Reconstruction Era Quiz

The Freedmen's Bureau's most lasting success was

• ending racial segregation through successful lawsuits.

• ending the South's reliance on sharecropping for labor.

• helping the Southern economy recover after the Civil War.

• expanding educational opportunities for African Americans.

Answer explanation

The Freedmen's Bureau significantly expanded educational opportunities for African Americans, establishing schools and promoting literacy, which had a lasting impact on their social and economic advancement.

What was the goal of the Ku Klux Klan during Reconstruction?

• reestablishing white supremacy throughout the South

• removing the Democrats from power in Southern politics

• helping the federal government maintain law and order in the South

• convincing federal leaders to allow Southern states to rejoin the Union

Answer explanation

The goal of the Ku Klux Klan during Reconstruction was to reestablish white supremacy throughout the South, using violence and intimidation against African Americans and their allies to undermine Reconstruction efforts.

Based on the timeline, when was slavery outlawed in the entire United States?

• A. January 1, 1863

• B. December 6, 1865

• C. July 28, 1868

• D. February 3, 1870

Answer explanation

Slavery was officially outlawed in the entire United States with the ratification of the 13th Amendment on December 6, 1865. January 1, 1863, marked the Emancipation Proclamation, but it did not end slavery nationwide.

What were Southern states required to do before applying for readmission to the Union following the Civil War?

• pay reparations to all Black Americans in their territory

• arrest and imprison all Confederate officers and politicians

• ratify the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments

• adopt laws banning discrimination against Black Americans

Answer explanation

Southern states had to ratify the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, which abolished slavery and granted citizenship and voting rights to Black Americans, before they could be readmitted to the Union.

In Dred Scott v. Sandford, the Supreme Court ruled that African Americans could not be citizens of the United States. Which amendment overturned that ruling?

• the Thirteenth Amendment

• the Fourteenth Amendment

• the Fifteenth Amendment

• the Sixteenth Amendment

Answer explanation

The Fourteenth Amendment, ratified in 1868, granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S., effectively overturning the Dred Scott v. Sandford decision that denied citizenship to African Americans.

Why was President Abraham Lincoln's plan for Reconstruction referred to as the "Ten Percent Plan"?

• Ten percent of a state's legislators were required to be African American in order for the state to be readmitted to the Union.

• Ten percent of a state's debt to the federal government had to be repaid in order for the state to be readmitted to the Union.

• Ten percent of a state's agricultural land had to be redistributed to freedmen in order for the state to be readmitted to the Union.

• Ten percent of a state's voters had to swear allegiance to the United States in order for the state to be readmitted to the Union.

Answer explanation

President Lincoln's "Ten Percent Plan" required that ten percent of a state's voters swear allegiance to the United States for the state to be readmitted to the Union, simplifying the process of Reconstruction.

Use the picture, first published in 1866, to answer the question. The picture shows a man from the US government giving rations to elderly and sick people in the South after the Civil War. Which group did the man work for?

• the Freedmen's Bureau

• the American Red Cross

• the Tennessee Valley Authority

• the Underground Railroad

Answer explanation

The man in the picture worked for the Freedmen's Bureau, which was established to assist freed slaves and impoverished people in the South after the Civil War, providing rations and support to those in need.

Use the picture of General William T. Sherman's March to the Sea to answer the question.

• to provide employment to freedmen and freedwomen living in the South

• to find and imprison the leaders of the Confederate government

• to cut off Confederate supply lines and disrupt the Southern economy

• to help freedmen and freedwomen find safe passage to Union territory

Answer explanation

General William T. Sherman's March to the Sea aimed to cut off Confederate supply lines and disrupt the Southern economy, weakening the Confederacy's ability to sustain the war effort.

Which of these battles was the largest Civil War battle fought in Georgia?

• the Battle of Atlanta

• the Battle of Chickamauga

• the Battle of Fort Pulaski

• the Battle of Gettysburg

Answer explanation

The Battle of Chickamauga, fought in September 1863, was the largest Civil War battle in Georgia, involving significant troop movements and casualties, surpassing other battles in the state.

In 1870, Georgia was readmitted into the Union after the state

• adopted a new state constitution.

• ratified the Fifteenth Amendment.

• arrested former Confederate leaders.

• desegregated its public school system.

Answer explanation

In 1870, Georgia was readmitted to the Union after it adopted a new state constitution, which was a requirement for Reconstruction. This choice reflects the necessary steps for states to rejoin following the Civil War.