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Quizzes > History > Wars & Historic Events

Reconstruction Era Quiz: How Well Do You Know Post - Civil War America?

Ready to dive into the Reconstruction Era? Take the Civil War reconstruction quiz now!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
paper art quiz illustration of reconstruction era rebuilding segregation sharecropping on sky blue background

This Reconstruction quiz helps you review what changed after the Civil War - from the 13th - 15th Amendments to segregation, sharecropping, and how Southern states rejoined the Union. Use it to practice for class and spot any gaps, starting with the intro quiz and then moving on to the full set of questions .

Which president was assassinated in 1865, profoundly affecting the course of Reconstruction?
Ulysses S. Grant
Jefferson Davis
Abraham Lincoln
Andrew Johnson
Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in April 1865, just as the Civil War ended, shifting Reconstruction policy under his successor, Andrew Johnson. Lincoln had favored a more lenient approach to reunite the nation quickly. His death led to conflicts over how to reintegrate Southern states and protect freed slaves' rights. .
Which Constitutional amendment formally abolished slavery throughout the United States?
14th Amendment
Civil Rights Act of 1866
15th Amendment
13th Amendment
The 13th Amendment, ratified in December 1865, abolished slavery and involuntary servitude except as a punishment for crime. It was the first of the three Reconstruction Amendments aimed at extending civil and legal protections to former slaves. The 14th and 15th Amendments followed, addressing citizenship and voting rights. .
What organization, established in 1865, provided food, housing, and education to formerly enslaved people?
Freedmen's Bureau
Ku Klux Klan
Radical Republicans
Carpetbaggers
The Freedmen's Bureau, officially the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands, was created by Congress in 1865. It assisted former slaves and impoverished Southerners by providing necessities, education, and legal support. Its efforts laid the groundwork for public schools in the South. .
What term describes the restrictive laws passed by Southern states to control African Americans after the Civil War?
Enforcement Acts
Sharecropping Agreements
Black Codes
Jim Crow Laws
Black Codes were laws enacted in the immediate post-Civil War South to limit the freedom of African Americans and ensure their availability as a cheap labor force. They restricted movement, labor contracts, and civil rights. The more formalized Jim Crow laws developed later in the 1870s and beyond. .
Who became president after Abraham Lincoln's assassination and presided over much of early Reconstruction?
Ulysses S. Grant
Thomas Jefferson
Rutherford B. Hayes
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson, Lincoln's vice president, assumed the presidency after Lincoln's death in 1865. His lenient policies toward the South and frequent clashes with Radical Republicans shaped early Reconstruction debates. He was later impeached for violating the Tenure of Office Act. .
Which presidential plan offered amnesty to Southerners if 10% of voters in a seceded state took an oath of loyalty?
Lincoln's 10% Plan
Wade-Davis Bill
Compromise of 1877
Johnson's Restoration Plan
Lincoln's 10% Plan required 10% of voters in a former Confederate state to swear allegiance to the Union before the state could form a new government. This lenient proposal aimed to reunify the country quickly. It was opposed by Radical Republicans who wanted stricter terms. .
Which amendment granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S.?
15th Amendment
13th Amendment
Civil Rights Act of 1866
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment, ratified in 1868, established citizenship for all persons born or naturalized in the United States. It also introduced the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses, which became foundations for civil rights. This amendment addressed issues not covered by the 13th Amendment. .
Which amendment prohibited denying citizens the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude?
19th Amendment
13th Amendment
15th Amendment
14th Amendment
The 15th Amendment, ratified in 1870, prohibited federal and state governments from denying a citizen the right to vote based on race, color, or previous servitude. It aimed to secure voting rights for African American men. Later, disenfranchisement tactics undermined its effect in practice. .
What agricultural system emerged in the South where landowners allowed tenants to use land in return for a share of the crop?
Factory Farming
Tenant Farming
Sharecropping
Poduction Farming
Sharecropping involved landowners providing land, tools, and seeds to tenant farmers in exchange for a portion of the harvested crop. It replaced slavery but often trapped sharecroppers in cycles of debt and dependency. This system was widespread throughout the Reconstruction era. .
