KEY TERMS Key Terms and People to Know for the Regents Exam
14th Amendment
The 14th Amendment (1868) granted former slaves citizenship and declares that states cannot deny any citizen equal protection of the law. This amendment was created in an attempt to keep Southern states from denying rights to former slaves.
15th Amendment
The 15th Amendment (1870) states that no one can be denied the right to vote due to their race. This amendment was created to try to protect former slaves’ voting rights in the South, but Southern states found creative ways to deny voting rights anyway.
Presidential Reconstruction
Lincoln wanted to restore the Union as quickly as possible, so he was lenient (not harsh) with the Southern states and the Confederate leaders after the war. President Johnson took the same approach after Lincoln’s assassination.
Black Codes
After slaves were freed by the 13th Amendment, Southern states passed harsh laws designed to keep former slaves from gaining equal rights. These laws made it easy to put former slaves in prison where they could be forced to work under slave-like conditions.
Congressional Reconstruction
The Radical Republicans in Congress thought Presidential Reconstruction was too lenient. Congress wanted to protect former slaves (from Black Codes and the KKK), so they stationed troops in the South and required Southern states to ratify the 14th Amendment.
Impeachment of Johnson
Johnson and Congress disagreed over plans for Reconstruction. Johnson wanted to be lenient, while the Radical Republicans in Congress wanted to be harsh. Johnson was impeached by the House but not removed by the Senate.