Reconstruction of Georgia and the South 1863-1877

Chapter 17

Conditions after the War

After the war the south was an economic, political, and social wreck. Most of the railroads were destroyed or damaged. Major cities lay in ruins. The were food shortages and people were unable to find adequate clothing and shelter. While most Southerners understood that they had lost war, many were angry and defiant.

Freedman

This is the term applied to freed slaves

They tried to enjoy the freedoms that had previously been denied them like finding their sold loved ones, changing their names, practicing their religion, and buying guns.

Many migrated to the big cities looking for work.

Requirements for Re-admittance to the Union.

10% of white males must pledge an oath of allegiance to the Union.

Then a new Constitution could be written but it must include a ban on slavery.

Radical Republicans pushed for stronger requirements: Ratify the 13th amendment banning slavery. Annul (cancel) the Ordinance of Secession. Cancel all wartime debts. Anyone that owned more than 20,000.00 in

property was banned from taking the oath of allegiance.

Freedmen’s Bureau

The Freedman’s Bureau was established to help freed slaves and poor whites obtain food, shelter, and clothing.

Schools were established by the Bureau.

Many schools were established by religious organizations. Augusta Baptist Institute later became

Morehouse College. America Missionary became Atlanta

University.

Southern Labor

Property owners needed field hands and freedmen and poor whites needed work. Gang Labor: An attempt to recreate slavery,

long hours, beatings for perceived under performance and with-holding of wages.

Wage Labor: Workers were paid “wages” but generally had to wait until the crop was harvested.

Contract System: Workers and land owners would sign a contract but many would not renew their contract if conditions were bad.

Sharecropping This was a system where the landowners would

supply the land, the seed, and tools to farm in return for a share of the crops that were raised. (usually half)

Many whites and freedman were sharecroppers. BY 1880 one third of the white farmers in the

deep south were sharecroppers. The cost of housing and planting were deducted

from the sale of the harvested crop. The sale was usually handled by the land owner.

Debt Peonage This system of farming created the “cycle of

poverty.” High interest rates Dishonest land owners Bad weather Low prices for crops Laws were passed to keep sharecroppers from

moving if they were in “debt” to the land owner.Peonage: a person with little authority

assigned to do the less desirable jobs.

Georgia’s Reconstruction: June 1865, James Johnson from

Columbus GA is assigned as Georgia’s provisional governor.

The Constitutional Convention of 1865: all of the delegates were white males that had opposed secession but wanted to retain white supremacy in government. The convention reluctantly went along with President Johnson’s requirements.

Georgia’s Reconstruction November 1865, Charles J. Jenkins

became the first elected governor after the war.

Freedman feared for their safety once the military presence was removed from Georgia.

The 13th amendment is ratified by Georgia,

Alexander Stephens (former VP of the Confederacy) and Hershchel Johnson are sent to Washington as Georgia’s two Senators.

Black Codes

Many Southerners resisted “reform” by passing black codes or laws to restrict the rights of former slaves. Prohibited inter-racial marriages Blocked freedmen from serving on juries and

prevented them from testifying against whites. African-Americans could be arrested for being

disorderly or not having a job. They could be forced to work on road crews or

farms.

Black Codes

Laws were passed that allowed for the “whipping” as a punishment for minor crimes.

African Americans could be imprisoned for not having a job. White land owners would pay their fines and the freedmen would be required to work off the debt.

African Americans could be fired and not be paid their wages.

Congress Responds Because of these laws and the actions of these

types of laws, Congress voted to not allow Georgia’s Senators (and other Southern states) to be seated in Congress.

This meant that many Southern states could not rejoin the Union.

Civil Rights Act of 1866 guaranteed the rights of freedmen and blocked the Black Codes.

The 14th Amendment (June 1866) guaranteed the citizenship and equal rights to all persons born in the United States (excluding Native Americans)

Georgia RefusesGeorgia refuses to ratify or adopt the 14th Amendment. Georgia’s Legislature soundly rejected the adoption of the 14th Amendment and President Johnson is not happy. The South will now move form Presidential Reconstruction to Radical Reconstruction.

Military Reconstruction Act Passed by Congress in 1867, vetoed by

President Johnson, and overrode by Congress. Divided the South into 5 military districts. Georgia

was part of the 3rd district with Alabama and Florida.

Required to write a new Constitution guaranteeing African American males over the age of 21 the right to vote.

Approve the 14th Amendment No former Confederate officeholders were allowed

to vote or run for office.

Impeachment

Congress decides to impeach “to charge someone with wrong doing” President Johnson and if found guilty he would be removed from office. The Senate failed to remove Johnson from office by 1 vote but his power to influence the reconstruction of the South was damaged.

