Chapter 12 Section 2 Overview Guide
“Reconstructing Society”
Lugo – US History I
1. Why didn’t Reconstruction end when the remaining southern states joined the Union? What was still missing?
2. When looking at the south, what were the three main areas where the south suffered the most? (ex: social…)
3. Was there a certain people group who did not suffer in the south? If so, who were they? If not, make a short list of those classes that suffered and how they suffered.
4. What did the north do in response to these devastations that the south was now experiencing as a result of the Civil War?
5. What is a scalawag? A carpetbagger? What was the problem with both groups from the viewpoint of the south?
6. Which political party benefitted the most from the Fifteenth Amendment? Why was this so?
7. What were the political differences that plagued the Republican Party in terms of ideology? How do you think this would affect the party in the long run for fulfilling their goals of Reconstruction?
8. What animal did a freed slave compare his newfound freedom to? Why is this an ideal comparison?
9. Describe how former slaves attempted to better their lives after they had been freed from the oppression of slavery.
10. Who was Hiram Revels and why is he so significant? Note the importance of the work that Revels did for newly freed slaves.
11. What is Sharecropping? Tenant farming? Is this any better than slavery? If so, how? If not, what are the problems that still existed with the system?
12. What else did the south do in order to make their economy more diverse?
Closing Thought for the Section
To what extent was the south able to adjust to life after the Civil War? In your own words, were they successful in “rising again”?