Reconstruction Reconstruction Virtual MuseumVirtual Museum

By Matt SternbergBy Matt Sternberg

Matt Sternberg’s

Lincoln’s Lincoln’s Reconstruction PlanReconstruction Plan Offered a Offered a pardon to any Confederate who would

take an oath of allegiance to the Union and accept federal policy on slavery

Denied pardons to all Confederate military and Denied pardons to all Confederate military and government officials and to southerners who had government officials and to southerners who had killed African American war prisonerskilled African American war prisoners

Permitted each state to hold a convention to Permitted each state to hold a convention to create a new state constitution only after 10 create a new state constitution only after 10 percent of voters in the state had sworn allegiance percent of voters in the state had sworn allegiance to the Unionto the Union

States could then hold elections and resume full States could then hold elections and resume full participation in the Unionparticipation in the Union

Johnson’s Johnson’s Reconstruction PlanReconstruction Plan Pardoned southerners who swore Pardoned southerners who swore

allegiance to the Unionallegiance to the Union It permitted each state to hold a It permitted each state to hold a

constitutional convention without any constitutional convention without any allegiance requirementallegiance requirement

States were required to void secession, States were required to void secession, abolish slavery, and repudiate the abolish slavery, and repudiate the Confederate debtConfederate debt

States could then hold elections and rejoin States could then hold elections and rejoin the Unionthe Union

Congress Congress Reconstruction PlanReconstruction Plan Required ex-Confederate men to Required ex-Confederate men to

take an oath of past and future take an oath of past and future loyalty and to swear that they loyalty and to swear that they had never willingly borne arms had never willingly borne arms against the United Statesagainst the United States

Physical Toll of Civil Physical Toll of Civil War on the SouthWar on the South Civil War destroyed two thirds of the Civil War destroyed two thirds of the

South’s shipping industrySouth’s shipping industry Damaged 9,000 miles of railroadsDamaged 9,000 miles of railroads Ruined farmland, farm buildings, and Ruined farmland, farm buildings, and

machinerymachinery Killed work animalsKilled work animals Killed one third of all livestockKilled one third of all livestock Destroyed bridges, canals and leveesDestroyed bridges, canals and levees Ruined thousands of miles of roadsRuined thousands of miles of roads Damaged factories, ports, and citiesDamaged factories, ports, and cities Value of southern farm property went up Value of southern farm property went up

70%70%

This is a picture taken in This is a picture taken in Richmond, Virginia after the Richmond, Virginia after the Civil WarCivil War

Human Toll of Civil Human Toll of Civil War on the SouthWar on the South The South lost 260,000 soldiers, The South lost 260,000 soldiers,

one fifth of its adult white menone fifth of its adult white men One third of all southern men One third of all southern men

were killed or woundedwere killed or wounded Many civilian deathsMany civilian deaths

1313thth Amendment Amendment

Passed by Congress on January 31, Passed by Congress on January 31, 18651865

Ratified on December 6, 1865Ratified on December 6, 1865 When voters reelected Lincoln they When voters reelected Lincoln they

showed that that they accepted his showed that that they accepted his stand against slaverystand against slavery

1313thth Amendment ended slavery in Amendment ended slavery in the United Statesthe United States

1414thth Amendment Amendment

Congress was worried that courts Congress was worried that courts might take strike down the Civil might take strike down the Civil Rights ActRights Act

Passed by Congress in June 1866Passed by Congress in June 1866 Ratified in 1868Ratified in 1868 1414thth Amendment talked about Amendment talked about

who is and who is not a citizenwho is and who is not a citizen

1515thth Amendment Amendment

Passed by Congress in February Passed by Congress in February 18691869

Ratified in March 1870Ratified in March 1870 1515thth Amendment said no citizen Amendment said no citizen

can be denied the right to vote by can be denied the right to vote by the United States or any statethe United States or any state

Reconstruction Act of Reconstruction Act of 18671867 Put the South under military rule, Put the South under military rule,

dividing it into 5 districts, each dividing it into 5 districts, each governed by a northern generalgoverned by a northern general

Ordered southern states to hold new Ordered southern states to hold new elections for delegates to create new elections for delegates to create new state constitutionsstate constitutions

Required states to allow all qualified Required states to allow all qualified male voters, including African male voters, including African Americans, to vote in the electionsAmericans, to vote in the elections

Reconstruction Act Reconstruction Act (continued)(continued) Temporarily barred those who Temporarily barred those who

had supported the Confederacy had supported the Confederacy from votingfrom voting

Required southern states to Required southern states to guarantee equal rights to all guarantee equal rights to all citizenscitizens

