Three big questions of Reconstruction

Definition

The three big questions of Reconstruction refer to the major issues that the United States grappled with after the Civil War. These include how to reintegrate Southern states into the Union, what status freed slaves should have, and who would control this process.

Analogy

Think of these questions as a group project in school where you need to figure out how to incorporate a team member who was previously uncooperative, decide on their role in the group, and determine who gets to make these decisions.

Related terms

Reconstruction Era: This is the period following the Civil War during which Southern states were reorganized and reintegrated into the Union.

Freedmen's Bureau: An agency established by Congress in 1865 to help former black slaves and poor whites in the South recover from effects of war.

Radical Republicans: A faction of American politicians within Republican party from around 1854 until end of Reconstruction in 1877 who wanted harsh punishments for Southern states after Civil War.