Reconstruction Era Challenges and Changes

The video explores the challenges faced by Southern society during Reconstruction, including economic devastation and political shifts. It highlights the roles of scalawags, carpetbaggers, and African Americans in the new Republican governments. Despite some progress, such as the establishment of schools and political participation by African Americans, Reconstruction ultimately failed due to persistent racism, economic struggles, and violent opposition from groups like the KKK. The period ended with the Compromise of 1877, leading to the rise of segregation and disenfranchisement of African Americans.

What was the primary goal of the scalawags during Reconstruction?

• To move to the North for better opportunities

• To prevent large-scale planters from regaining control

• To support large-scale planters

• To promote civil rights for African Americans

Which institution became the center of African American communities during Reconstruction?

• Political parties

• Churches

• Schools

• Labor unions

Who was the first African American U.S. Senator?

• Booker T. Washington

• Hyrum Rhodes Revels

• Frederick Douglass

• W.E.B. Du Bois

What was a major consequence of the sharecropping system for African Americans?

• Ownership of large farms

• Accumulation of debt and economic dependency

• Migration to urban areas

• Increased wealth and independence

What was the main objective of the Ku Klux Klan during Reconstruction?

• To destroy the Republican Party and suppress African American rights

• To establish new educational institutions

• To promote economic development in the South

• To support African American political rights

What did the Enforcement Acts of 1870 and 1871 aim to achieve?

• To provide economic relief to the South

• To supervise southern elections and curb Klan violence

• To disband the Freedmen's Bureau

• To promote industrialization in the North

What was the result of the Compromise of 1877?

• The continuation of Reconstruction policies

• The removal of federal troops from the South

• The election of Samuel Tilden as President

• The establishment of new southern states

What was the purpose of the grandfather clauses implemented in the South?

• To ensure all citizens could vote

• To support African American political candidates

• To exempt certain voters from literacy tests and poll taxes

• To promote educational reforms

What did the Supreme Court rule in Plessy v. Ferguson?

• Segregation was unconstitutional

• The 15th Amendment was invalid

• Segregation was constitutional under 'separate but equal'

• African Americans had the right to vote

What was the impact of Jim Crow laws in the South?

• Economic prosperity for all races

• Increased political power for African Americans

• Segregation of races in public spaces

• Integration of public spaces