Amnesty Act

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/amnesty-act

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the legislative act date?May 22, 1872
2. What is the constitutional basis for disqualification?Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment
3. What was the Amnesty Act of 1872?It was a law that let many former Confederates come back to work and hold public office after the Civil War.
4. Why did the government make the Amnesty Act?It was meant to help rebuild the country and bring former Confederate leaders back into politics.

Reconstruction Era: The period in U.S. history following the Civil War (1865-1877) focused on rebuilding the South and readmitting states.
Fourteenth Amendment: A pivotal amendment granting citizenship, equal protection, and due process, with a clause disqualifying rebels from office.
Political Disabilities: Restrictions or limitations on a person's ability to hold public office or participate in political activities.