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Andrew Johnson becomes president
Johnson became president after Lincoln's assasination. This is important to Reconstruction because Johnson had to please the people and use Lincoln's methods even though they had different ways to approach problems. -
Freedmen's Bureau
This assisted former slaves and poor whites in the South by distributing clothing and food. Hospitals, schools, industrial institutes, and teacher-training centers were also set up. This is significant to Reconstruction because a lot of the Southerners were uneducated and poor. -
The Civil Rights Act of 1866
This act granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to African Americans. This is significant to Reconstruction because it shows the African Americans that Congress does care about their rights. -
Reconstruction Act of 1867
This act divided 10 former Confederate states, not including Tennessee, into five military districts headed by Union generals. If a state wanted to re-enter the Union, its constitution had to make sure African American men's votes counted and ratify the Fourteenth Amendment. This is important for Reconstruction becuase it required the former Confederate states to show they care for African Americans. -
Fourteenth Amendment was ratified
This amendment made "All persons born or naturalized in the United States” citizens of the country. All were entitled to equal protection under the law, and no state could deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. This relates to Reconstruction because if any state prevented a man from voting, they would lose a percentage of their congressional seats equal to the percentage of citizens kept from the polls. -
The Fifteenth Amendment was ratified
This Amendment states that no one can be kept from voting because of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” This showed African Americans that Congress was really trying to help them have more rights to vote. -
Enforcment Act of 1870
This act gave more power to the federal government to punish those who tried to prevent African Americans from exercising their rights. This is significant to Reconstruction because it showed how serious Congress was to give African Americans the rights they deserved. 1870 -
Rutherford B. Hayes becomes president
Hayes was president for one term, as he promised at his inaugural adress. He made the last decisions in Reconstruction.
