RECONSTRUCTION

Lincoln’s Plan to Reunite the Nation All property taken during the war (except for

slaves) will be returned to Southerners Except for members of the Confederate

government and high ranking military members, all Southerners are pardoned as long as they take an oath promising to support the union

The states can rejoin the Union once 10% of their voters take the oath

A promise to support the protection, freedom, and education of freed slaves

The southern states will be allowed to send representatives to Congress

Lincoln’s Reconstruction

April 14, 1865 Lincoln is assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer

Lincoln’s Vice President Andrew Johnson becomes President

Andrew Johnson

A Southern Democrat who disagreed with many of Lincoln’s ideas.

Had his own plan for Reconstruction that did not please Republicans in Congress

Reconstruction Plans

HA: Grading the Reconstruction Plans

Presidential Reconstruction

Even while Abraham Lincoln was President, the Republicans in Congress did not like his plan for Reconstruction

In 1864 Congress passed the Wade-Davis Bill (a.k.a. the Radical Republican plan). Required a majority of a state’s white male

citizens to pledge loyalty to the Union before being readmitted to the Union.

Lincoln pocket-vetoed the bill Why do you think the Wade-Davis Bill

caused division among the Republican Party?

Presidential Reconstruction

After Lincoln’s assassination Andrew Johnson wanted to control Reconstruction

Northerners were upset that Johnson’s plan was allowing former Confederates to take back power and the mistreatment of the freedmen

Republicans in Congress decided to take control of Reconstruction

How can Congress go against the President when making decisions?

Congressional Reconstruction

In 1866 Congress passed a bill to support the Freedmen’s Bureau

Freedmen’s Bureau Activity They also passed the Civil Rights Act

of 1866 – gave African Americans citizenship and guaranteed them the same legal rights as white Americans

However, President Johnson vetoed both bills, which greatly angered Republicans in Congress

Do you think Presidents should be allowed to veto laws? Why or why not?

Congressional Reconstruction

Congress went even further by passing the 14th Amendment – required states to grant citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States”.

Why would Congress pass an amendment to the Constitution when Johnson had already vetoed the Civil Rights Act of 1866?

Republicans Take Over

From 1867-1868 Congress passed four reconstruction bills against Johnson’s veto Divided the south into 5 military controlled

districts States had to ratify (pass) the 14th amendment

before being readmitted to the Union States had to write new constitutions

guaranteeing freedmen the right to vote Congress also passed the Tenure of Office Act

– required the Senate’s permission for the removal of any appointed government official.

Johnson Impeached

The Republicans knew that Johnson would violate the Tenure of Office Act. When he did they impeached Johnson

What does it mean to be impeached?

When the Senate voted Johnson escaped removal from office by 1 vote.

Republicans in Charge

In 1868 Republican and Civil War hero Ulysses S. Grant is elected President

It was a close election and Grant owed his victory to over 500,000 votes from African-Americans

In 1869 the 15th Amendment was passed – protected the voting rights of African-Americans.

Why would Republicans want to protect the voting rights of African-Americans?

Republicans in Charge

During this time Republicans controlled the governments in the South Scalawags- a derogatory term for white

Southerners who supported the Republican governments

Carpetbaggers- Northerners who came to the South to educate, make money, or work in government

Should we use negative terms to describe these types of people?

Describe these 3 pictures and how they relate to “scalawags” and “carpetbaggers”

Republicans in Charge

During Reconstruction 700 African-Americans served in state legislatures and 22 were elected to Congress

School systems were put in place

African-Americans were allowed to vote

It was illegal for railroads, hotels, etc. to discriminate against African-Americans.

Freedom

Former slaves were now able to: search for long-lost relatives Own land Find jobs Live where they wanted Become educated Establish their own churches Play baseball

In your opinion, were African-Americans better off during this time of Reconstruction than they were in the 1950’s?

Sharecropping

SHEG: Sharecropping

The End of Reconstruction

Even though there were many positive changes for African-Americans there were still problems

KKK and other violence Eventually many government leaders in the

north became tired of dealing with Reconstruction

An economic depression in 1873 took the focus of Congress away from Reconstruction

Support for the Republican controlled state governments lessened which allowed for the “old South” to regain control

The Final Straw

The Presidential Election of 1876 was too close to call

In one of the most corrupt bargains ever, the Republican, Rutherford B. Hayes was named President. In return Republicans promised to withdraw federal troops from the South.

What do you think happened once federal troops left the South?

SHEG: Reconstruction

The South Takes Back Power

After Reconstruction officially ends in 1876 governments in the South were again run by Southerners

Southern legislatures began to pass Jim Crow Laws – laws that created and enforced segregation

Laws ranged from requiring separate railroad cars for blacks and whites, separate schools, even separate bathrooms

Homer Plessy

In Louisiana, Homer Plessy was arrested for sitting in a white only railcar

His case made it to the Supreme Court

In Plessy v. Ferguson the Supreme Court ruled that “separate but equal” facilities did not violate the 14th Amendment

This case allowed for legal discrimination for the next 60 years

Violence Against African-Americans

Throughout the entire nation (not just the South) blacks were discriminated against

African-Americans could be arrested just for looking at white women

Lynchings occurred throughout the country Between 1882 and 1892 nearly 900

African-Americans died by lynching African-Americans lost most of the

gains they had made during Reconstruction