Question

finding the main idea
you will find three different paragraphs regarding reconstruction, the rebuilding of the south after the civil war. read each one carefully and choose the sentence that states the main idea for the entire paragraph. you will also be asked to determine the correct order of finding the main idea.
read the paragraph and determine which sentence states the main idea.
value: 3
due to many policies that restricted or taxed white landowners in the south, many people claim the reconstruction was meant to punish slave owners. this was due to laws, taxation, and the loss of property. southerners, especially southerners who owned land prior to the war, felt that certain types of people took advantage of their struggles. they even had names for them; northerners who came south to profit off of the struggles of whites in the south were called carpetbaggers while a southerner who did the same thing was called a scalawag. the desire of some radical republicans to punish the south, especially ex - slave owners, would cause anger and frustration to build, and plantation owners grew more frustrated and angry about reconstruction.
a. reconstruction was all inclusive; white southerners were not treated unfairly.
b. most white southerners who owned property prior to the south lost nothing in the war or during reconstruction, which led to positive feelings about reconstruction.
c. reconstruction was a time period where some people took advantage of the chaos that occurred after the war for personal gain; this behavior caused the white southerners to become angry and frustrated.

Explanation:

The paragraph discusses how during Reconstruction, policies restricting or taxing white land - owners in the South, along with the actions of Carpetbaggers and Scalawags for personal gain, led to anger and frustration among white Southerners. Option c summarizes this main idea. Option a is contrary to what the paragraph says as it claims white southerners were not treated unfairly. Option b is also incorrect as the paragraph indicates white Southerners who owned property prior to the war lost much and were frustrated.

Answer:

C. Reconstruction was a time period where some people took advantage of the chaos that occurred after the war for personal gain; this behavior caused the white Southerners to become angry and frustrated.