1. RECONSTRUCTION Vocabulary
What does it mean to “reconstruct”?

2. Reconstruction
Definition: The steps taken to RESTORE the southern states to the Union and rebuild the South.

3. Reconstruction continued
Additional Information: If you have to reconstruct or restore something, it means something is “broken” or “wrong” and needs to be fixed. The North considered the south as needing to be “fixed” after the Civil War.

4. radical
Definition: A person who wants a complete political or social change and will form a group to accomplish their goals.

5. Radical continued
Additional Info.=The KKK (Ku Klux Klan) is an example of Radicals. They were not happy with the freed slaves in the south and wanted to terrorize blacks.

6. moderate
Definition: A person who has political beliefs that are NOT aggressive or extreme. They are more willing to discuss issues and work things out.

7. Moderate continued
Additional info: A moderate is the complete OPPOSITE of a radical.

8. amendments
Definition: An addition or change to a document.

9. Amendments continued
Additional Info: We have amendments to our constitution because society is always changing. Old laws need to be changed or added to.

10. Freedman bureau
Definition: A federal agency set up by congress in 1865 to provide food, clothing, shelter, and education for the former slaves. Why would the freed slaves need this?

11. Freedman’s bureau continued
Additional info: The slaves were unable to find acceptance or jobs after being freed. People in the south still treated them as slaves.

12. Black codes
Definition: A series of laws passed during reconstruction that recognized some rights of the freedmen but also denied freedmen many rights that whites took for granted. Do you think the codes helped the freed slaves?

13. Black codes continued
Additional info: Most of the codes took away rights from freed slaves and kept them less equal than whites.