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13th Amendment Ratified
The 13th amendment was ratified in order to make slavery illegal in the United States and any of its territory. It was passed in 1864 by Abraham Lincoln but was ratified in 1865. -
The Freedmen's Bureau
The freedmen's bureau was an agency created by the government that helped educate, feed, and house African Americans and poor white people after the civil war. The bureau built schools and provided medical aid. Its time was cut short due to lack of funds and political tension. -
Civil War Ends
The civil war concluded when Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses Grant at the Appomattox courthouse. Lee made it known that he did not surrender because he felt like his cause was unjust, but because the man-power of his troops did not compare to that of the north. -
Lincoln Assassinated
Abraham Lincoln was shot and killed by southern extremist John Wilkes Booth at Fords theater in Washington DC. Lincolns death came after lots of opposition from southerners about his ideas for slavery. Lincoln was replaced by Andrew Johnson. -
Civil Rights Act of 1866
This act was proposed in order to allow African Americans the same rights as whites. The act was very controversial and the president at the time Andrew Johnson vetoed it, but it was still passed by congress. -
Memphis Race Riots
During the Memphis riots, schools and homes were burned, women were raped, and about 48 people were killed most of them African American. The massacre was caused by racial tension from the newly granted rights of black people. White southerners felt like they were being cheated out of work and opportunities and the result was pure violence. -
New Orleans Riots
A group of mostly black veterans were shot at and killed when they were protesting for their right to vote and against black codes. The former confederates who opposed them feared for their control over Louisiana and attacked the crowd brutally. -
1st Reconstruction Act
The first of the reconstruction acts was created in 1867 and was lead by Andrew Johnson. It invalidated southern government due to them seceding from the US. It was important that reconstruction was enforced, so the south was divided into five military districts. -
Second Reconstruction Act
The second act dealt with the confusion of the first. Many people in the south were unsure of who decided things like voter registration etc. The men who held political positions in the south before the war were stripped of their roles and control was given to the military. -
Third Reconstruction Act
The third act placed 5 union generals to oversee the 5 military districts in the south. -
Fourth Reconstruction Act
The final reconstruction act stated that elections would be decided by majority and that any person in their inhabited state could vote and not be discriminated against due to race. -
14th Amendment ratified
The 14th amendment granted citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the United States. It overturned the Dred Scott decision where a black man wasn't seen as a citizen when trying to sue for his freedom. -
Grant Elected President
Ulysses S Grant was elected president in 1869 after being seen as an American hero. He was the commanding general of the union army during the civil war and led them to victory over the south. His goal as president was to establish reconstruction in the US and to put an end to the institution of slavery and its violent aftermath. -
15th amendment
The 15th amendment gave African Americans the right to vote. This was a huge milestone considering the rights of African Americans in the years prior. -
First Black Senator Elected
Hiram Revels was the first black man that was elected as a congressional member. He served as senator of Mississippi for one year until he left to become the president of Knox college. -
1st Black Governor Elected
P.B.S Pinchback was the first black man to become governor of a US state. Pinchback served as governor of Louisiana after serving as a union army officer. -
Civil Rights Act of 1875
This act granted African Americans equal rights with public transportation and service on juries. This was so important because for the longest time juries would be biased due to the fact that they consisted of all white people. It was also very important because black people now were protected by law to be allowed in schools, churches, and public transit that they may have been denied access to before. -
Compromise of 1876
Ended the reconstruction era when republican troops were pulled from the south creating a lot of disenfranchisement of black people. This happened due to a compromise where troops would be pulled if the southern states would allow Ruthford B Hayes to become president. -
Reconstruction Ends
Reconstruction ended with the compromise of 1876 where troops were pulled from the south. President Hayes withdrew troops and therefore allowed southern hate and discrimination against blacks to continue.
