Chapter 12

Congressional Reconstruction

Goals:

Wanted to punish the SouthPrevent Southern leaders from returning to

powerMake Republican Party powerful in SouthHelp African Americans achieve political

equality

Implementation:

Civil Rights Act of 186614th Amendment (April, 1866)Supplementary Freedman’s Bureau Act (July,

1866)Reconstruction Act of 1867

Military districts Black suffrage Approval of 13th and 14th Amendment (later also the

15th)Tenure of Office Act (March, 1867)

Led to impeachment of Andrew Johnson

Republican Rule in the SouthBy 1870, all Southern

states had rejoined the Union

Republicans controlled state and local govts.

Hated by many Southerners

Republicans supported by Northerners immigrants and African Americans

African Americans now politically involved in South

Within a few years, were being elected for various offices, local to state level

Republican ReformsAbolished property requirements for votingBuilt roads, railways, bridges, public

schoolsEstablished. state hospitals, orphanages,

centers for the visually and hearing impaired, mentally ill

Raised taxes – especially on property

Chapter 12

Response to and Impact of

Reconstruction

CarpetbaggersMany Northerners

moved to the Southcalled

carpetbaggers by southerners

Reasons:Take advantage of

SouthernersLooking for new life/

new opportunitiesWanted to help out

whites and African Americans

Rise of the KlanSecret societies formed

out of anger and frustration to the changes in the South

Ku Klux Klan was formed in 1866 by former Confederate soldiers

Goal was to drive out Union troops and carpetbaggers, regain control of political parties

Terrorized both whites and African Americans

Prevent them from voting

Southern AgricultureUnable to purchase land

many freedman and poor whites became tenant farmers, paying rent for land they farmed

For most this tenancy became sharecropping-paid for using the land with a portion of their crop they harvested

Led to crop-lien system and debt peonage owing money and

never bringing in enough to pay off debt

prevented crop diversification

Led to soil depletion

Chapter 12The End of

Reconstruction

The Grant AdministrationElection of 1868: *Republicans – Ulysses S. Grant and

Schuyler Colfax

Democrats – Horatio Seymour and Francis Blair

Results: Republicans – 214

electoral votes (52.7 % of popular vote)

Democrats – 80 electoral votes

(47.3% of popular vote)*Key to Grant victory – veterans and southern freedmen

The Grant Administration

“Grantism” – a pattern of corruption both in and outside of politics.

• The Credit Mobilier scandal -- the VP was involved

• The Whiskey ring scandal – Grant’s private secretary was involved

• William Belknap, Secretary of War, took bribes in exchange for the sale of Indian trading posts

The Gould and Fisk attempt to “corner” the gold market

The Boss Tweed ring in New York City (Tammany Hall)

The Liberal Republican Party

Why?

-Angered by corruption

-Demanded civil service reforms

-Believed in free trade

-Rejected “bayonet rule” in the south

Election of 1872Election of 1868: Republicans – Ulysses S. Grant and

Henry Wilson

*Liberal Republicans and Democrats – Horace Greely and B. Gratz Brown

* Greely died on November 29, 1872, so his electors voted for a variety of candidates

The campaign increased Republican desire to put the “southern question” behind them.

The Panic of 1873

-Caused by the collapse of the Jay Cooke banking firm.

-Led to 5 years of depression

- labor protests and violence

Currency and Debt Controversy

•Grant administration supported a “sound money” policy

•Public Credit Act of 1869 – promise to pay war bonds with “coin”

•Swapped old bonds for new issues

•1872 – defined “coin” as gold

•1876 – Greenback Party formed by those who wanted cheap money for expansion

•1878 – Democrats responded with the Bland-Allison Act

Constitutional Issues • 1866 – Ex Parte Milligan

• ended military courts used by Freedman’s Bureau

•1869 – Texan v. White

• declared reconstruction legal

•1873 – Slaughterhouse Cases

• declared that the 14th Amendment only applied to national citizenship, not state citizenship

• 1876 – U.S. v. Reese and U.S. v. Cruickshank

• invalidated most of the Enforcement Act of 1870

Southern “Redemption”• Vigilante groups reduced both the black and white republican vote

• many scalawags returned to the Democratic party

• some carpetbaggers returned to the north

• Congressional amnesty allowed former leaders to return to politics

• All but 3 states were controlled by Democrats by 1876

• Once in control of state governments, the Democrats lowered taxes, eliminated social programs, limited th rights of tenants and sharecroppers, used the law to gain control of the black work force

Election of 1876Election of 1868: Republicans – Rutherford B Hayes

and William Wheeler Democrats –

Samuel Tilden and Thomas Hendricks

Greenbacks -- Peter Cooper and Samuel Cary

After balloting, Tilden had 184 electoral votes and Hayes had 165 with 20 electoral votes (from Florida, SC, Louisiana, and Oregon) disputed