The Ordeal of Reconstruction

1865-1877

Lecture Notes

Chapter 22

The American Pageant, 13th edition

Quickwrite What factors limited the success of

Reconstruction efforts in the South? How could Reconstruction have been more effective?

Key Topics Impact of the war on North & South Emancipated slaves Freedmen’s Bureau Conflicts over Reconstruction policies:

Lincoln’s “10 percent” Reconstruction plan Wade-Davis Bill

Black Codes

More Key Topics Reconstruction Act: 5 military districts Amendments: 13th, 14th & 15th

Ku Klux Klan Johnson’s Impeachment Purchase of Alaska (Seward’s Folly)

Key People President Andrew Jackson Charles Sumner Thaddeus Stevens Hiram Revels

Fate of the South Fate of Rebel Leaders

Jefferson Davis imprisoned for 2 years “conspirators” later released; pardoned in 1868 Civil disabilities remained for 30 years

Economy virtually destroyed Banks, factories, transportation system Agricultural base: labor system gone, seed

scarce, livestock stolen (10 years to revive)

Freedom? Emancipation was slow and uneven

Many owners refused, even killing escapees

Adjustment to freedom varied Some ex-slaves remained loyal to masters Others sought revenge Took new names; used Mr. and Mrs. Sought their families; formalized marriages

Migrations Many ex-slaves moved to cities, some tried

moving west Church became major focus of black

communities, basis for mutual aid Education

Forbidden under slavery, education became symbolic of independence

Northern white women moved south to help

The Freedmen’s Bureau Created to help the freed slave to

emancipation (March, 1865) Headed by Union General Oliver Howard

(later founder of Howard University) To help freed blacks and white refugees Ex-slaves generally unskilled, illiterate, without

property or money, no knowledge of life beyond the plantation

200,000 blacks learned to read (for equal opportunity and to read the Bible)

The Bureau Undermined Plan to provide each ex-slave with 40 acres

Land parcels confiscated from the Confederates Local white administrators manipulated system

worked with local planters to expel blacks or fooled them into signing labor contracts with their

former masters

Southerners resented govt interference Johnson did not support it; expires in 1872

President Andrew Johnson Very poor background

Apprenticed as tailor when young Worked up to congressman from Tennessee, etc Worked for poor whites; owned some slaves

Nominated VP as southern War Democrat to help win the vote for Lincoln Intelligent and able, but hot-headed and stubborn Wrong place, wrong time

Reconstruction Plans Lincoln’s 10% reconstruction plan

A southern state could be reintegrated into the Union once 10% of the voters in 1860 election pledged

Allegiance to US To abide by emancipation proclamation

State govt would then be restored Congress thought it too generous to the South

Wade-Davis Bill Proposed in opposition to Lincoln’s plan

50% of states’ voters must take oath of allegiance to US

Stricter requirements to ensure emancipation

Republicans feared return of planter aristocracy; wanted to punish South

Lincoln successfully vetoed bill Republicans refused to seat new delegates

Johnson’s Reconstruction Plan Revised Lincoln’s 10% Plan Called for state conventions to

Repeal secession ordinances Repudiate all confederate debts Ratify 13th amendment

Johnson disenfranchised wealthy planters But his pardons put them back into power Undermined Republicans in Congress

Black Codes Revived southern state governments

enacted codes to re-establish labor force To regulate affairs of freed blacks Harsh penalties for blacks who “jumped” labor

contracts One-year commitments with low wages Captured escapees had to work to pay off fines Not much different from slavery

More Black Codes Emancipation and marriage recognized But blacks effectively could not

Vote or serve on jury Rent or lease land

Idleness” punished by work on chain gang Even after repeal of codes, most ended up

as poor sharecroppers, in virtual slavery

Post-War Congress Pardoned and elected, many Confederate

leaders returned to Congress in Dec 1865 Locked out by Republicans

Legislation passed under Republican-dominated Congress had included Morrill Tariff Pacific Railroad Act Homestead Act

Who had won? Republicans feared

Increased power of Democrats—now had more representatives with blacks fully counted in population

Possible undermining of Republican legislation and extension of Black Codes if northern and southern Democrats united

Johnson announced that the rebel states had rejoined the Union—who had won?

14th Amendment Congress undermined Johnson by passing

the Civil Rights Bill over his veto Turned Bill into possible 14th Amendment

Had to be ratified by the states Johnson advised South to reject (all but Tenn. did) Johnson’s “swing ‘round the circle” backfired for

1866 Congressional elections Republican-dominated Congress outvotes veto

Provisions of the 14th Amendment Conferred civil rights and citizenship on

freedmen, but not right to vote Reduced proportion of representation in

Congress and Electoral College if blacks not allowed to vote

Disqualified former Confederates who had once sworn allegiance to Constitution

Guaranteed federal debt, while repudiating Confederate debts

Moderates vs. Radicals Republican radicals wanted to keep south

out of govt as long as possible Led by Charles Sumner (Senate) and Thaddeus

Stevens (House)

Republican moderates wanted more rapid assimilation To allow some states’ rights and less federal

involvement in peoples’ lives

Another Compromise Reconstruction Act, March 2, 1867

South divided into 5 military districts commanded by Union generals (with 20,000 soldiers)

10,000s of Confederates temporarily lost right to vote

To be readmitted southern states had to ratify 14th Amendment, including the black male vote

No federal money promised to freedmen, wanted to remove federal govt from that responsibility

15th Amendment Specifically calls for enfranchisement of all

black men Radical Republicans afraid it would not be

achieved with 14th Amendment alone Ratified in 1870 Northern black men also finally received the right

to vote (had been like white women, citizens without voting rights).

Military Reconstruction Congress took over some functions of

executive office with military regime in the South

Supreme Court did not question Congressional actions, despite military tribunals of civilians, military rule during peacetime, etc.

As constitutionally questionable as many of Lincoln’s actions during the Civil War

Unchanged in the End After all federal troops were removed in

1877, southern states quickly returned to Democratic status quo

Women did not receive full rights of citizenship or the vote under either the 14th or 15th Amendments

After Reconstruction African-Americans now organized politically

for the first time Union League, network of political clubs Black men at state constitutional conventions, in

state govt, and in US Congress Hiram Revels, Blanche Bruce

New legislation: public schools, tax systems improved, public works, etc.

“Carpetbaggers”

Northerners thought to be taking advantage of Southern vulnerability for quick profit

Many came down to help in modernizing South Much real corruption in both North & South Ku Klux Klan (founded in 1866)

To intimidate blacks and carpetbaggers Force Acts of 1870 & 1871 to counteract 14th & 15th Amendments effectively ignored

Johnson’s Impeachment Radicals determined to get rid of

obstructionist Johnson Passed Tenure of Office Act

Required president to get Senate’s consent to remove an office-holder once the Senate had approved him (“spy” in Cabinet)

Johnson dismissed “spy” Stanton anyway House then charged Johnson with high crimes…

Senate barely rejected Johnson’s removal

“Seward’s Folly”

Alaska no longer of economic benefit to Russia

Wanted to sell to US, not their enemy Britain Secretary of State Seward purchased Alaska

in a treaty for $7.2 million Why did we buy it?

Russia friendly to north during Civil War possibilities of fur and gold (later, yes!)