Reconstruction: The process of rebuilding and reuniting the United States after the Civil War. It involved addressing issues such as racial equality, rebuilding infrastructure, and reintegrating Southern states into the Union.
Emancipation Proclamation: A presidential proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, which declared that all enslaved people in Confederate territory were legally free. It played a significant role in shaping post-Civil War America by setting the stage for abolition and Reconstruction.
Jim Crow laws: Laws enacted in Southern states after Reconstruction that enforced racial segregation and discrimination against African Americans. They limited their rights and opportunities until they were eventually challenged during the civil rights movement.