Intro. What was Reconstruction? How did it begin, why was it controversial in the North, and how successful was it before Lincoln’s death? How has the judgment of historians on Reconstruction changed over time?
1. What kind of man was Andrew Johnson? What made it at first appear that he’d take a hard line with former Confederates? How in fact did it seem he was taking anything but a hard line? How did white Southerners react? How did Republicans react?
2. How did Republicans take the initiative from Johnson? What bills did they pass over Johnson’s veto? How did Southern actions further undermine Johnson’s position? How did Johnson then hurt himself, politically? How did Congress finally take Reconstruction completely out of his hands?
3. How did Northerners intend to help rebuild the Southern economy? Who blocked Northern plans and how? How were blacks treated in the ex-slave states? How did they respond? How did Reconstruction authorities help organize blacks? What obstacles lay in their way? What events led to Johnson’s impeachment?
4. Who did Republicans nominate and elect for President in 1868? Describe state governments under Congressional Reconstruction. How did both Johnson and the new Southern state governments themselves create problems for Reconstruction? How did anti-Reconstruction Southern white respond?
5. Describe the start of Ulysses Grant’s Presidency. What were his strengths and weaknesses? How had Congress changed politically? Describe the state governments of Southern Republicans and explain their failures. How did Grant and Congress respond to white violence? How did issues with Indians and Mormons in the territories distract the Grant administration? Who were Liberal Republicans? What were their issues and why did they fail in the election of 1872?
6. How did the Supreme Court under Chief Justice Roger Taney treat Lincoln’s wartime policies? Describe Salmon P. Chase, who replaced Taney in 1864. What were Chase’s attitudes toward the courts and Reconstruction? Explain the strengths and limitations of the court’s enforcement of equality under the Constitution. What were the origins of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and what did they do? How did the court interpret them?
7. What scandals tainted Grant’s second administration? How did they hurt Grant and hurt Reconstruction? Why did Northerners in the South grow disillusioned? What were weakenesses of the Southern Republican state governments? What was Senator Charles Sumner’s last attempt at defending equal rights? Who were the party nominees for President in 1876? What was the Compromise of 1876?
Epilogue. What were the successes and failures of Reconstruction? What role did Democrats and Republicans each play in how it turned out? How was Reconstruction both better and worse than it could have been?