstruction in the South?
Following Reconstruction, Southern state governments
systematically stripped African- Americans of their basic political and civil rights
. Literacy Tests. Many freedmen, lacking a formal education, could not pass these reading and writing tests. As a result, they were barred from voting.
What event signaled the end of Reconstruction?
The Compromise of 1877
was an informal agreement between southern Democrats and allies of the Republican Rutherford Hayes to settle the result of the 1876 presidential election and marked the end of the Reconstruction era.
What was the most serious mistake of Reconstruction?
The chief mistake of Reconstruction was
conferring the right to vote on African-Americans
, who, it was said, were incapable of exercising it intelligently.
What did the Reconstruction Act of 1867 accomplish?
The Reconstruction Act of 1867 outlined
the terms for readmission to representation of rebel states
. The bill divided the former Confederate states, except for Tennessee, into five military districts. … The act became law on March 2, 1867, after Congress overrode a presidential veto.
How did education improve the South during Reconstruction?
Answer: Before the Civil War, most southern states made it illegal to educate slaves, but many enslaved people did learn to read and write. During the post-Civil War Reconstruction era, the
number of schools
and the literacy rate for African Americans increased dramatically.
