Legal Definitions - reconstruction

Definition: Reconstruction refers to the act or process of rebuilding, re-creating, or reorganizing something. It can also refer to the process of readmitting Southern states that had seceded during the Civil War into the Union from 1865 to 1877.

• An expert in accident reconstruction helps to rebuild or re-create the scene of an accident to determine what happened.
• Reconstruction of a broken or worn-out patented article can result in an infringement of the original patent.
• The Reconstruction era after the Civil War involved the readmission of Southern states into the Union and the passing of amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

The examples illustrate how reconstruction can involve rebuilding or re-creating something, whether it's a scene of an accident or a patented article. In the case of the Reconstruction era after the Civil War, it involved the process of readmitting Southern states into the Union and making changes to the U.S. Constitution.