Which white supremacist group formed during Reconstruction used violence to intimidate African Americans and Republican supporters?
Freedmen's Bureau
Radical Republicans
Carpetbaggers
Ku Klux Klan
The Ku Klux Klan was founded in 1866 in Tennessee and used terror, violence, and intimidation to oppose Reconstruction efforts and suppress African American civil rights. Congress responded with Enforcement Acts to curb Klan activity. The Klan's actions had a profound impact on Reconstruction's outcomes. .
What term describes the formal racial segregation laws enacted in the late 19th century in the Southern United States?
Civil Rights Acts
Jim Crow Laws
Black Codes
Enforcement Acts
Jim Crow Laws were state and local statutes enforcing racial segregation in the Southern United States after Reconstruction ended in 1877. They mandated segregation in all public facilities and institutionalized many economic, educational, and social disadvantages for African Americans. .
Which legislation divided the South into military districts to enforce Reconstruction policies?
Reconstruction Acts
Compromise of 1877
Homestead Act
Civil Rights Act of 1866
The Reconstruction Acts of 1867 divided the former Confederate states (except Tennessee) into five military districts under Union generals. This ensured states complied with the requirements for readmission, including ratifying the 14th Amendment. These Acts marked the beginning of Radical Reconstruction. .
Which president was impeached largely due to conflicts over Reconstruction policy and the Tenure of Office Act?
Andrew Johnson
Abraham Lincoln
Ulysses S. Grant
Rutherford B. Hayes
Andrew Johnson was impeached by the House in 1868 for violating the Tenure of Office Act by removing Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. His lenient Reconstruction policies angered Radical Republicans, who sought a tougher approach to the South. He was acquitted by one vote in the Senate. .
Which compromise effectively ended Reconstruction by withdrawing federal troops from the South?
Compromise of 1877
Missouri Compromise
Compromise of 1850
Compromise of 1867
The Compromise of 1877 resolved the disputed 1876 presidential election by awarding Rutherford B. Hayes the presidency. In return, federal troops were withdrawn from Southern states, ending Reconstruction. This left African Americans without federal protection from discriminatory state laws. .
What faction in Congress advocated for strict Reconstruction measures and full civil rights for freed slaves?
Radical Republicans
Conservative Democrats
Moderate Whigs
Copperheads
Radical Republicans in Congress pushed for strong federal measures to secure civil and voting rights for African Americans and restructure Southern society. They passed the Reconstruction Acts and supported the 14th and 15th Amendments. Their policies clashed with President Johnson's lenient approach. .
Which legislative proposal, sponsored by Radical Republicans, required a majority of voters in Southern states to pledge allegiance before readmission?
Johnson's Restoration Plan
Wade-Davis Bill
Lincoln's 10% Plan
Compromise of 1877
The Wade-Davis Bill of 1864, proposed by Radical Republicans Benjamin Wade and Henry Winter Davis, required a majority of white male citizens in a Southern state to swear loyalty to the Union before reconstruction. Lincoln pocket-vetoed the bill, favoring his more lenient 10% Plan. The bill reflected congressional frustration with executive Reconstruction. .
What did the Civil Rights Act of 1866 declare?
Repeal of the Black Codes
All persons born in the U.S. are citizens
Voting rights for women
Redistribution of Confederate lands
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 declared that all persons born in the United States (except Native Americans) were citizens, regardless of race, and had equal rights. It was the first federal law to define citizenship and affirmed federal authority to protect civil rights. It countered the Black Codes enacted in Southern states. .
What was a primary disadvantage of sharecropping for African American farmers?
Entrapment in debt cycles
Immediate economic independence
Lack of available labor
Guaranteed land ownership
Sharecropping often trapped farmers in perpetual debt because landowners set high interest for supplies and demanded large shares of crop yields. As a result, many sharecroppers struggled to earn enough to pay off debts. Despite the promise of independence, economic exploitation persisted. .
How does tenant farming differ from sharecropping?
Tenants received land free of charge
Tenants paid rent in cash or crop, not a fixed share
Sharecroppers paid annual lease fees
Sharecroppers owned the land
Tenant farmers typically rented land from landowners and paid rent either in cash or a portion of their crop. Unlike sharecroppers, they often owned their own tools and seeds and retained more control over their operations. However, both systems could be exploitative. .
