Temp Review

Reconstruction Review

BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Sharecropping & Tenant Farming

A sharecropper or tenant farmer is someone who would farm land that belonged to a landowner. The sharecropping family would plow, plant, weed, and harvest the land. However, they would only keep a small share of the crop, while the landowner would get the rest.

Following the Civil War, plantation owners were unable to farm their land. They did not have slaves or money to pay a free labor force, so sharecropping developed as a system that could benefit plantation owners and former slaves. Landowners would have access to a large labor force, and the newly freed slaves were looking for work. The workers could negotiate a place to work, and if they made enough money, they could purchase land or buy farm equipment.

A Sharecropping Contract: 1882 (Modified)

Source: Grimes Family Papers (#3357), 1882; Held in the Southern Historical Collection,

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

To every one applying to rent land, the following conditions must be read, and agreed to:

For every 30 acres of land (rented by sharecroppers), I agree to furnish the mule

team, plow, and farming implements. The

sharecroppers are to have half of the cotton,

corn, peas, pumpkins, and potatoes they grow if the following conditions are complied with, but--if not--they are to have only two-fifths.

For every mule or horse furnished by me there must be 1000 good sized rails (logs) hauled, and the fence repaired if I so direct. All sharecroppers must haul rails (logs) and work on the fence whenever I may order. The wood must be split and the fence repaired before corn is planted. No cotton must be planted by sharecroppers on their home patches of land.

No sharecropper is to work off the plantation when there is any work to be done on the land he has rented, or when his work is needed by me.

Every sharecropper must be responsible for all farming gear placed in his hands, and if not returned must be paid for unless it is worn out by use.

Nothing can be sold from their (sharecroppers’) crops until my rent is all paid, and all amounts they owe me are paid in full.

I am to gin & pack all of the cotton and charge every sharecropper an eighteenth of his part, the cropper to furnish his part of the bagging, ties, & twine.

The sale of every sharecropper's part of the cotton to be made by me when and where I choose to sell, and after deducting all they owe me.

Open Ended

QUESTION: What did the sharecropper have to do in order to use the plantation owner’s land, farming tools, and mules?

Use the document below to help you answer the question.

A Sharecropping Contract: 1882 (Modified)

To every one applying to rent land, the following conditions must be read, and agreed to:

For every 30 acres of land (rented by sharecroppers), I agree to furnish the mule team, plow, and farming implements. The sharecroppers are to have half of the cotton, corn, peas, pumpkins, and potatoes they grow if the following conditions are complied with, but--if not- they are to have only two fifths.

For every mule or horse furnished by me there must be 1000 good sized rails (logs) hauled, and the fence repaired if I so direct. All sharecroppers must haul rails (logs) and work on the fence whenever I may order. The wood must be split and the fence repaired before corn is planted. No cotton must be planted by sharecroppers on their home patches of land.

No sharecropper is to work off the plantation when there is any work to be done on the land he has rented, or when his work is needed by me.

Every sharecropper must be responsible for all farming gear placed in his hands, and if not returned must be paid for unless it is worn out by use.

Nothing can be sold from their (sharecroppers’) crops until my rent is all paid, and all amounts they owe me are paid in full.

I am to gin & pack all of the cotton and charge every sharecropper an eighteenth of his part, the cropper to furnish his part of the bagging, ties, & twine.

The sale of every sharecropper's part of the cotton to be made by me when and where I choose to sell, and after deducting all they owe me.

Open Ended

QUESTION: What parts of this contract do you think caused the sharecroppers to be in debt to plantation owners?

Use the document below to help you answer the question.

A Sharecropping Contract: 1882 (Modified)

To every one applying to rent land, the following conditions must be read, and agreed to:

For every 30 acres of land (rented by sharecroppers), I agree to furnish the mule team, plow, and farming implements. The sharecroppers are to have half of the cotton, corn, peas, pumpkins, and potatoes they grow if the following conditions are complied with, but--if not- they are to have only two fifths.

For every mule or horse furnished by me there must be 1000 good sized rails (logs) hauled, and the fence repaired if I so direct. All sharecroppers must haul rails (logs) and work on the fence whenever I may order. The wood must be split and the fence repaired before corn is planted. No cotton must be planted by sharecroppers on their home patches of land.

No sharecropper is to work off the plantation when there is any work to be done on the land he has rented, or when his work is needed by me.

Every sharecropper must be responsible for all farming gear placed in his hands, and if not returned must be paid for unless it is worn out by use.

Nothing can be sold from their (sharecroppers’) crops until my rent is all paid, and all amounts they owe me are paid in full.

I am to gin & pack all of the cotton and charge every sharecropper an eighteenth of his part, the cropper to furnish his part of the bagging, ties, & twine.

The sale of every sharecropper's part of the cotton to be made by me when and where I choose to sell, and after deducting all they owe me.

Open Ended

QUESTION: Do you think this is a fair contract? Why or Why not?

Use the document below to help you answer the question.

