Reconstruction Era Vocabulary

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Reconstruction

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The period after the Civil War when the U.S. worked to rebuild the South and bring Southern states back into the Union.

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Impeach

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The process of formally accusing a government official of a crime. It can lead to a trial to remove the person from office.

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Sharecropper

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A farmer who rents land from a landowner and pays rent with a share of the crops grown on the land.

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Nullify

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To cancel or refuse to accept a law.

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Black Codes

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Laws passed in Southern states after the Civil War that limited the rights and freedoms of formerly enslaved African Americans.

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Carpetbagger

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Northerners who moved to the South after the Civil War, often to make money or become involved in politics.

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Scalawags

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White Southerners who supported Reconstruction and worked with Northern leaders after the Civil War.