RECONSTRUCTION 1865-1877

AFTERMATH OF THE CIVIL WAR

QUESTIONS FOR THE NORTH

• WHAT TO DO TO PUNISH THE SOUTH FOR SECESSION?

• WHAT WERE THE TERMS UNDER WHICH THE DEFEATED CONFEDERATE STATES SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO REENTER THE UNION?

• WHAT DEMANDS SHOULD BE MADE ON THEM BEFORE THEY REENTERED?

• SHOULD CONGRESS OR THE PRESIDENT ESTABLISH THE TERMS?

“RADICAL” REPUBLICANS

• “RADICAL” RECONSTRUCTION-WITHOUT THIS POLICY, THE SOUTH WILL JUST RETURN TO THE SAME POLITICAL POLICIES THAT LED TO WAR

• THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MUST BE SURE TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF NEWLY FREED SLAVES, NOW KNOWN AS “FREEDMEN”

ALTERNATIVES TO “RADICAL” RECONSTRUCTION

• FOCUS SHOULD NOT BE ON “PUNISHING” THE SOUTH BUT HEALING THE NATION

• FEDERAL CONTROL OVER THE SOUTH IS IN ESSENCE JUST A CONTINUATION OF THE WAR

• “RADICAL” RECONSTRUCTION IS JUST MOTIVATED BY A HATRED OF SOUTHERNERS

A NATION STILL DIVIDED

• AS IF THE NATION WAS NOT DIVIDED OVER SLAVERY, AFTER A WAR AND 618,000 DEAD LATER, IT WAS EVEN MORE DIVIDED NOW

• HALF OF CONGRESS MADE UP OF “RADICAL” REPUBLICANS PUSHED FOR A HARSH POLICY TO PUNISH SOUTHERNERS AND ENSURE THAT FREEDMEN WOULD HAVE TOTAL EQUALITY WITH WHITES

THE OTHER SIDE

• DEMOCRATS AND MODERATE REPUBLICANS FAVORED A MORE LENIENT POLICY

• THIS WOULD HAVE LITTLE FEDERAL INFLUENCE IN THE PROCESS

• LINCOLN BELIEVED BEFORE HIS ASSASSINATION THAT THE SOUTH HAD SUFFERED ENOUGH

• HE OFFERED A TOTAL PARDON TO ANY CONFEDERATE THAT HAD NOT SERVED IN PUBLIC OFFICE TO SWEAR LOYALTY TO THE UNION AND THE U.S. CONSTITUTION

LINCOLN’S PLAN

• THE STATE WOULD BE RE-ADMITTED ONCE 10% OF ITS POPULATION TOOK THE SAME OATH

• HE HAD NOT CONSIDERED HOW THE NEWLY FREED SLAVES WOULD FIGURE INTO THE EQUATION

• ANDREW JOHNSON WANTED TO FOLLOW LINCOLN’S PLAN BUT WANTED TO PUNISH THE SOUTH FOR HE HATED RICH PLANTATION OWNERS, BEING A POOR FARMER HIMSELF

“RADICAL” REPUBLICANS & JOHNSON

• WITH JOHNSON’S HATRED OF WEALTHY SOUTHERNERS THIS FACTION OF CONGRESS FOUND A NEW BEST FRIEND IN JOHNSON

• REPUBLICAN SENATOR FROM OHIO (MS. KNAPP’S LAND) BENJAMIN WADE DECLARED “LINCOLN HAD TOO MUCH OF THE MILK OF HUMAN KINDNESS TO DEAL WITH THESE DAMN REBELS. NOW THEY WILL BE DEALT WITH ACCORDING TO THEIR DESSERTS.

OH WHAT A TANGLED WEB WE WEAVE WHEN FIRST WE PRACTICE TO

DECEIVE• JOHNSON TURNED THE TABLES ON HIS

BUDDIES WITH A VERY LENIENT POLICY TOWARDS THE SOUTH

• HE PARDONED CONFEDERATE LEADERS , ALLOWED THEM TO KEEP THEIR LANDS AND OFFICIAL POSTS

• HE ARGUED STATES SHOULD DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH THE FREEDMEN AND NOT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

SAME OLD STORY

• IT WAS NOT CALLED SLAVERY, BUT IT MIGHT AS WELL SHOULD HAVE BEEN

• “BLACK CODES” SUPPORTED BY JOHNSON, SEVERLY LIMITED THE RIGHTS OF FREEDMEN

• THESE WERE DESIGNED TO ENSURE THAT BLACKS WOULD NEVER ATTAIN THE STATUS OF WHITES

• THEY COULD NOT OWN LAND OR VOTE

“RADICAL” RESPONSE

• THE RECONSTRUCTION ACT OF 1867, DIVIDED SOUTHERN STATES INTO DISTRICTS UNDER UNION RULE AND REMOVED PARDONED CONFEDERATES FROM POWER

