What does “The Long Reconstruction” refer to in U.S. history?
The idea that the process of rebuilding the South and redefining race, labor, and citizenship after the Civil War extended well beyond 1877, influencing U.S. politics and race relations into the 20th century.
What did the Morrill Land Grant Act of 1862 do?
It granted federal land to states to fund colleges focusing on agriculture, engineering, and military science.
How did the Morrill Act impact Utah?
It led to the founding of Utah State University (USU), one of many “land-grant” colleges created nationwide.
What was the goal of Americanization policies in the late 19th century?
To assimilate immigrants and Native Americans into white, Anglo-American culture—emphasizing English, Christianity, and “proper” work habits.
What was the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882)?
The first major U.S. law to ban immigration based on nationality; it suspended Chinese immigration and denied citizenship to Chinese immigrants.
Why was the Chinese Exclusion Act passed?
Anti-Chinese racism and labor competition in the West led to public pressure for restriction.
What happened at the Bear River Massacre (1863)?
U.S. troops killed over 250 Northwestern Shoshone near present-day Preston, Idaho—the deadliest Native massacre in the West before Wounded Knee.
What happened at the Wounded Knee Massacre (1890)?
U.S. soldiers killed around 300 Lakota Sioux during a disarmament at Wounded Knee Creek, marking the end of major Native armed resistance.
What was the purpose of the Carlisle Indian School (1879–1921)?
To forcibly assimilate Native American children by erasing their languages, traditions, and identities.
Who founded the Carlisle Indian School, and what was his motto?
Captain Richard Henry Pratt, whose motto was “Kill the Indian, save the man.”
Where was the Carlisle Indian School located and who attended?
In Carlisle, Pennsylvania; children from multiple western tribes were sent there between 1879–1921.
What was the “Lost Cause” ideology?
A Southern narrative that romanticized the Confederacy, portraying the Civil War as noble and minimizing slavery’s role—used to justify segregation and white supremacy after Reconstruction.
What were the Black Codes (1865)?
Laws passed in Southern states in 1865–66 restricting the freedom of freedmen and maintaining white dominance.
Who allowed the creation of the Black Codes?
President Andrew Johnson’s lenient Reconstruction policies permitted Southern states to enact them.
What were key features of the Black Codes?
- Banned interracial marriage
Limited employment and land rights
Allowed imprisonment for “vagrancy”
Disarmed Black Americans
Enforced separate legal punishments
Recreated a system of white supremacy
What were the Reconstruction Amendments?
The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, passed between 1865–1870.
What did each amendment Reconstruction Ammendment do?
13th (1865): Abolished slavery.
14th (1868): Granted citizenship and equal protection to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S.
15th (1870): Prohibited denying voting rights based on race or previous servitude.
What was the purpose of the Edmunds–Tucker Act (1887)?
To curb the power of the LDS Church by outlawing polygamy and allowing the federal government to seize church property and dissolve its corporations.
How did the Edmunds Tucker Act affect Utah?
It severely limited the LDS Church’s influence until Utah renounced polygamy to gain statehood.
What did the Dawes Act of 1887 do?
It divided tribal lands into individual allotments to assimilate Native Americans into private land ownership and agriculture.
What was the result of the Dawes Act (1887)?
Massive loss of Native land to white settlers and the erosion of tribal sovereignty.
-
Introduction5
-
Colonial America25
-
Colonial America - Terms13
-
Pre Revolution30
-
Pre Revolution - Terms9
-
Revolution71
-
Revolution 2.029
-
Post Revolution25
-
Post Revolution - Terms8
-
Reconstruction21
-
Gilded Age21
-
Progressive Era32
-
Assimilation and Allotment Era21
-
Imperialism12
-
Isolationism17
-
The New Deal16
-
Post WWII7
-
Civil Rights19
