1865-1877

Reconstruction

Reconstruction: Major Questions

Reconstruction: the era in which the federal government struggled in dealing with the 3 issues of the Civil War:

1.How will Southern states rejoin the union? Treat them like they never left or continue military occupation? Are they equals?

2.How will the Southern Economy be rebuilt?

3.What rights will African Americans have? Whose job is it to protect those rights-federal or state government?

4.Who has authority to decide these answers-President or Congress?

*Come up with some ideas to fix these problems!*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nowsS7pMApI

PLANS FOR RECONSTRUCTION

Part 1

VOCABULARY

Explain the significance of the following words:1. Wade-Davis Bill2. Thirteenth Amendment3. Fourteenth Amendment4. Civil Rights Act of 18665. Black Codes6. Fifteenth Amendment

Southern States Rejoin

Should leaders be tried for treason?

How do Southerners claim seats in Congress?

What about the Constitution?

Should Congress or the President lead?

Stipulations to joining-loyalty oaths?

Southern Economy Rebuilt

1860-1870: Wealth declined from 30% to 12%

¼ of soldiers died in war, land destroyed, no farm equipment, no workforce

Land=most valuable asset

Sherman- “40 acres and a mule” idea

Rights for African Americans

13th Amendment: abolition of slavery; passed Dec. 6, 1865

Citizenship? Full rights?

Republican Party supports; Southerners reject (power stance)

Lincoln’s Stance on Reconstruction

Felt some sympathy for the south; offered 10% Plan: As soon as 10% of voters took a loyalty oath to the

Union, the state could set up a new government Willing to grant pardons for former Confederates Considered compensation for property loss

Opposition to 10% Plan: Thaddeus Stevens/Charles Sumner “Radical

Republicans” Advocated full citizenship for AA and punishment

for South

Wade-Davis Bill

Raised in opposition to the 10% Plan

Demanded a majority of voters to take loyalty oath to the Union AND guarantee AA equality

Lincoln kills with a pocket-veto

Freedmen’s Bureau

“Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands”

Goal: provide food, clothing, healthcare, and education for black and white refugees in the South Reunited families separated at wartime EDUCATION; Oliver O. Howard (3,000 schools) Negotiated labor contracts Represented black citizens in court; LEGAL RIGHTS Fed funding stops 1870, disbands in 1872

Johnson’s Reconstruction Plan

Agreed with Lincoln-fast acting restoration of Union

Required states to accept 13th Amendment and abolish slavery in their state constitutions

Did NOT agree that AA should vote- “White Man’s Government”

Supported state’s rights: laws and customs of state can outweigh federal regulations

Black Codes

Laws that sought to limit the rights of African Americans and keep them as landless workers

1.Could not borrow money2.Could not testify against

a white man in court3.Limited occupations and

property rights Vagrancy laws: any black

person who did not have a job could be sent to work as a prison laborer

“Who won the war?”-Republicans

Johnson V. Congress

Rad Republicans refused Southerners their seats

Committee created to investigate treatment of former slaves

Civil Rights Act of 1866: federal guarantee of civil rights and superseded state laws Johnson vetoes law

Congressional Reconstruction

With 2/3 majority, Congress overrides President Johnson to pass Civil Rights Act of 1866 First time ever! Again with Military Reconstruction Act of 1867

Divided states into 5 military districts controlled by Union generals until they accepted the 13th/14th amendment

Moderate+Radical Republicans work together14th Amendment: equality under law for citizens

If states refused, they lost seats in the House

Congress Tries to Impeach Johnson

Crisis of 1867: Congress and Pres don’t agree

Tenure of Office Act: Pres needs senate approval for removal of certain offices

Impeachment debate after Johnson tries to get rid of Sect. of War-failed by ONE vote

Grant and the 15th Amendment

1868: Ulysses S. Grant is elected president Wins electoral vote, significant lead in popular vote

thanks to African American population

1869 Passed 15th Amendment: no state can deny suffrage on the grounds of race, color, or previous conditions of servitude

Both 14th/15th amendments ratified by 1870 Loopholes: literacy/property/gender qualifications

RECONSTRUCTION IN THE SOUTH

Part 2

Congress takes the Power

2nd round of Reconstruction: Congress leads

Ex-Confederate States: republican controlled gov’t under military protect of the US army until “ALL RECONSTRUCTION REQUIREMENTS ARE MET” Republicans rule :TN (1

year), FL (9 years)