A Sharecropping Contract: 1882 (Modified)

To every one applying to rent land, the following conditions must be read, and agreed to:

For every 30 acres of land (rented by sharecroppers), I agree to furnish the mule team, plow, and farming implements. The sharecroppers are to have half of the cotton, corn, peas, pumpkins, and potatoes they grow if the following conditions are complied with, but--if not- they are to have only two fifths.

For every mule or horse furnished by me there must be 1000 good sized rails (logs) hauled, and the fence repaired if I so direct. All sharecroppers must haul rails (logs) and work on the fence whenever I may order. The wood must be split and the fence repaired before corn is planted. No cotton must be planted by sharecroppers on their home patches of land.

No sharecropper is to work off the plantation when there is any work to be done on the land he has rented, or when his work is needed by me.

Every sharecropper must be responsible for all farming gear placed in his hands, and if not returned must be paid for unless it is worn out by use.

Nothing can be sold from their (sharecroppers’) crops until my rent is all paid, and all amounts they owe me are paid in full.

I am to gin & pack all of the cotton and charge every sharecropper an eighteenth of his part, the cropper to furnish his part of the bagging, ties, & twine.

The sale of every sharecropper's part of the cotton to be made by me when and where I choose to sell, and after deducting all they owe me.

Open Ended

QUESTION: Does this contract seem MORE extreme or LESS extreme than the impression you had of sharecropping after you read the background information? Explain.

Use the document below to help you answer the question.

A Sharecropping Contract: 1882 (Modified)

To every one applying to rent land, the following conditions must be read, and agreed to:

For every 30 acres of land (rented by sharecroppers), I agree to furnish the mule team, plow, and farming implements. The sharecroppers are to have half of the cotton, corn, peas, pumpkins, and potatoes they grow if the following conditions are complied with, but--if not- they are to have only two fifths.

For every mule or horse furnished by me there must be 1000 good sized rails (logs) hauled, and the fence repaired if I so direct. All sharecroppers must haul rails (logs) and work on the fence whenever I may order. The wood must be split and the fence repaired before corn is planted. No cotton must be planted by sharecroppers on their home patches of land.

No sharecropper is to work off the plantation when there is any work to be done on the land he has rented, or when his work is needed by me.

Every sharecropper must be responsible for all farming gear placed in his hands, and if not returned must be paid for unless it is worn out by use.

Nothing can be sold from their (sharecroppers’) crops until my rent is all paid, and all amounts they owe me are paid in full.

I am to gin & pack all of the cotton and charge every sharecropper an eighteenth of his part, the cropper to furnish his part of the bagging, ties, & twine.

The sale of every sharecropper's part of the cotton to be made by me when and where I choose to sell, and after deducting all they owe me.

Multiple Choice

Sharecropping often kept African American farmers poor because

• The farmers owed more money than they made each year
• the landowners would not sell them land
• only those who voted could own land
• Most African Americans did not want to work anymore

Multiple Choice

The secret organization that tried to stop African Americans from voting was

• Freedmen's Bureau
• Reconstruction Bureau
• Ku Klux Klan
• Jim Crow Society

Multiple Choice

How was the President’s Reconstruction Plan different from Congress’ Plan?

• The President's plan tried to make it easier for the South to rejoin the Union

• Congress' plan tried to make it easier for the South to rejoin the Union

• President's plan did not want the south to rejoin the Union

• Congress' plan wanted all Southerners to be sent to Mexico

Multiple Choice

After President Lincoln was assassinated, the Vice President became President. The new President was

• Andrew Johnson
• Ulysses Grant
• George Bush
• John Wilkes Booth

Multiple Choice

The purpose of Reconstruction was to:

• destroy the South
• rebuild and unite the country
• send former slaves back to Africa
• settle the West

Multiple Choice

What was the purpose of the Freedman's Bureau?

• provide food, clothing, and medical care
• provided legal advice to poor whites and former slaves
• set up hospitals and schools
• all of the above

Multiple Choice

Why did sharecroppers remain poor?

• The South flooded during Reconstrucion
• They owed money to the landowners, never getting out of debt
• The sun never shone on crops
• Animals ate all the crops

Multiple Choice

System of farming where farmers gave part of their crop to pay for the land they rented

• Family-Farming
• Sharecropping
• Groupcropping
• Split-Farming

Multiple Choice

What were Jim Crow Laws?

• equal treatment for all people
• laws that made segregation legal
• a farmer shares part of his crop to pay for land
• the period of time after the Civil War

Multiple Choice

What organization was designed to intimidate former slaves and anyone who supported former slaves?

• Ku Klux Klan
• Freedmen s Bureau 
• Black Codes

Multiple Choice

What organization was designed to intimidate former slaves and anyone who supported former slaves?

• Ku Klux Klan
• Freedmen s Bureau 
• Black Codes

Multiple Choice

As sharecroppers former slaves were given a place to live, seeds, and equipment in order produce crops.  The land owner received a ________ of all crops grown

• Share
• Parcel
• Ownership

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is true about sharecropping

• Sharecropping favored the freeedmen.

• Many freedmen were able to buy new homes through sharecropping

• Most sharecroppers remained in debt or in a cycle of poverty

• Many state governments offered loan for sharecropping farmers.