Which president vetoed the Civil Rights Act of 1866, only to be overridden by Congress?
Abraham Lincoln
Andrew Johnson
Ulysses S. Grant
Rutherford B. Hayes
President Andrew Johnson vetoed the Civil Rights Act of 1866, arguing it favored African Americans at the expense of whites and encroached on states' rights. Radical Republicans in Congress overrode his veto, marking the first time in U.S. history a major piece of legislation was enacted over a presidential veto. .
What was the main purpose of the Enforcement Acts passed between 1870 and 1871?
Impeach President Johnson
Abolish sharecropping
Protect African Americans' voting rights
Redistribute land to freedmen
The Enforcement Acts, also known as the Ku Klux Klan Acts, were designed to protect African Americans' right to vote, hold office, serve on juries, and receive equal protection under the law. They empowered the federal government to intervene when states failed to enforce these rights. They targeted violent groups like the KKK. .
Who were the 'carpetbaggers' during Reconstruction?
Northerners who moved South for opportunity
Southern planters who migrated North
Ex-Confederate soldiers
Members of the Freedmen's Bureau
Carpetbaggers were Northerners who moved to the Southern states after the Civil War, often perceived as exploiting the local populace and political upheaval for personal gain. Many sought economic opportunities, while others aimed to assist in Reconstruction efforts. The term implied scavenging. .
What term was used for Southern white Republicans who supported Reconstruction?
Carpetbaggers
Copperheads
Redeemers
Scalawags
Scalawags were Southern whites who supported Reconstruction and the Republican Party. They were seen by many Southerners as traitors to their region. The term was a derogatory label used by Democrats against them. .
Which president's election was decided by the Compromise of 1877?
Rutherford B. Hayes
Ulysses S. Grant
James A. Garfield
Grover Cleveland
The Compromise of 1877 resolved the disputed 1876 election by awarding Rutherford B. Hayes the presidency in exchange for the removal of federal troops from the South. This marked the end of Reconstruction and began the era of Jim Crow. .
Which state was the first to be readmitted to the Union under the Reconstruction Acts of 1867?
North Carolina
Arkansas
Georgia
Virginia
Arkansas was the first state (other than Tennessee) to be readmitted under the Reconstruction Acts after it ratified the 14th Amendment and met the military and civil requirements set by Congress. Tennessee had been readmitted earlier by separate legislation. .
Who was appointed head of the Freedmen's Bureau in 1865?
Thaddeus Stevens
Samuel Tilden
Oliver Otis Howard
Frederick Douglass
Oliver Otis Howard, a Union general, was appointed commissioner of the Freedmen's Bureau in 1865. He oversaw the provision of food, education, and legal support to freed slaves and impoverished whites in the South. Howard later founded Howard University. .
Which Supreme Court decision in 1896 validated the principle of 'separate but equal'?
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Brown v. Board of Education
Slaughterhouse Cases
Plessy v. Ferguson
In Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), the Supreme Court ruled that state laws requiring segregated public facilities were constitutional as long as the facilities were equal in quality. This decision upheld the 'separate but equal' doctrine and legitimized Jim Crow segregation. .
What was the purpose of the crop-lien system in the post-war South?
To enforce Black Codes
To provide credit to farmers against future crops
To guarantee land ownership for sharecroppers
To redistribute land to freedmen
The crop-lien system allowed farmers to obtain supplies and food on credit from merchants, using their upcoming harvest as collateral. High interest rates and unpredictable yields often trapped farmers in debt. It became a widespread mechanism of economic control in the South. .
Which president delivered the 'Swing Around the Circle' speeches opposing Radical Reconstruction?
James Buchanan
Andrew Johnson
Ulysses S. Grant
Abraham Lincoln
In 1866, President Andrew Johnson embarked on the 'Swing Around the Circle,' a speaking tour to rally support against the Radical Republicans' Reconstruction policies. His combative speeches failed to gain popular backing and contributed to Radical victories in the midterm elections. .
What was the 'grandfather clause' used for in Southern states?
Exempting whites from literacy tests
Limiting sharecropping agreements
Granting land to freedmen
Mandating military service
Grandfather clauses were provisions allowing anyone whose ancestors had voting rights before the Civil War to bypass literacy tests and poll taxes. Since most African Americans' ancestors were enslaved, they could not benefit, effectively disenfranchising black voters while protecting white suffrage. .
