ReconstructionA Second Civil War?

Ms. GeweckeUnit 3

Reconstruction

What is Reconstruction?

This was a period of time after the Civil War (1865-1877)

Attempts were made to readmit the South to the Union

This is a period of rebuilding physically, politically, and socially

Political Reconstruction:Lincoln’s PlanA moderate Reconstruction Policy

Issued in December 1863 ◦Proclamation of Amnesty or the Ten-Percent Plan

Under this plan:All Confederates who swore allegiance to the

Union would be Pardoned (except high-ranking officials and those who committed crimes against POWs)

Once 10% of those who had voted in 1860 took the oath, the state would be readmitted

Political Reconstruction:Lincoln’s PlanThis plan angered a minority of

Republicans in CongressKnown as Radical Republicans

What did Radical Republicans want?

◦To destroy the political power of the South

◦To give African-Americans full citizenship and the right to vote

Political Reconstruction:Johnson’s PlanLincoln was assassinated before his plan

could go into full effect

•New President Andrew Johnson had a different idea for Reconstruction

May 1865 Johnson announced his plan for Reconstruction

It was similar to Lincoln’s but excluded more Confederates from being pardoned

Political Reconstruction:Johnson’s Plan

• Pardons would be granted to those taking a loyalty oath

• No pardons would be available to high Confederate officials and persons owning property valued in excess of $20,000

• A state needed to abolish slavery before being readmitted (Ratify the Thirteenth Amendment)

• A state was required to repeal its secession ordinance before being readmitted

Political Reconstruction:CongressCongress was upset that Reconstruction was

under the control of the Executive Branch

•Radical and Moderate Republicans joined together to move the process of Reconstruction to the Legislative Branch. They gained control in 1866

They overruled Johnson’s Civil Rights Act and Freedman’s Bureau Act

Political Reconstruction:Congress

•What is the significance of the Fourteenth Amendment?

They drafted the Fourteenth Amendment

Political Reconstruction:Johnson Impeached!Radicals in Congress believed Johnson was

blocking Reconstruction

They set him up by saying he violated the Tenure of Office Act

House Impeached JohnsonSenate voted not to convict himJohnson stayed in office

Political Reconstruction:Grant ElectedIn 1868 Ulysses S. Grant was elected president (by a small margin)

•The importance of the Grant election was the support of the African-American vote

9 out of 10 African-Americans voted for Grant and the Republican Party

Social Reconstruction:Postwar SouthThe South was in complete disarray

physically and economically

•The war had destroyed a lot of property and thousands of people had died (low population)

The new Republican governments did try to help through public works programs and social services

The Collapse of Reconstruction:Opposition

Three major groups made up the Republican Party in the South and had different goals:ScalawagsCarpetbaggersAfrican-Americans

There was also conflict between white Southerners (who did not like blacks’ being free) and African-Americans (who were now trying to live as U.S. citizens)

The Collapse of Reconstruction:Opposition

Many white Southerners agreed to follow what the North said but some white Southerners did not agreeThese people often formed their own

groups (like the KKK)They resorted to violence and

intimidation to achieve their goals

What was the KKK and what were the goals of the group?

The Collapse of Reconstruction:Opposition

The violence and intimidation was so bad that Congress had to pass several laws:

Enforcement Acts of 1870 and 1871The president could use federal troop in areas

where the KKK was highly active

These acts limited Southern Democrat’s political power

However, the Freeman’s Bureau came to an end in 1872

And the Amnesty Act (1872) restored the vote to many former Confederates, restoring Democratic political power

The End of Reconstruction

The Republican Party began to break apart and Radical Republicans could no longer carry out their plans

The Supreme Court began to reverse social and political changes that had fueled Reconstruction

Southern Democrats achieved “redemption” and made a deal with the Republicans during the 1876 election

The End of ReconstructionThis deal entailed:

The Southern Democrats would agree to elect Hayes

In exchange federal troops would be withdrawn from the South

The Republicans agreed and Reconstruction in the South came to an end

What remained was the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments

The Thirteenth Amendment

It was ratified at the end of 1865

It stated:◦“Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude,

except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States”

What was the significance of the Amendment?

The Fourteenth Amendment

It was drafted in 1866 and ratified in 1868

The amendment grants citizenship to "all persons born or naturalized in the United States“

It forbids any state to deny any person "life, liberty or property, without due process of law" or to "deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.“

This is known as the “Reconstruction Amendment”

Who drafted the Fourteenth Amendment and why?

The Fifteenth Amendment

This was a reaction to the 1868 election

It stated that no one could be kept from voting because of “race, color, or previous servitude”

This was ratified by the states in 1870

Why was there a need for the Fifteenth Amendment?

The Amendments: Review

The Thirteenth Amendment◦Officially abolished slavery

The Fourteenth Amendment◦Prevented states from denying rights to U.S.

citizens

The Fifteenth Amendment◦No one can be restricted from voting because

of race, color or previous condition of servitude