Multiple Choice

Northerners who migrated to the mostly destroyed post-war south to make large profits and/or help freedmen were known as

• Scalawags

• Ku Klux Klan

• Carpetbaggers

• Sharecroppers

Multiple Choice

Reconstruction was the process of

• rebuilding the South after the Civil War
• creating land zones for freedmen after the Civil War
• instituting Black Codes for former slaves
• eliminating the plantation economy in the South

Multiple Choice

Northerner who took economic, political, or social advantage of the south following the Civil War

• Radical Republican

• Confederate

• Carpetbagger

• Yankee

Multiple Choice

These were laws that made it illegal for African Americans to live or work in certain areas and allowed whites to arrest African Americans who were not working.  Once arrested they would be forcibly assigned to work for white landowners. 

• Freedman's Bureau Laws
• Reconstruction Acts
• Black Codes
• Jim Crow Laws

Multiple Choice

The US government created what organization to help former slaves and poor whites?

• Bureau of Parks and Recreation
• Free Food Bureau
• Jobs and Education Bureau
• Freedman's Bureau

Multiple Choice

What was Reconstruction?

• equal treatment for all people
• the forced separation of races
• a farmer shares part of his crop to pay for land
• the period of time after the Civil War

Multiple Choice

What did the 15th Amendment do?

• made slavery illegal
• made former slaves citizens and gave them rights
• gave black men the right to vote
• gave former slaves land to begin farms

Multiple Choice

What did the 14th Amendment do?

• made slavery illegal
• made former slaves citizens and gave them rights
• gave black men the right to vote
• gave former slaves land to begin farms

Multiple Choice

What did the 13th Amendment do?

• made slavery illegal
• made former slaves citizens and gave them rights
• gave black men the right to vote
• gave former slaves land to begin farms

Multiple Choice

Define the term Scalawag. 

• Nickname given to people who migrated South after the Civil War
• Nickname given to people who migrated North 
• Southern Whites who joined the Republican Party
• Southerns who joined the Democratic Party

Multiple Select

What kind of services did the Freedmen's Bureau offer?

Select ALL that apply.

• education

• clothing and food

• register to vote

• land and jobs

Multiple Choice

What accomplishment will the first African American members of the General Assembly be remembered for?

• free public education

• black codes

• sharecropping

• tenant farmers

Multiple Choice

What political group was in favor of harsh punishments after the war for the south?

• radical republicans

• radical democrats

• republicans

• democrats

Multiple Choice

What was the goal of the KKK?

• to ensure that freedmen were given rights.

• to force their religious beliefs on freedmen

• to help freedmen find jobs and get an education

• to terrorize freedmen and keep them from exercising their rights.

Multiple Choice

How did Congress feel about Presidential Reconstruction.

• It was far too lenient on the South.

• It was fair to the southern states

• It was too harsh on the South.

• The South needed time to readjust.

Multiple Choice

Black legislators in Georgia were removed from the General Assembly because....

• They were uneducated and were forced out of office.

• They were against religious beliefs of most southerners.

• The Democratic Party wanted to maintain control of the General Assembly

• They had no right to hold these positions.

Multiple Choice

Which reconstruction plan was considered the most lenient and created to make the south want to return to the Union?

• Presidential (Lincoln's plan)

• Congressional (Radical Republicans plan)

• Military

Multiple Choice

Which of the following was NOT a reason for Georgia to be placed under military rule following the Civil War?

• removal of black legislators from office

• refusing to ratify the 15th amendment

• continuing to rely on cotton as their primary crop

• KKK activity in the state

Multiple Choice

Under Lincoln and Johnson's plan for Reconstruction, what did southern states have to do to rejoin the union.

• outlaw slavery and take an oath of loyalty to the U.S.

• surrender all weapons and ratify the 15th amendment

• put black legislators in office

• ask for re-admittance

Multiple Choice

Rebuilding after the civil war was known as....

• emancipation

• The New South

• Radical Republicans

• Reconstruction

Multiple Choice

True or False. The Freedmen's Bureau had a positive impact on freed slaves.

• True

• False.

Multiple Choice

True or False. The Freedmen's Bureau was created during Reconstruction.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

This amendment abolished slavery.

• 13th amendment

• 14th amendment

• 15th amendment

• 16th amendment

Multiple Choice

This amendment granted black men citizenship.

• 13th amendment

• 14th amendment

• 15th amendment`

• 16th amendment

Multiple Choice

This amendment gave black men the right to vote

• 13th amendment

• 14th amendment

• 15th amendment

• 16th amendment

Multiple Choice

What was the nickname given to people who migrated South after the Civil War?

• Scalawags
• Freedman
• Carpetbaggers
• Carmen 

Multiple Choice

Black Codes were created to 

• provide farmland for African Americans
• guarantee equal civil rights for African Americans
• Support the Freedman's Bureau
• Restrict the rights of formerly enslaved persons

Multiple Choice

The Military Reconstruction Act divided the former Confederate states into 

• 4 Congressional Districts
• 5 Military Districts
• 6 Senate Zones
• 5 Reconstruction Zones