Which act of Congress attempted to restrict the president's power to remove certain officeholders without Senate approval?
Civil Service Act
Office Removal Act
Tenure of Office Act
Reconnaissance Act
The Tenure of Office Act of 1867 required Senate approval for the removal of certain officeholders appointed with the Senate's consent. Its violation by Andrew Johnson led to his impeachment. The law was later repealed, and the Supreme Court declared similar future restrictions unconstitutional. .
What was the primary aim of the Civil Rights Act of 1875?
Mandate jury service for women
Guarantee equal access to public accommodations
Abolish poll taxes
Implement land redistribution
The Civil Rights Act of 1875 sought to guarantee African Americans equal treatment in public accommodations, public transportation, and jury service. It represented the last major federal civil rights legislation of Reconstruction before being struck down by the Supreme Court in 1883. .
Which Congressional committee was responsible for drafting the Fourteenth Amendment?
Select Committee on Territories
Joint Committee on Reconstruction
Committee of Ten
House Committee on Un-American Activities
The Joint Committee on Reconstruction, also known as the Congressional Committee of Fifteen, was formed in 1865 to evaluate conditions in the South and propose measures. It played a key role in drafting the Fourteenth Amendment and recommending harsher Reconstruction policies. .
What was the Southern Homestead Act of 1866 designed to do?
Provide public land to freed slaves
Fund Civil Rights Act enforcement
Rebuild Southern railroads
Regulate sharecropping contracts
The Southern Homestead Act of 1866 aimed to allocate public lands in five Southern states to freedmen and loyal whites. However, land was often of poor quality, and bureaucratic obstacles limited its success. The act represented federal efforts to reshape Southern agriculture. .
Which system involved Southern states leasing convicted prisoners to private enterprises for labor?
Convict leasing
Sharecropping
Indentured servitude
Tenant farming
Convict leasing allowed states to lease prisoners to private businesses for labor, often under brutal conditions. It became a way to continue forced labor after the abolition of slavery, disproportionately affecting African Americans. The practice persisted into the early 20th century. .
Which Supreme Court case limited the use of military tribunals to try civilians when civilian courts are open?
Ex parte Merryman
In re Debs
Ex parte Quirin
Ex parte Milligan
Ex parte Milligan (1866) held that military tribunals could not try civilians when civilian courts were operational, even during war or occupation. The decision emphasized constitutional protections that continued outside of combat zones. .
The Crop-lien system primarily contributed to which of the following in the post-war South?
Expansion of public education
Persistent rural poverty
Rapid industrialization
Widespread land ownership by freedmen
The crop-lien system by which farmers used future crops as collateral for loans often led to high debts and economic stagnation. Many sharecroppers remained trapped in poverty, as they could not repay debts due to unpredictable harvests and exploitative terms. .
Which president's administration vigorously enforced civil rights laws and deployed federal troops to suppress the KKK?
James A. Garfield
Andrew Johnson
Rutherford B. Hayes
Ulysses S. Grant
President Ulysses S. Grant supported the Enforcement Acts to protect African Americans' civil rights. His administration used federal troops and prosecutions to weaken the KKK, leading to a temporary decline in Klan violence. Grant's efforts marked a peak in federal civil rights enforcement during Reconstruction. .
What was the purpose of the Grandfather Clause passed by some Southern states?
To provide land grants
To allow whites to bypass voting restrictions
To fund public schools
To regulate interracial marriage
Grandfather Clauses enabled white voters to avoid literacy tests and poll taxes if their grandfathers had the right to vote before the Civil War. This legal maneuver disenfranchised African Americans while maintaining white suffrage. .
Which Supreme Court decision significantly narrowed the protections of the Fourteenth Amendment's Privileges or Immunities Clause?
Slaughterhouse Cases
Barron v. Baltimore
Plessy v. Ferguson
Dred Scott v. Sandford
The Slaughterhouse Cases (1873) ruled that the Privileges or Immunities Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment protected only rights of federal U.S. citizenship, not those of state citizenship. This decision limited the amendment's scope and curtailed federal protection of individual rights. .
Which act authorized the president to use federal troops to enforce civil rights and suppress insurrection?
Tenure of Office Act
Enforcement Act of 1871
Civil Rights Act of 1866
Reconstruction Act of 1867