Required the states to ratify the Required the states to ratify the Fourteenth AmendmentFourteenth Amendment

This is a map of how the South This is a map of how the South was divided under the was divided under the Reconstruction ActReconstruction Act

Effect of Effect of Reconstruction on Reconstruction on freedmenfreedmen Economy was badEconomy was bad Many freedmen found themselves Many freedmen found themselves

homeless, jobless, and hungryhomeless, jobless, and hungry Some slaves kept working on Some slaves kept working on

plantationsplantations Some freedmen moved west for Some freedmen moved west for

new jobsnew jobs

Effect of Effect of Reconstruction on Reconstruction on poor Southern Whitespoor Southern Whites Had trouble finding work Had trouble finding work

because of the new job because of the new job competition with freedmencompetition with freedmen

Many poor white families Many poor white families migrated to Mississippi and migrated to Mississippi and TexasTexas

Effect of Effect of Reconstruction on Reconstruction on plantation ownersplantation owners Lost slave labor worth $3 billionLost slave labor worth $3 billion Stuck with worthless Confederate Stuck with worthless Confederate

moneymoney Many had to sell their property to Many had to sell their property to

pay debtspay debts

Successes of Successes of ReconstructionReconstruction

Union is restoredUnion is restored South’s economy grows and new wealth is created in South’s economy grows and new wealth is created in

the Norththe North Fourteenth and fifteenth amendments guarantee Fourteenth and fifteenth amendments guarantee

African Americans the rights of citizenship, equal African Americans the rights of citizenship, equal protection under the law, and suffrageprotection under the law, and suffrage

Freedmen’s Bureau and other organizations help many Freedmen’s Bureau and other organizations help many black families obtain housing, jobs, and schoolingblack families obtain housing, jobs, and schooling

Southern states adopt a system of mandatory Southern states adopt a system of mandatory educationeducation

Failures of Failures of ReconstructionReconstruction

Many white southerners remain bitter toward the Many white southerners remain bitter toward the federal government and the Republican Partyfederal government and the Republican Party

The South is slow to industrializeThe South is slow to industrialize After federal troops are withdrawn, southern state After federal troops are withdrawn, southern state

governments and terrorist organizations effectively governments and terrorist organizations effectively deny African Americans the right to votedeny African Americans the right to vote

Many black and white southerners remain caught in Many black and white southerners remain caught in a cycle of povertya cycle of poverty

Racist attitudes toward African Americans continue Racist attitudes toward African Americans continue in the South and the Northin the South and the North

Election of 1876Election of 1876

Republican Rutherford B. Hayes lost the popular Republican Rutherford B. Hayes lost the popular vote to Democrat Samuel Tildenvote to Democrat Samuel Tilden

Hayes claimed victory based partly on wins in Hayes claimed victory based partly on wins in Republican States Florida, Louisiana, and South Republican States Florida, Louisiana, and South CarolinaCarolina

Democrats said Tilden won in those statesDemocrats said Tilden won in those states There were enough Democrats in Congress to There were enough Democrats in Congress to

reject the Republicans’ decision that Hayes wonreject the Republicans’ decision that Hayes won 2 parties made Compromise of 1877, Hayes won2 parties made Compromise of 1877, Hayes won

End of ReconstructionEnd of Reconstruction

As part of the Compromise of 1877, Hayes As part of the Compromise of 1877, Hayes agreed to remove the remaining federal agreed to remove the remaining federal troops from southern statestroops from southern states

Also agreed to support appropriations for Also agreed to support appropriations for rebuilding levees along the Mississippi rebuilding levees along the Mississippi RiverRiver

Gave huge subsidies to southern railroadsGave huge subsidies to southern railroads Democrats regained control of southern Democrats regained control of southern

politics and ended Reconstructionpolitics and ended Reconstruction

South following South following ReconstructionReconstruction

Blacks in the South struggles with poverty and Blacks in the South struggles with poverty and unemploymentunemployment

Condition of freedmen worsenedCondition of freedmen worsened Freedmen’s Bureau closedFreedmen’s Bureau closed Jim Crow laws segregated many public Jim Crow laws segregated many public

accommodations such as trains, steamboats, accommodations such as trains, steamboats, street cars, and schoolsstreet cars, and schools

Restricted blacks from theaters and restaurantsRestricted blacks from theaters and restaurants

My opinion of My opinion of ReconstructionReconstruction Reconstruction worsened Reconstruction worsened

relationships between whites and relationships between whites and blacksblacks

Helped the economyHelped the economy Helped the south rebuildHelped the south rebuild Overall I think Reconstruction was Overall I think Reconstruction was

a good thinga good thing