The first phase of Reconstruction focused on reintegration after the Confederacy's surrender. Which event does this reference?

• A. The Civil War Ending
• B. The Confederacy's Surrender
• C. The Emancipation Proclamation
• D. The Battle Of Gettysburg

Answer: (B)

The main idea being tested is how Reconstruction began: it starts once the fighting ends and the Union can begin reintegrating the Southern states. The moment that signals that shift is the Confederacy’s surrender, which ends the Civil War and makes it possible to readmit Southern states and redraw the nation's political and social landscape. That’s why referring to the Confederacy’s surrender is the best fit—it marks the transition from war to rebuilding and reintegration.

The other events are related to the war itself, not the moment Reconstruction gets underway: the Emancipation Proclamation was issued earlier to redefine the war’s aims and to free enslaved people in Confederate areas; the Battle of Gettysburg was a major battle during the war; and while the Civil War ending describes what happened, the specific trigger for Reconstruction is the Confederate surrender.