Question 1

What was the result of the election of 1874?

Accepted Answer

The election of 1874 resulted in Democrats gaining control of the House of Representatives while Republicans maintained their majority in the Senate.

Question 2

By the early 1870s, the congressional reconstruction goals of 1866

Accepted Answer

By the early 1870s, many northerners had lost interest in the goals of congressional reconstruction, and President Grant's focus had shifted toward other issues such as the economy and foreign affairs. Additionally, the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment granting black men the right to vote meant that the primary goal of securing suffrage for African Americans had been achieved.

Question 3

Identify and briefly explain two Supreme Court cases that essentially undermined Reconstruction.

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Question 4

List differences in the perspectives of moderate Republicans and the Republican Radicals in Congress during the mid-to-late 1860s.

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Question 5

How did southern Democrats appeal to white small farmers in the early 1870s?

Accepted Answer

Southern Democrats appealed to white small farmers in the early 1870s by convincing them that they were paying taxes to support newly enfranchised black voters who would then vote Republican. By appealing to racial animosity, Southern Democrats were able to gain the support of poor whites who felt disenfranchised and economically disadvantaged. Promising to raise taxes on blacks and rich whites and giving them confiscated land did not play a significant role in their appeal.

Question 6

After emancipation, what did freedom mean to former slaves in terms of their work, family, religion, and education?

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Question 7

What happened to the whites who killed eighty-one blacks during the Colfax massacre?

Accepted Answer

Despite overwhelming evidence, none of the white perpetrators were successfully prosecuted for their crimes in the Colfax massacre. Some were arrested, but later released due to lack of evidence or jury biases.

Question 8

Supreme Court decisions in the years following the Civil War largely

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court decisions in the years following the Civil War largely undermined Reconstruction by limiting the scope of the enforcement of civil rights for African Americans and allowing southern states to enact discriminatory laws and practices such as poll taxes, literacy tests, and segregation. The Court's decisions in the Civil Rights Cases (1883) and Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) set the legal precedent for segregation and the "separate but equal" doctrine that would persist for decades. The Court also limited the power of the federal government to protect civil rights through decisions such as United States v. Cruikshank (1876) and United States v. Reese (1876), which curtailed the enforcement of the Fifteenth Amendment.

Question 9

The election controversy ended with the Compromise of 1877, in which

Accepted Answer

The Compromise of 1877 marked the end of the contested election of 1876, which had left the United States without a clear winner for months. Southern Democrats agreed to accept Republican Rutherford B. Hayes as president in exchange for several concessions, including federal subsidies for southern railroads and internal improvements and the removal of federal troops from the South. This agreement effectively ended Reconstruction and brought about the end of the era of Civil War and Reconstruction.

Question 10

Who were the Redeemers in the South?

Accepted Answer

The Redeemers were southern Democrats who sought to restore white supremacy in the South after the Civil War. They worked to overthrow Reconstruction governments and restrict the rights of African Americans through measures such as segregation, poll taxes, and literacy tests.

Question 11

Explain the following statement: "By 1870, northerners had begun a retreat from the ideals of Reconstruction."

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Question 12

The Reconstruction Acts required southern states to draw up new constitutions. Identify the two general categories in southern life that were extensively changed by these constitutions, and cite two examples from each category.

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Question 13

Explain the reason for the appointment of a special presidential electoral commission in 1877 and state the outcome of its vote. Identify the effect of the informal understanding known as the Compromise of 1877 on Reconstruction.

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Question 14

Identify three important provisions of the Fourteenth Amendment.

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Question 15

Explain why women's suffrage advocates were unhappy with the wording of the Fifteenth Amendment.

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Question 16

From the perspective of white southerners, what were the stated purposes and goals of the black codes?

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Question 17

What was the result of the presidential election of 1876?

Accepted Answer

Samuel Tilden won the popular vote but fell one vote short of victory in the Electoral College. The election was highly contested, and a special Electoral Commission awarded the disputed electoral votes to Rutherford B. Hayes, who became president.

Question 18

What was the result of the Supreme Court's ruling in the Slaughterhouse cases (1873)?

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court's ruling in the Slaughterhouse cases limited the power of federal courts to provide protections for civil rights of state citizens, instead leaving those protections up to the states themselves.

Question 19

Identify the positive and negative outcomes of the ambitious economic development programs launched by Republican governments in the South.

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Question 20

What was the result of the Compromise of 1877?

Accepted Answer

The Compromise of 1877 marked the end of Reconstruction in the South. It resulted in the withdrawal of federal troops from the region and effectively ended the federal government's efforts to enforce civil rights and protect the rights of African Americans.

Quiz 16: Reconstruction, 1863-1877