Review Questions

1. What is meant by the quote “The Rebels are our countrymen again”?

○ It means the confederate south had been acknowledged to rejoin the US

2. After the Civil War had ended, what was one of the issues that needed to be dealt with in order to
unify the country again?

○ What to do with the previous rebels and what to do with the now free former enslaved.

3. The Bureau of Refugees, Freedman, and Abandoned Lands was created to support the freed
slaves. What were some of the responsibilities and accomplishments of the Freedman’s bureau?
Please provide at least three responsibilities and/or accomplishments.

○ They’d help African Americans buy or find land, get an education, negotiate
employment contracts with white landowners, and find food, shelter, and medical care
when they had no other options available to them.

4. There were six proposals in Presidents Johnson’s Reconstruction plan. Please list all six
proposals.

○ Complete abolition of slavery

○ Refusal of the federal government to pay Confederate war debts
○ Nullification (cancellation) of the secession orders of the states
○ Reinstitution of all votes to those who had been stripped of them by Lincoln, plus all
Southerners worth more than $20,000
○ Restoration of lands previously given to freedmen to white Southerners
○ Appointment of provisional governors in former Confederate states, usually those who
had been in power during the Civil War

5. The freed slaves had many priorities in order to re-establish their lives. Please identify three of
those priorities.

○ Get an education, farm land and reconnect with their separated loved ones.

Critical Thinking Questions

1. In your opinion, what do you think would have been the most difficult aspect of the post-Civil War
reconstruction? Discuss why you feel that the aspect you chose would be most difficult.
 a. I believe the democrats, hate groups, and objectors to the change to be the most
difficult. Of course most of these people happened to be white, so the white southerners
and supporters of the confederacy were to be the most difficult because they were the
most vocal and powerful opposition to change.

2. Following the Emancipation Proclamation, there were many economic and social changes which
led to unrest. In what ways was this unrest apparent? What sorts of things were happening that
showed that there was civil unrest?

a. Through hate groups (many still active today) attacked the freed people and killed
them. Equally, none faced criminal convictions.

3. As previously discussed, President Johnson had a Reconstruction Plan following the Civil War.
Do you think his plan was successful? Why or why not? Would you have added anything to his
six points which made up the Reconstruction Plan?

a. No, his plan was obviously not successful. If segregation was only abolished 60 years
ago (i.e about 100 years after his plan) then it’s obvious that nothing changed in an
entire generation after his plan. If i had to have anything it would be the education of
whites on humanity. Not saying that’ll fix everything but a “Don’t be racist” class
wouldn’t hurt.

4. As African Americans began to build on the freedom they had gained, two social institutions
became increasingly important. What were these two social institutions, and how did they help
African Americans navigate their new reality? Choose one of the two institutions to discuss the
growth of in further detail.

a. Church and School. These became important since religion has consistently been a
pillar of strength in humanity. Equally in the church they had a community of their own
not controlled by white people. It gave a sense of safety and congregation.

5. What were the Black Codes? How did they reflect the reaction of southern white Americans to
the end of the war?

a. Black codes limited the freedom of black people so heavily it can be, by extension, an
evolution of slave codes to keep African Americans below them. It was obvious that the
whites didn’t want to let go of slavery.