African Americans and the politics of Reconstruction

Of all the opportunities now open to African Americans during Reconstruction, the right to vote was seen as the most important!

During Reconstruction, more than 600 African Americans served in state legislature, and sixteen of the new U.S. congressmen/senators were African Americans as well

Southern Resistance Against political

power in the hands of African Americans

Maintaining white supremacy. Resort to Law Violence

The Black Codes (1865-1867) In 1865, southern governments created Black

Codes to control ex-slaves. Black Codes were aimed to

restrict freed blacks’ activity and ensure their availability as a labor force

Arbitrary arrests

In many states, if unemployed, African Americans could be arrested and charged with vagrancy

Limiting freedoms Codes prevented African Americans from

raising their own crops. Often prohibited from entering towns without

permission. Florida Constitution of 1865: “In all criminal

proceedings founded upon injury to a colored person, (…) the testimony of colored persons shall be excluded.”

Not yet citizens After freedom was granted to slaves some

states declared them as Freedmen. This meant they were not citizens and would

have to apply to become one. They were treated as second class immigrants

and denied voting rights

Black Codes African Americans rarely had the money to

own land and therefore still had to work on plantations

They were forced to sign state contracts which did not allow them to leave or quit.

Owners of the land were able to use the same punishment they would use on children.

Black Codes It was illegal for an

African American to carry a knife or Firearm.

Anyone that sold an African American alcohol could be jailed for thirty days

Black Codes In South Carolina, people that worked on the

land were to be called servants and the owners master.

Their work day start when the sun went up and ended when it went down.

According to Florida's Black Code, blacks who violated labor contracts could be whipped, pilloried, and sold for up to one year's labor.

They must be "especially civil and polite to their masters, their masters' families and guests," and they in return would receive "gentle and kind treatment."

This outraged the Northern states as they felt it was still slavery.

After elections in 1866, the south was put under military rule and forced them to give the vote to all and abandon the Black Codes

End of Black Codes (1865-1867) These codes were outlawed by the 14th

amendment (1868) and by the Reconstruction Act of 1867.

Once things settled down, the southern parliament enacted a policy of Separate but Equal. (Jim Crow Laws)

….and violence

Ku Klux Klan Started in 1866 by

Nathaniel Bedford Forrest

Secret society

Mostly former Confederate soldiers

Goals of the KKK Remove Republicans

from power Drive out

carpetbaggers Regain control of the

South for the Democratic Party

Restore white control of the South using terror

Tactics of the KKK Broke up Republican

meetings Kept them from voting to

increase Democrats’ power Harassed Freedmen’s

Bureau workers Burned homes, churches,

schools Lynching blacks for

“crimes” committed against whites

Targets of the KKK

In this picture, the artist has portrayed a group of bizarrely dressed Klansmen contemplating the murder of a white Republican. (Library of Congress)

African Americans

Victims had little protection! Military authorities hired by Johnson were against Reconstruction and ignored violence

White Republicans: Mainly Carpetbaggers and Scalawags

Carpetbaggers Northerners who went

South during Reconstruction, motivated by either profit or idealism

Viewed as opportunists looking to exploit and profit from the region’s misfortunes

Named Carpetbaggers as they would arrive south carrying a carpet bag with all their belongings

Scalawags Southern born white

Republicans Scalawags opposed the

Confederacy, and Supported the federal

reconstruction plan and cooperated with the blacks in order to achieve their ends.

Viewed as traitors to the South Scalawags — a derogatory term

(originally describing worthless livestock)

Ku Klux Klan Act

Passed by Congress in 1871

Outlawed activities of the Klan

Federal arrests

KKK outlawed in 1871, but it was not the only group trying to keep African Americans powerless!

Alabama's White League, formed in 1874, strove to oust Republicans from office by intimidating black voters.

Political cartoonist Thomas Nast, suggested an alliance between the White League and the outlawed Ku Klux Klan. (Harper's Weekly, October 24, 1874)

It’s my turn!Quiz time!!!

Q1 THE SOUTHERN LAWS TO RESTRICT

BLACK FREEDOM WERE CALLED

A. SLAVE CODES

B. RACIST CODES

C. BLACK CODES

D. FREEDMEN’S CODES

Q2 THE BLACK CODES LASTED:

A. 2 YEARSB. 5 YEARSC. 7 YEARSD. 12 YEARS

Q3

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE VAGRANCY

A. NOT HAVING AN ESTABLISHED

RESIDENCE AND WORK

B. BEING AT THE FOREFRONT OF A

MOVEMENT

C. TAKING A PROPERTY ILLEGALLY

D. RAPING WHITE WOMEN

Q4 WHICH STATEMENT ABOUT THE KKK IS

WRONG?A. IT WAS CREATED BY THE KKK ACT

B. IT WAS CREATED IN 1866

C. IT IS A SECRET SOCIETY

D. ITS MEMBERS ARE CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS

Q5WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING ARE NOT

PART OF KKK GOALSA. REMOVE REPUBLICANS FROM

POWERB. DRIVE OUT CARPETBAGGERSC. REGAIN CONTROL OF THE NORTH

FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTYD. RESTORE WHITE CONTROL

Q6WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING

STATEMENTS ABOUT KKK IS WRONG

A HARRASSED FREEDMEN’S BUREAU WORKERS

B BROKE UP DEMOCRAT MEETINGSC BURNED HOMES, CHURCHES,

SCHOOLSD LYNCHED BLACKS

Q7

CARPETBAGGERS ARE

A. SOUTHERNERS SUPPORTING THE UNION

B. SECRET KKK MEMBERS

C. NORTHERNERS MOVING SOUTH

D. FORMER CONFEDERACY SOLDIERS

Q8TICK THE RIGHT SPELLING OF THE NAME

USED FOR SOUTHERNERS SUPPORTING THE UNION

A. SKALAWAGS B. SKALLAWAGSC. SCALAWAGSD. SCALAWAGGS

Q9

THE KKK ACT WAS VOTED IN

A. 1866B. 1867C. 1869D. 1871

Q 10

WHAT IS THE NAME OF KKK’S SUCCESSOR?

A. FLORIDA WHITE LEAGUE

B. LOUISIANA WHITE LEAGUE

C. MONTGOMERY WHITE LEAGUE

D. ALABAMA WHITE LEAGUE