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Failure of Reconstruction

Chloe Davis

Chloe Davis

9 min read

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Study Guide Overview

This AP US History study guide covers Reconstruction, focusing on the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments and their limitations due to loopholes like Black Codes, Jim Crow laws, and voter suppression tactics. It examines Reconstruction's failures, the roles of Scalawags and Carpetbaggers, Grant's presidency and related scandals, and the Compromise of 1877. Finally, it touches upon the New South's vision for industrialization and offers exam tips.

#AP US History: Reconstruction Study Guide

Hey there! Let's get you prepped for the APUSH exam. We're going to break down Reconstruction, focusing on the key stuff you need to know. Think of this as your cheat sheet for tonight! Let's dive in!

#Reconstruction Loopholes & Resistance

Reconstruction was supposed to rebuild the South and integrate formerly enslaved people into society, but it faced HUGE resistance. Key takeaway: Amendments had loopholes, and the South found ways to keep Black people down.

#13th Amendment: Slavery Abolished (Kind Of)

The 13th Amendment officially ended slavery and involuntary servitude, but...

  • Convict Leasing: 😠 States leased out prisoners (mostly Black people) to private companies for labor, often under terrible conditions. Basically, slavery by another name.

  • Sharecropping: 👨‍🌾 Landowners allowed tenants (often formerly enslaved people) to farm land in exchange for a share of the crops. This system kept many Black families in debt and tied to the land. It was a cycle of poverty and dependence.

Memory Aid

Think of 13th as "Free-ish" because it ended slavery but loopholes like convict leasing and sharecropping kept Black people in a cycle of coerced labor.

Sharecropping

Image: A depiction of sharecropping, highlighting the economic challenges faced by Black farmers.

#14th Amendment: Citizenship & Equal Protection (Sort Of)

The 14th Amendment granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S., but...

  • Black Codes: 📜 Laws passed in the South to control the movement and behavior of newly freed Black people, restricting their rights to property, work, and legal representation.
  • Vagrancy Laws: 🏘️ Criminalized homelessness and unemployment, forcing many Black people into involuntary labor.
  • Jim Crow Laws: 🎭 Segregation laws that mandated racial separation in public spaces and institutions. "Separate but equal" was the justification, but it was NEVER equal.
  • Supreme Court Undermining: 🏛️

    • Slaughterhouse Cases: ⚖️ Weakened the 14th Amendment by saying its protections only applied to federal citizenship, not state citizenship.

    • Cruikshank Case: ⚖️ Ruled that the federal government couldn't prosecute individuals for violating Black civil rights, leaving it up to the states.

Memory Aid

Remember 14th as "Citizens-ish" because while it granted citizenship, states found ways to limit rights through Black Codes and Jim Crow laws.

Jim Crow Laws

*Image: A visual representation of Jim Crow er...

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Question 1 of 13

🎉 What was the main goal of Reconstruction after the Civil War?

To expand slavery into new territories

To punish the North for starting the war

To rebuild the South and integrate formerly enslaved people

To establish a new monarchy in the South