• MODERATE REPUBLICANS BEGAN TO MOVE TO RADICAL POSITIONS WHEN SOUTHERNERS REFUSED TO ALLOW AA’S TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS

THE “FREEDMANS BUREAU”

• RADICAL REPUBLICANS ENACTED LINCOLN’S PLAN AFTER HIS DEATH WHICH INCLUDED THE FREEDMANS BUREAU

• THIS DIVISION WAS TO PROVIDE CLOTHING, FOOD, MEDICINE, SHELTER, AND EDUCATION TO BLACKS AND WAR REFUGEES

• THE DIVISION WAS ACTUALLY AN EXTENSION OF THE UNION ARMY WHICH GAVE THE IMPRESSION OF OCCUPATION

CONTINUED

• THIS COMPANY ALSO ASSUMED CONTROL OF THE ALL THE CONFISCATED LANDS OF THE CONFEDERACY, BORDER STATES, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND “INDIAN” TERRITORY

• THE BUREAU WAS THEN GIVEN THE JOB OF PROTECTING AA’S FROM ANGRY, RESENTFUL SOUTHERNERS

• THE CIVIL RIGHTS BILL OF 1866 GAVE AA’S FULL RIGHTS UNDER FEDERAL LAW (THE 14TH ADMENDMENT)

RADICALS GAIN CONTROL

• MORE MODERATES WERE VOTED OUT AND CONGRESS HAD FULL POWER TO OVERRIDE JOHNSON VETOS OF THE 14TH ADM. AND THE RECONSTRUCTION ACTS

• JOHNSON BECAME A LAME DUCK PRESIDENT AND WAS NEARLY THE FIRST TO BE IMPEACHED NOT ONCE BUT TWICE ESCAPING BY A SINGLE VOTE

• HE NO LONGER STOOD IN THE WAY OF RECONS.

Reconstruction Goes On

• JOHNSON WAS OFFICIALLY OUT OF THE WAY BUT NOW SENATORS BEGAN TO ARGUE AMONGST EACH OTHER

• SENATOR SITGREAVES A DEMOCRATIC SENATOR FROM NEW JERSEY DEBATED THAT FREEDMEN WOULD RATHER HAVE A TAX ON COTTON REMOVED THAN BE GIVEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE.

• HE ALSO STATED THAT “WHITE MEN ALONE MUST MANAGE THE SOUTH”

MORE PROBLEMS

• SOUTHERN WHITES IN OFFICE BEGAN TO CRY FOUL THAT BLACKS IN GOVERNMENT WERE NOW BEING CORRUPTED TO DO WHAT THEIR WHITE NORTHERNERS TOLD THEM TO DO

• NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN OFFICIALS ALKE WERE AS DIVIDED OVER THE “FREEDMEN” PROBLEM AS YOUR AVERAGE SOUTHERN CITIZEN

WHAT’S GOING ON AT HOME IN NC?

• NC WAS UNDER THE SECOND MILITARY DISTRICT UNDER MAJ.GEN. DANIEL SICKLES AND BRIG. GEN. EDWARD CANBY UNTIL 1868

• AT THIS TIME ONLY 500 TROOPS WERE IN THE STATE OF NC STATIONED AT RALEIGH

• THIS CONDITION ALLOWED THE KKK TO INFILTRATE NC AND TERRORIZE THE FREEDMEN. 500 MEN COULD NOT PATROL THE ENTIRE STATE.

ALONG THE COAST

• SEVERAL AFRICAN AMERICAN MILITARY UNITS PULLED DUTY IN NC DURING RECONSTRUCTION.

• THE 37th U.S. COLORED TROOPS WERE STATIONED AT VARIOUS POINTS ALONG THE COAST UNTIL FEB. OF 1867.

• The 40th U.S. INFANTRY (COLORED) WERE IN NC FROM MAR 1867 - MAR 1869.

• FORT MACON (ATL. BEACH) WAS USED AS A JAIL.