The Enforcement Act of 1871, also called the Ku Klux Klan Act, empowered the president to use federal troops to suppress conspiracies and violence aimed at depriving citizens of their constitutional rights. It was a key tool against Klan terrorism. .
What major financial crisis in 1873 undermined Northern support for Reconstruction?
Panic of 1873
Panic of 1893
Panic of 1861
Panic of 1907
The Panic of 1873 triggered a severe economic depression, shifting public and political focus from Reconstruction in the South to relieving economic distress in the North. As a result, support for federal intervention waned, and Reconstruction policies were deprioritized. .
Who was appointed to oversee the Freedmen's Savings and Trust Company in 1865?
William F. Talbot
Oliver Otis Howard
Salmon P. Chase
Frederick Douglass
William F. Talbot was appointed president of the Freedmen's Savings and Trust Company in 1865 to provide banking services to freed slaves. The institution ultimately failed in 1874 during a financial panic, causing many African Americans to lose savings. .
What term describes Southern political leaders who regained power after Reconstruction to enact restrictive laws?
Redeemers
Radical Republicans
Carpetbaggers
Scalawags
Redeemers were conservative, pro-business Democrats who regained control of Southern state governments after the withdrawal of federal troops in 1877. They aimed to 'redeem' the South by reversing Reconstruction reforms and enforcing white supremacy. .
Which amendment's Due Process Clause was central to many Reconstruction-era Supreme Court cases?
15th Amendment
14th Amendment
13th Amendment
16th Amendment
The Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment was invoked in multiple Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction cases to define the limits of state power and protect individual rights. Cases like the Slaughterhouse and Cruikshank decisions revolved around its interpretation. .
What did the Supreme Court decide in The Civil Rights Cases of 1883?
Declared the Civil Rights Act of 1875 unconstitutional
Upheld the Civil Rights Act of 1866
Expanded federal civil rights enforcement
Established Jim Crow laws
In The Civil Rights Cases (1883), the Supreme Court ruled that Congress lacked authority under the Fourteenth Amendment to prohibit discrimination by private individuals, striking down the Civil Rights Act of 1875. This decision severely limited federal power to protect civil rights in the private sector. .
How did the Slaughterhouse Cases (1873) impact the interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment?
Broadly defined federal rights
Abolished Black Codes
Narrowly applied the Privileges or Immunities Clause
Upheld the Civil Rights Act of 1875
The Slaughterhouse Cases restricted the Privileges or Immunities Clause by ruling it protected only rights associated with federal U.S. citizenship, not state citizenship. This narrow interpretation limited the clause's impact on protecting individual rights against state infringement. .
Which act allowed President Grant to deploy military force to curb Ku Klux Klan violence?
Enforcement Act of 1871
Reconstruction Act of 1867
Tenure of Office Act
Civil Rights Act of 1866
The Enforcement Act of 1871, often called the Ku Klux Klan Act, empowered the president to use military force against the Klan and other groups obstructing civil rights. It authorized federal oversight of elections and harsh penalties for violators. .
What effect did the Panic of 1873 have on Reconstruction efforts?
Accelerated land reform in the South
Extended military occupation
Increased funding for Freedmen's Bureau
Diminished Northern support for Reconstruction
The Panic of 1873 led to a severe economic depression, shifting the North's focus to financial recovery and away from Southern Reconstruction. This decline in support weakened federal enforcement of civil rights and hastened the end of Reconstruction. .
What was the Supreme Court's holding in United States v. Cruikshank (1876)?
Private acts of violence can be federally prosecuted
The Fourteenth Amendment does not apply to private individuals
Public accommodations must be desegregated
States cannot enforce Black Codes
In United States v. Cruikshank, the Supreme Court held that the Fourteenth Amendment restricts only state action, not private actions. This decision limited federal ability to punish individuals for racially motivated violence. .
What strategy did the Mississippi Plan of 1875 use to regain Democratic control?
Economic subsidies for planters
Violence and intimidation of African American voters
Legal challenges in the Supreme Court
Granting amnesty to Confederates
The Mississippi Plan of 1875 utilized organized violence, intimidation, and electoral fraud to suppress African American votes and restore Democratic power. The tactics included armed patrols and threats, influencing election outcomes. Similar methods spread across Southern states. .
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Study Outcomes