Georgia under Military Rule Major General John Pope was the first

commander of the 3rd District. April 1867 he registered 102,411 whites and

98,507 blacks to vote. It was the first election in which blacks were allowed to vote and many whites boycotted the convention vote.

The convention was moved from Milledgeville to Atlanta because hotels in Milledgeville refused to reserve rooms to African-American delegates.

Carpetbaggers and ScalawagsCarpetbaggers: An insulting term given to

Yankees that came to the South to exploit the situation of the time. Buying up plantations at dirt cheap prices and manipulating the political process. The term was derived from the “carpetbags” that many carried.

Scalawag: The southern version of a carpetbagger, these were white southerners that sided with the Yankees for profit and/or gain.

1868 Constitution

Voting rights for all male adults Prohibition of slavery Support of free public education Whipping is abolished as a form of

punishment A poll tax Capital moved from Milledgeville to

Atlanta

Reconstruction Georgians John Emory Bryant: a carpetbagger that

settled in Augusta after the Civil War. He was a newspaper editor and worker for the Freedmen’s Bureau. He campaigned for the rights of freedom.

Governor Joe Brown was labeled a scalawag. When he changed from Democrat to Republican many believed that this was a sign that he was against Georgia and white supremacy.

Rufus B. Bullock was elected governor over former Confederate General John B. Gordan.

Federal Troops Leave Georgia 29 African Americans are elected to

the House and 3 to the Senate. Georgia ratified the 14th Amendment. On July 21, 1868, Georgia petitioned

for readmission to the Union but Congress had adjourned for the summer, so Georgia was not readmitted but federal troops did leave Georgia.

African Americans Removed From Office

In September 1868, white democrats in the legislature removed the African-American members claiming that although blacks had the right to vote, they did not have the right to hold office. Republicans fought back but Democrats were better organized and used violence to control politics and government.

Union Leagues

Created by African-Americans to protect the rights of blacks and poor whites. Fair pay Voting Jury rights Access to public accommodations Education The right to earn a living

African-American Politicians in Georgia Aaron A. Bradley: former slave from Savannah that headed

the Chatham County Union league. He fought for land ownership and voting rights.

Tunis G. Campbell: Northern abolitionist and governor of the Georgia sea islands. He served in the Georgia Senate and was active in civil rights. He was critical of white efforts to stop land ownership.

Jefferson Franklin Long: Former slave and tailor. That worked actively to stop former Confederate officers from holding office.

Henry McNeal Turner: Raised in the south as a free African-American; Methodist preacher; Union soldier; Freedmen’s Bureau; Was disliked by many white Georgians due to his radical politics.

All of these men promoted land ownership, education, and voting rights.

Ku Klux Klan Secret organizations formed to terrorize freedman

and their supporters. Klan started in Tennessee, but quickly spread

across the South. Used terror and violence to keep freedmen from

voting, holding office, and exercising their rights. Lynching and other attacks were common. September 19, 1868: Camilla, GA200-400 African-

Americans go to Camilla for a voting rally. Violence erupts and eventually as many as 30 black men are hunted down and killed or wounded.

Ku Klux Klan In Savannah, Aaron Bradley and the Union

league were determined to exercise their voting rights and violence again erupted. Two African-Americans and a police officer were killed.

As a result of the continued violence, Congress sent federal troops back into Georgia in 1869. General Alfred H. Terry was appointed as military governor. He reappointed black representatives into the Legislature. White Georgians referred to this as Terry’s Purge.

Georgia’s Final Reconstruction February 1870: 16 states (north and south) had not

ratified the 15th Amendment. Georgia, Texas, Mississippi, and Virginia were required to pass it to be readmitted to the Union.

July 1870, Georgia ratifies the 15th Amendment. Governor Bullock is accused of corruption and leaves

office. He is the last Republican governor until Sonny Perdue in 2003.

Democrat James Smith of Columbus is elected governor in January 1872.

Redeemers: Whites who took control after the state is “redeemed” and supervised Reconstruction in Georgia ends in 1872.

Compromise of 1877 Rutherford B. Hayes makes a deal with

Southern states for their electoral votes. He would agree to remove federal troops from Florida, South Carolina, and Louisiana in exchange for their electoral votes. (1876-1877)

Northerners were less interested in protecting the rights of African-Americans at this point and more interested in the economic situation in the North. Southerners also turned their attention towards economic regrowth.

Amendments

13th Amendment: Banned slavery and granted full emancipation to all slaves (ratified by a majority in 1865)

14th Amendment: provided citizenship and equal rights to of the law to all persons born in the United States (except Native Americans)(1868)

15th Amendment: Protected the voting rights of African-Americans (and all other males) (1870)