Southern Government: Majority in both

houses are white men Only exception: SC

1873 House Legislators included

native-born white southerners, freemen, and northerners

Supporters of Reconstruction

Scalawags: white men locked out of pre-Civil War politics because of wealthier neighbors Southern Republicans Former Whigs Economic development

and peaceFormed allies in the

north and with whites/blacks in the south

Supporters of Reconstruction

Carpetbaggers: northerners seeking to improve their economic/political situations

Make a fortune out of the South’s misfortune

Young, basic education, worked to get political career

African Americans Get Power

1500 black men help Republicans Party Superintendents, sheriffs, coroners, police, state legislature Legislators: well-educated property holders, moderate

stance Blanche K. Bruce, Hiram Revels-Senators (one for J. Davis’s

seat!)

Loyalty Oaths required to vote-AA men quickly sign up to vote White southerners struggling to accept-many avoid voting

all together Black majorities rising throughout the South

Republican Owned Gov’t

Brief control of southern politics…

1.Did they abuse their power for selfish ends?

2.OR Did they govern responsibly in the public interest?

SuccessesSuccesses FailuresFailures

Women receive property rights/shape schools

Debt reliefUniversal male suffrageTax supported educationAggressive econ. growthInternal growthHospitals/asylums

No woman suffrageSegregation of schoolsIlliteracy, low quality med

care, housing, and econ opportunities

Limited protection of legal rights for AA

Political corruption (took $)

Mismanagement of money

Reconstruction: Success v. Failure

Family LifeFamily Life Schools and ChurchesSchools and Churches

AA men and women have legal rights: can build families and get married

Start schools, churches, and social institutions

Issues in the South: Settle for substandard

living conditions Hard to find jobs Rural v. City life

Freedmen’s Bureau combats illiteracy- arithmetic

Tuition: 10% of earningsEst. black churches

Helped build community, employment opp, political rallies, and schools

Several AA political activists start off as ministers

Freedmen: New Community Life

Southern Economy: Problems

1. Uneven distribution of land

2. 90% of land owned by only 50% of the population

3. Competition between landless whites and blacks

4. “40 acre and a mule” plan did not offer a solution

5. Did not want to take land from wealthy (Stevens)

Systems for Sharing Land

Sharecropping: landowner dictates the crop AND provides sharecropper with shelter, seeds, and tools in return for a “share” of the harvest

Tools: costly, high int. rate

Sharecropper perpetually in debt to landowner; often lied to about debt

Systems for Sharing Land

Share-tenancy: similar to sharecropping BUT worker chose his crop and bought own supplies

More freedom, could better judge prices, possible to save $$$

System for Sharing Land

Tenant Farming: paid cash rent to landowner then free to manage his own crops and free to choose where he lives

All depended on management skills

Reconstruction: the North

Concerned with railroads, labor problems, and money

Grant Administration: Gilded Age Concerned with material interests From reformers to Spoilsmen: political manipulators

(spoils system back again) Senator Roscoe Conklin, James Blaine

Business/Political bosses scheme to enrich themselves Bossman Tweed, Jay Gould, James Fisk

Violence Over Reform

Money competition fuels white southerner’s fire

Did not want AA to have full citizenship

Ku Klux Klan Terrorist group, TN 1866 Burned homes, schools, churches Beat, maimed, and killed AA/White allies Purpose: keep freed people from the polls

Government Responds

13th, 14th, 15th Amendments cause racial violenceLegislators murdered, riots breaking out

Enforcement Acts (KKK Acts): 1870-71, federal offense to interfere with a citizen’s right to vote Congress invited politically involved AA men in to

hearings Marines sent to protect AA voters in N&S Decline in violence by 1872 due to feds readiness to

punish

End of Reconstruction

Grant is reelected for a second term: corruption

Panic of 1873 Over-speculation and overbuilding (railroads) Businesses fail, jobless/homeless population Inflation rampant; farmers in debt

Radical Republicans waning, Southern conservatives “redeemers” controlling southern government State’s rights, reduced taxes, reduced spending on social

programs, white supremacy

Election of 1876

Federal troops withdrawn from all but SC, FL, and LA

Democrats return to power in other S. states R: Rutherford B. Hayes

(OH) D: Samuel J. Tilden (NY)

Hayes wins 1876: Immediate end to

Republicans in South Support building a S

transcontinental railroad