  1. Understand Reconstruction Amendments -

    Apply your knowledge of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to explain how each amendment redefined citizenship, civil liberties, and voting rights in the Reconstruction era.

  2. Analyze Reconstruction Policies -

    Examine major legislative and executive strategies, from Presidential to Radical Reconstruction, to evaluate their goals and outcomes in rebuilding the post - Civil War United States.

  3. Identify Post-War Segregation Laws -

    Recognize key laws like the Black Codes and early Jim Crow statutes to understand how legal segregation emerged and shaped society during Reconstruction.

  4. Distinguish Sharecropping from Other Labor Systems -

    Differentiate sharecropping from wage labor and tenant farming, assessing its economic impact on freedpeople and Southern landowners.

  5. Evaluate Voting Rights Developments -

    Assess how Reconstruction Acts, the Enforcement Acts, and new state constitutions expanded or restricted African American suffrage across the South.

  6. Interpret Lasting Social and Political Effects -

    Interpret the long-term consequences of Reconstruction policies on American governance, civil rights progress, and regional social hierarchies.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Reconstruction Amendments (13th - 15th) -

    These landmark amendments abolished slavery (13th), granted citizenship and equal protection under the law (14th), and protected voting rights for African American men (15th). A handy mnemonic is "Free Citizens Vote" to recall the order and purpose. According to the National Archives, these amendments laid the constitutional foundation for civil rights during the Reconstruction era.

  2. Freedmen's Bureau and Education Initiatives -

    Established by Congress in 1865, the Freedmen's Bureau provided food, medical care, legal assistance, and schooling for formerly enslaved people. By 1870, it had helped found over 4,000 schools, including Howard University, as noted by the Library of Congress. Remember "BUREAU" for basic utilities, rights, education, assistance, and uplift.

  3. Black Codes and the Rise of Jim Crow -

    Southern states enacted Black Codes to restrict Black labor, movement, and civil rights shortly after the Civil War, laying the groundwork for later Jim Crow segregation laws. Examples include vagrancy statutes that forced sharecropping contracts and harsh labor requirements. Scholars at the Smithsonian highlight these laws as key obstacles to true Reconstruction progress.

  4. Sharecropping System and Economic Impact -

    Sharecropping tied freedmen and poor whites to landowners by exchanging labor for a share of the crop, often trapping workers in perpetual debt through the crop-lien system. A simple formula to remember is "Rent = % of Yield - Advances," which illustrates how high supply costs ate into profits. University research shows this system slowed economic independence for decades.

  5. Reconstruction Acts and Political Rebuilding -

    The 1867 Reconstruction Acts divided the South into five military districts, required new state constitutions guaranteeing Black male suffrage, and oversaw the readmission of states into the Union. The "Five Districts" rule ensured federal oversight, boosting Republican influence in Congress. According to the U.S. Army Center of Military History, these acts represented the most stringent federal intervention of the era.

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