Comparison in Period 5 - AP U.S. History

1. What was the main focus of the Freedmen's Bureau?

   To assist freed slaves and poor whites in the South. This federal agency provided education, healthcare, and legal aid.

2. Identify the purpose of the 13th Amendment.

   To abolish slavery in the United States. This constitutional amendment permanently ended legal slavery nationwide.

3. What was the significance of the Homestead Act of 1862?

   It encouraged Western migration by providing land to settlers. This promoted westward expansion and agricultural development.

4. What was the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation?

   It declared the freedom of slaves in Confederate states. Lincoln transformed the war into a moral crusade against slavery.

5. What was the primary goal of the Confederate States of America?

   To secede from the Union and maintain slavery. The Confederacy fought to preserve slavery and state sovereignty.

6. Which group strongly opposed Reconstruction policies?

   Southern Democrats. They viewed Reconstruction as federal overreach and racial equality as unacceptable.

7. What was the Anaconda Plan?

   The Union strategy to blockade Southern ports and control the Mississippi River. This aimed to squeeze the Confederacy economically and geographically.

8. Identify a reason for the impeachment of Andrew Johnson.

   Violation of the Tenure of Office Act. Johnson dismissed Secretary Stanton without Senate approval as required.

9. What was the main cause of sectional tension during Period 5?

   Disagreements over slavery and its expansion. Debates over slavery in new territories created irreconcilable differences.

10. Which system replaced slavery in the South after the Civil War?

    Sharecropping. This labor system emerged when slavery ended but left many in poverty.

11. What was the Fugitive Slave Act's primary effect in the North?

    Increased opposition to slavery. Northern citizens resented being forced to aid in capturing fugitive slaves.

12. What was a key feature of the Reconstruction Acts?

    The division of the South into military districts. Federal military control enforced Reconstruction policies in the South.

13. Which labor system was predominant in the South during Period 5?

    Slavery. This system underpinned the Southern agricultural economy and social structure.

14. Identify a major technological innovation that impacted the economy in Period 5.

    The expansion of the railroad network. Railroads revolutionized transportation and connected national markets.

15. What was the primary purpose of Jim Crow laws?

    To enforce racial segregation in the South. These laws institutionalized racial separation in public facilities.

16. Identify a key political difference between the North and South during Period 5.

    The North favored federal power; the South favored states' rights. This constitutional debate intensified during conflicts over slavery expansion.

17. Identify the amendment that granted African American men the right to vote.

    The 15th Amendment. This expanded voting rights regardless of race or previous servitude.

18. Which group was targeted by the Ku Klux Klan during Reconstruction?

    African Americans and their allies. The KKK used violence to intimidate and suppress African American rights.

19. Identify the primary goal of the Confederacy during the Civil War.

    To achieve independence from the Union. The South sought to establish a separate nation based on states' rights.

20. What was a major effect of the Dred Scott decision?

    It denied citizenship to African Americans. This ruling intensified sectional tensions over slavery and citizenship.

21. Which event marked the beginning of the Civil War?

    The attack on Fort Sumter in 1861. This Confederate attack on a federal fort triggered armed conflict.

22. Which president led the U.S. during the Civil War?

    Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln preserved the Union and issued the Emancipation Proclamation.

23. Which legislation attempted to protect the civil rights of African Americans?

    The Civil Rights Act of 1866. This law granted citizenship and legal rights to former slaves.

24. What was the primary goal of the Radical Republicans during Reconstruction?

    To ensure equal rights for African Americans. They pushed for comprehensive civil rights and political equality.

25. Which amendment granted citizenship to all persons born in the U.S.?

    The 14th Amendment. This overturned Dred Scott and established birthright citizenship.

26. Which battle is considered the turning point of the Civil War?

    The Battle of Gettysburg. This Union victory halted Confederate momentum and began Southern decline.

27. What was the primary purpose of the Black Codes?

    To restrict the rights and mobility of African Americans. These laws attempted to maintain white supremacy after slavery's abolition.

28. Identify a key difference in the political structure of the North and South.

    The North centralized power; the South had decentralized governance. Federal authority strengthened in the North while Southern states asserted autonomy.

29. What was the primary economic difference between the North and South in Period 5?

    The North was industrialized; the South relied on agriculture. This fundamental divide shaped sectional tensions throughout the period.

30. Identify a social movement that emerged in the North during Period 5.

    The abolitionist movement. This movement gained momentum as slavery expanded into new territories.

31. Identify the legislation that required the return of escaped slaves.

    The Fugitive Slave Act. This controversial law forced Northern compliance with slavery enforcement.

32. Identify a major consequence of the Civil War on Southern infrastructure.

    Widespread destruction and economic devastation. War devastated Southern cities, railroads, and agricultural systems.

33. What was the main economic system in the South post-Civil War?

    Sharecropping. Former slaves worked land for a share of crops, creating debt cycles.

34. Identify a factor that led to the economic growth of the North post-Civil War.

    Industrial expansion and innovation. War production and technological advancement accelerated Northern development.

35. What was a major advantage of the North during the Civil War?

    Greater industrial capacity and larger population. These advantages provided sustained military and economic superiority.

36. What was the primary economic activity in the North after the Civil War?

    Industrial manufacturing. The North's industrial base expanded rapidly during and after the war.

37. Which Supreme Court case upheld segregation laws in 1896?

    Plessy v. Ferguson. This established 'separate but equal' doctrine legitimizing segregation.

38. Identify a consequence of the Compromise of 1877.

    The end of Reconstruction. Federal troops withdrew from the South, ending protective oversight.

39. What was the impact of the Kansas-Nebraska Act?

    It allowed for popular sovereignty to decide on slavery. This repealed the Missouri Compromise and heightened sectional conflict.

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