Since this week is a short week, we will be using these terms over the next two weeks:

Reconstruction-the period between 1865 to 1877, when the United States integrated millions of newly freed black people into society, and rebuilt the devastated South. 

13th amendment(1865)-The Thirteenth Amendment  abolished slavery. 

14th amendment(1868)–the Fourteenth Amendment granted citizenship to all persons “born or naturalized in the United States,” including formerly enslaved people. 

15th amendment(1869)-The Fifteenth Amendment gave all men regardless of race the right to vote. 

Black Codes-During Reconstruction, laws that prevented black people from voting, going to school, owning land, and even getting certain jobs.   There were also black codes in the North, but they were not written and open, like in the South. 

Carpetbaggers-northerners who moved to the South during the Reconstruction to make money off of the rebuilding.  Southerners resented them making money off their troubles.

Ku Klux Klan-a group of political and social terrorists who wanted to maintain complete white supremacy in the South. The KKK killed white and black people who they viewed as sympathetic to black people and equality.  

Ulysses S. Grant- Commanding General of US forces in the Civil War.   Also 18th US President, serving 2 terms from 1869-1877.  

Impeachment-charging a person with a crime or misconduct while in office.   President Andrew Johnson was the first President to be impeached.  

Freedman’s Bureau-Federal Reconstruction program that oversaw the transition from slavery to freedom for 4 million black people.  Its greatest achievement was providing schools for adults and children. 

Share-cropping-where blacks and poor whites rented land from others, in return for a part of their crop yield(shares).  Really only benefited the wealthier landowner, and kept the share-cropper in debt.