Reconstruction

The election of Hiram Rhodes Revels in 1870 was significant because he was the first African American to -

• win an election to public office as a member of the Democratic Party.

• win a majority of the popular vote in Mississippi.

• serve as a member of the U.S. Senate.

• serve as President of the United States.

Answer explanation

Hiram Rhodes Revels was significant as he became the first African American to serve as a member of the U.S. Senate in 1870, marking a historic moment in American politics during Reconstruction.

What was the main purpose of the Black Codes enacted in the South after the Civil War?

• To provide education for African Americans

• To restrict the rights and movements of African Americans

• To promote economic development in the South

• To encourage African Americans to migrate to the North

Answer explanation

The main purpose of the Black Codes was to restrict the rights and movements of African Americans, ensuring their subservience and limiting their freedoms after the Civil War.

What was the primary aim of the Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution?

• To grant citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States

• To abolish slavery in all states

• To provide voting rights to women

• To establish a federal income tax

Answer explanation

The primary aim of the Fourteenth Amendment was to grant citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, ensuring equal protection under the law and addressing issues related to former slaves.

Wanted Reconstruction to be a fast process that did not severely punish the South.

• Lincoln's Reconstruction Plan

• Johnson's Reconstruction Plan

• Congressional Reconstruction Plan

Answer explanation

Lincoln's Reconstruction Plan aimed for a quick recovery of the South with lenient terms, seeking to reunite the nation without harsh penalties, unlike Johnson's and Congressional plans which were more punitive.

What was one long-term consequence of the sharecropping system?

• Agricultural workers organized labor unions.

• Many former slaves became trapped in a cycle of debt.

• Many agricultural workers moved to cities to start small businesses.

• Landowners sold property to pay wages to former slaves.

Answer explanation

The sharecropping system often left many former slaves in debt due to high interest rates and unfair contracts, trapping them in a cycle of poverty and dependency on landowners.

During Reconstruction, what was one of the main goals of the Radical Republicans?

• To restore the Southern states to the Union without conditions

• To ensure civil rights for freed slaves

• To promote the economic interests of the Southern elite

• To reduce the power of the federal government

Answer explanation

One of the main goals of the Radical Republicans during Reconstruction was to ensure civil rights for freed slaves, aiming to protect their rights and integrate them into society as equal citizens.

Which of the following best completes this list?

• Established schools

• Certified applications for political office

• Granted small-business loans

• Provided funds for farming supplies

Answer explanation

The correct choice, 'Established schools', aligns with initiatives aimed at improving education and community development, which is a common goal in various support programs.

Which amendment to the U.S. Constitution abolished slavery?

• Thirteenth Amendment

• Fourteenth Amendment

• Fifteenth Amendment

• Sixteenth Amendment

Answer explanation

The Thirteenth Amendment, ratified in 1865, abolished slavery in the United States, making it the correct answer. The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments address citizenship and voting rights, while the Sixteenth Amendment deals with income tax.

After the Civil War, Southern states adopted Black Codes in order to—

• punish plantation owners for the use of slavery.

• support Radical Reconstruction objectives in the South.

• promote the activities of the Freedmen’s Bureau.

• limit the impact of the Thirteenth Amendment.

Answer explanation

After the Civil War, Southern states adopted Black Codes primarily to limit the impact of the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery. These laws aimed to restrict the rights and freedoms of newly freed African Americans.

Which of the following was a significant effect of the Fifteenth Amendment?

• It led to the establishment of Jim Crow laws

• It granted African American men the right to vote

• It abolished the poll tax

• It ended the Reconstruction era

Answer explanation

The Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870, granted African American men the right to vote, marking a significant step towards racial equality in the United States.