A NEW PRESIDENT

• CIVIL WAR HERO GENERAL ULYSSES S. GRANT WAS ELECTED PRESIDENT REPLACING JOHNSON (LAME DUCK)

• THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A TIME WHERE THE FREEDMEN FINALLY GAINED AN EQUAL FOOTING NATIONWIDE

• SOMEONE FORGOT TO TELL PRES. GRANT

GRANT’S LEGACY ON NC AND THE NATION

• FREEDMEN ONLY ENJOYED ABOUT A TEN YEAR WINDOWN WHERE THEY WERE ELECTED STATE OFFICIALS FROM 1867-1877

• THANKS TO GRANT’S WEAK LEADERSHIP AND WHAT MANY HISTORIANS CALLED THE MOST CORRUPT FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EVER IN HISTORY

SEVERAL PROMINENT AA LEADERS

• IN 1867, NC SENT 13 AA’S TO STATE REPRESENTATIVES TO WASHINGTON

• IN 1870-1876 NC SENT A TOTAL OF 30• U. S. CONGRESSMEN JOHN A. HYMAN, A

FORMER SLAVE, SERVED FROM 1875-1877. HE ALSO SERVED IN THE NC STATE SENATE 1868-1874.

JOHN A. HYMAN

•

• John A. Hyman - U.S. Congressman, 1875-1877

WILLIAM HOLDEN

•

• Gov. William W. Holden

WILLIAM HOLDEN

• HOLDEN WAS ELECTED GOVERNOR ON THE STRENGTH OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY NOT A POPULAR CHOICE OF CIVIL WAR VETERANS WHO WERE NOW LOCKED OUT OF GOVERNMENT AND VOTING UNTIL NC IS ALLOWED BACK INTO THE UNION

• NC DID THIS ON JULY 4TH 1868 BY RATIFYING THE 14TH AMENDMENT AND WERE ALLOWED BACK INTO THE UNION

NC RATIFIES THE CIVIL RIGHTS BILL

• In 1869, THE 15th AMENDMENT WAS PASSED BY CONGRESS, PROHIBITING ANY STATE FROM DENYING A CITIZEN THE RIGHT TO VOTE BECAUSE OF RACE, COLOR, OR PREVIOUS CONDITION OF SERVITUDE.

• NORTH CAROLINA RATIFIED THE 15th AMENDMENT ON MARCH 5, 1869.

A Strange Twist on “Civil Rights”

• NOT JUST FREEDMEN BENEFITED FROM THE CIVIL RIGHTS BILL

• FINALLY POOR WHITES, THOSE THAT COULD NOT AFFORD SLAVES GOT A VOICE IN THE NEW GOVERNMENT

• THEY COULD SIT ON JURIES ALONGSIDE FREEDMEN

• MANY OF THEM JOINED THE REPUBLICAN PARTY

SEEING THE FUTURE THROUGH THE PAST

• FREEDMEN WERE FINALLY GAINING BASIC “HUMAN” RIGHTS, THE RIGHTS TO MARRY WHOMEVER THEY WANTED, CLAIM CHILDREN THEY ENGENDERED AS THEIR OWN, AND THE OWNERSHIP OF PROPERTY

• WHITES AND BLACKS BEGAN TO SEE THE CHALLENGES TO THE EXISTING SOCIAL ORDER

SEEING THE FUTURE THROUGH THE PAST

• THIS BROUGHT A DIVIDE INTO ANOTHER DIRECTION

• MANY WHITES BELIEVED THE SOCIAL ORDER BASED ON RACE WAS NECESSARY AND “NATURAL”

• WHITES BEGAN TO SEE FREEDMEN’S DESIRE TO ESTABLISH EQUAL RIGHTS AS CONTRARY TO THEIR GOALS

THE WOMEN ISSUE

• FREEDWOMEN NOW EXPERIENCED THE SAME SEXISM PLACED ON WHITE WOMEN

• RIGHTS WERE BASED ON GENDER AND A DEPENDENCY ON MEN

• WOMEN HOPED A NEW REPUBLICAN MAJORITY WOULD BE RECEPTIVE TO THEIR DESIRE FOR EQUAL RIGHTS

• NOPE!

MOVE TO VIOLENCE

• WOMEN WOULD WAIT ANOTHER 60 YEARS TO ACHIEVE EQUALITY

• WHITES AND BLACKS BEGAN TO CLASH RESULTING IN HORRIFIC VIOLENCE

• POOR WHITES AGAIN WOULD BECOME FOLLOWERS INSTEAD OF LEADERS BASED ON A FEAR OF BEING LABLED SYMPATHIZERS

• ONE WHO DEFIED THIS LABEL WAS JOHN A. STEPHENS OF YANCEYVILLE, NC