Reconstruction: The period after the Civil War when efforts were made to rebuild and reunite the United States while addressing issues related to slavery, civil rights, and social integration.
Freedmen's Bureau: A federal agency established during Reconstruction that provided assistance such as education, healthcare, and employment opportunities to newly freed African Americans.
Sharecropping: An agricultural system that emerged after the Civil War where former slaves or poor white farmers would rent land from wealthy landowners in exchange for a portion of their crops.