NCSCOS 3.04

Analyze the political, economic, and social impact of Reconstruction on the

nation and identify the reasons whyReconstruction came to an end

Michael Quiñones, NBCTwww.socialstudiesguy.com

Macro Concepts Micro Concepts

• Conflict-Issues/problems that can lead to fighting without compromise.

• Reform-The ability to change something for the better.

• Power-Authority to control usually by law.

• Change-Transformation of something from one thing to another.

• Citizenship-The status, protection and privilege connected to the members of a nation.

• Nationalism-An extreme sense of pride, patriotism and loyalty to a nation.

• Sectionalism-Connection and loyalty to a certain region of a nation [ex. South and North].

Freedmen’s Bureau• The Freedmen’s Bureau was created immediately after the end of the Civil War. It

was a federal government agency funded by tax money.• The mission of the agency was to create homes and places for displaced slaves to

live.• Freed slaves were given land abandoned by former Southern slave holders.• Schools were created for freed slaves, job training and education was made

available for the newly freed slaves.

Reconstruction Plans Lincoln’s Plan of Reconstruction-In order to

reconcile with the South Lincoln suggested the 10 percent plan which allowed Confederate states back into the Union if 10 % of the voters swore allegiance to the Union. All Southerners were granted amnesty except high ranking members of the Confederacy.

Thaddeus Stevens’ Congressional Plan of Reconstruction-Called a Radical Republican because he and his supporters wanted to prevent former Confederates from regaining power. His plan forced Southern states to accept black voting rights by passing the 14th and 15th Amendments .

Johnson’s Plan of Reconstruction-Built on Lincoln’s Plan and required [A] a loyalty oath [B] excluded high ranking Confederates [C] Southern states had to ratify 13th Amendment.

President Johnson’s Impeachment• Tenure of Office Act-A law passed by Congress in 1866 to prevent the President of the

United States from having the power to fire government officials without the approval of the U.S. Senate.

• The law was passed despite Johnson’s veto.• Johnson fired his Secretary of War in defiance of the Tenure of Office Act [the firing was not

approved by the Senate].• An impeachment trial was held but the Senate voted not to remove the president by one

vote.

Carpetbaggers, Scalawags and the Ku Klux Klan• Carpetbaggers were Northerners who came South to take advantage of economic

opportunities. The term was considered negative because they were hated by Southerners who felt exploited [used and taken advantage of].

• Scalawags were Southerners who complied with federal laws and were considered traitors to fellow Southerners because they supported Reconstruction.

• As a reaction to federal pressure to give equal rights and freedoms to blacks a terror group called the Ku Klux Klan formed to threaten and reverse gains made by freed blacks.

Black Codes• As a measure of retaliation and in response to the Union’s strict

reconstruction requirements Southern states passed racist, anti-black laws.

• Freed blacks had strict restrictions placed on them in the work place, job training and in schools.

Sharecroppers and Tenant Farmers• Freed slaves usually had very few job skills other than farming because they had

mostly been farm hands.

• Because many free blacks did not own their own land they were forced to become sharecroppers or tenant farmers. These jobs kept free blacks in poverty.

• Sharecroppers-farm an owner’s land and give a large share [percentage] of crops as rental payment.

• Tenant farmers-same as above but the farmer also lives on the landlord’s land.

• In order to preserve the worst parts of the Southern culture [way of life] racist laws were passed to segregate [separate] blacks and whites in public places.

• Blacks who tried to use public facilities such as water fountains, buses and schools could be arrested and fined. Some times violators were lynched [kidnapped and hanged without trial by angry mobs of people].

Jim Crow Laws

The Whiskey Ring Scandal• Many Southerners were very suspicious of

the U.S. Government and its Republican Party leaders.

• In 1875 a financial scandal was exposed proving that federal government officials were corrupt and stealing tax money collected from federal Whiskey taxes.

• It was claimed by many Southerners that the federal government was unworthy.

• After this scandal President Grant lost the trust of many U.S. citizens and lost much of the respect he earned as a Union General during the U.S. Civil War.

Solid South/Southern Democrats• Because of hatred toward Lincoln

and Grant voters in the South rejected Republican candidates after the Civil War.

• Democrats could rely on Southern votes in both state and national elections.

• Every presidential election from 1876 to 1948 went solidly Democratic [Southern states only voted for Democrats].

• Extremely negative features of the Solid South were segregation and Jim Crow laws.

The Grandfather Clause• In general, a Grandfather clause

is an exception that allows an old rule that was changed to apply in certain new circumstances.

• In the South during the late 1800s even though the 15th Amendment granted voting rights to all blacks certain states passed racist voting laws to prevent them from voting.

• Some laws stated that if your grandfather ,who was a slave, had not been able vote neither could you. Even if you were a free man!

Image Sources• http://www.suite101.com/content/lincolns-proclamation-of-amnesty-a115216• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Thaddeus_Stevens_-_Brady-Handy-color-crop.jpg• http://www.bluegrayreview.com/2011/02/05/senator-johnson-takes-aim/• http://www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/nchist-civilwar/8.0• http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/slavery/freedmen.jpg• http://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/image/Johnson_Impeachment_Trial.htm• http://quiltinganation.blogspot.com/2008/03/jim-crow-laws.html• http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Image:1943_Colored_Waiting_Room_Sign.jpg• http://static.newworldencyclopedia.org/a/a5/Kkk-carpetbagger-cartoon.jpg• http://alpharettaushistory.pbworks.com/w/page/12321927/Economic-History• http://www.blackpast.org/files/blackpast_images/Freedmen_Voting__South_Carolina__1868.jpg• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Whiskeyring.jpg

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:McCutcheonMysteriousStrange.jpg