Which era followed the Civil War, focusing on rebuilding the South and addressing issues like Freedmen's Bureau and Black Codes?

• A. Gilded Age
• B. Progressive Era
• C. Era of Good Feelings
• D. Reconstruction Era

Answer: (D)

Reconstruction is the period after the Civil War when the nation tried to rebuild the South and figure out how to integrate the newly freed enslaved people into American life. A major part of this era was the Freedmen's Bureau, created in 1865 to help former slaves with food, education, medical care, and legal aid as they started new lives. At the same time, Black Codes were laws in Southern states designed to limit the rights and freedoms of Black people and maintain a system of white control. Reconstruction also led to constitutional amendments aimed at granting citizenship and voting rights to African Americans and involved federal troops in the South to enforce these protections. The era roughly lasted until about 1877, when federal troops withdrew and restrictions on Black rights intensified in the South. By contrast, the Gilded Age comes later with rapid industrial growth (and political corruption), the Progressive Era follows in the early 1900s with reform efforts, and the Era of Good Feelings describes a much earlier time after the War of 1812.