Glossary
13th Amendment
Ratified in 1865, this amendment officially abolished slavery and involuntary servitude in the United States, except as punishment for a crime.
Example:
The passage of the 13th Amendment marked a monumental shift in American society, legally ending the institution of chattel slavery that had defined the South for centuries.
14th Amendment
Ratified in 1868, it granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, including formerly enslaved people.
Example:
The 14th Amendment was crucial for establishing the principle of birthright citizenship and laid the groundwork for future civil rights legislation, though its protections were often ignored in the South.
15th Amendment
Ratified in 1870, this amendment prohibited states from denying a citizen the right to vote based on 'race, color, or previous condition of servitude,' primarily granting African American men suffrage.
Example:
Despite the 15th Amendment granting African American men the right to vote, Southern states soon implemented poll taxes, literacy tests, and grandfather clauses to disenfranchise them.
Andrew Johnson
The 17th U.S. President, who succeeded Lincoln after his assassination and pursued a lenient Reconstruction policy that clashed significantly with the Radical Republicans in Congress.
Example:
Andrew Johnson's frequent vetoes of Reconstruction legislation and his attempts to undermine Congressional authority ultimately led to his impeachment.
Black Codes
Discriminatory laws passed by Southern states immediately after the Civil War, designed to restrict the freedom and economic opportunities of formerly enslaved people and maintain white supremacy.
Example:
The Black Codes forced freedmen into labor contracts, prohibited them from owning land, and limited their ability to testify in court, effectively attempting to re-establish a system similar to slavery.
Blanche K. Bruce
An African American politician who served as a U.S. Senator from Mississippi during Reconstruction, becoming the first African American to serve a full term in the Senate.
Example:
Blanche K. Bruce's election to the Senate symbolized the political gains made by African Americans during the brief period of Radical Reconstruction.
Civil Rights Act of 1866
The first major federal law to define U.S. citizenship and affirm that all citizens are equally protected by the law, passed over President Johnson's veto.
Example:
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was a direct response to the Black Codes and served as a precursor to the 14th Amendment, aiming to secure basic rights for African Americans.
Freedmen's Bureau
Established by Congress in March 1865, this federal agency provided aid to formerly enslaved people and poor whites in the South, offering food, shelter, medical care, and most notably, establishing schools.
Example:
The Freedmen's Bureau played a vital role in providing education to hundreds of thousands of freed blacks, creating a foundation for future African American leadership and literacy.
Hiram Revels
The first African American to serve in the U.S. Congress, elected as a Senator from Mississippi in 1870 to fill a vacant seat.
Example:
Hiram Revels's presence in the Senate was a powerful symbol of the new political landscape in the South during Reconstruction, though his term was short.
Johnson's Impeachment
The process by which the House of Representatives formally accused President Andrew Johnson of 'high crimes and misdemeanors' in 1868, though he was acquitted by the Senate.
Example:
Johnson's Impeachment trial, though it failed to remove him from office, demonstrated the deep political divisions and the struggle for power between the executive and legislative branches during Reconstruction.
Presidential Reconstruction
The phase of Reconstruction led by President Andrew Johnson, characterized by lenient terms for Southern states' readmission, including ratification of the 13th Amendment but allowing states to pass Black Codes.
Example:
Presidential Reconstruction under Johnson quickly allowed former Confederate leaders to regain power, leading to widespread concern among Northerners about the limited rights of freedmen.
Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction (10% Plan)
President Lincoln's lenient plan for Reconstruction, which allowed a Southern state to rejoin the Union once 10% of its 1860 voters took a loyalty oath to the Union and accepted emancipation.
Example:
Lincoln's 10% Plan aimed for a swift and forgiving reunification, reflecting his desire to 'bind up the nation's wounds' quickly after the war.
Radical Republicans
A faction within the Republican Party during Reconstruction who advocated for federal intervention to protect the rights of African Americans, punish former Confederates, and transform Southern society.
Example:
The Radical Republicans pushed for the Reconstruction Acts of 1867, dividing the South into military districts to ensure compliance with federal mandates on civil rights.
Reconstruction
The period following the Civil War (1865-1877) focused on rebuilding the South, reintegrating former Confederate states into the Union, and addressing the rights and status of formerly enslaved people.
Example:
The era of Reconstruction saw significant federal intervention in Southern affairs, aiming to establish a new social and political order after the Confederacy's defeat.
Reconstruction Act of 1867
Legislation passed by Radical Republicans that divided the South into five military districts, required Southern states to ratify the 14th Amendment, and guaranteed voting rights for all adult males regardless of race for readmission.
Example:
The Reconstruction Act of 1867 marked the beginning of Congressional Reconstruction, imposing stricter conditions on the former Confederate states and empowering the federal government to enforce civil rights.
Tenure of Office Act
A federal law passed by Congress in 1867 that restricted the President's power to remove certain office-holders without the Senate's approval, aimed at limiting President Johnson's authority.
Example:
President Johnson's violation of the Tenure of Office Act by attempting to fire Secretary of War Edwin Stanton was the primary charge leading to his impeachment by the House of Representatives.
Wade-Davis Bill
A stricter Reconstruction plan proposed by Radical Republicans in Congress in 1864, which required 50% of a state's voters to take an 'ironclad' loyalty oath and only non-Confederates could vote for a new state constitution.
Example:
Lincoln's pocket veto of the Wade-Davis Bill highlighted the early tension between the executive and legislative branches over the direction of Reconstruction.