The Reconstruction Era

Chapter 12 Page 400

1865-1877

Section 1Rival Plans for Reconstruction

• How should the South be treated upon re-entering the Union??

• A. Reconstruction– Must bring 11 states back into the Union– Some believed leading confederates should be

tried and hanged– Others believed in forgiveness

B. Stipulations

• Lincoln wanted easy conditions• “Ten Percent Plan”• Abolish slavery and provide education for

freed slaves• Reimburse white southerners for loss of land• Nothing about equal rights for AA’s• Would regain representation if they did this

C. Radical Republicans

• Believed confederates had committed crimes• Must be punished• Wade-Davis Bill- majority had to swear

allegiance • Give plantation land to the former slaves • Full citizenship and right to vote for AA’s

D. Freedman’s Bureau

• Set up to help former slaves• Food, clothes, find family members,

education, and jobs

E. Johnson’s Reconstruction

• Johnson wanted to bring back South quickly, but wanted only white gov’t, keep AA’s as second class citizens

• South set up Black Codes- keep African Americans basically slaves

• Punishment for not having a job??• What jobs could they have

F. Congress fights back

• Congress passed Civil Rights Act of 1866• Johnson Vetoed• Congress overrides the veto- 1st time ever

• Radical Reconstruction began as Congress defied prez with over rides

• Passed 14th Amendment- guaranteed equality under the law

• Passed Military Reconstruction Act- set up 5 military districts in the South to administrate

• Banned former confederates from Congress• Required South to allow AA’s to vote• States had to ratify 14th amendment to rejoin

the Union

• Eventually Congress tries to impeach the prez because he tried to fire secretary of War Stanton

• fails by one vote

• Johnson cooperates more after trial• 15th Amendment passed that forbids states to

deny suffrage based on race, color, or previous servitude

• However, still many ways around this

Section 2Reconstruction in the South

• Before war, few powerful men had the power• After the war, who would gain power

A. Republicans bring change

• AA’s now had the vote, and for the first time, they gained political office

• South Carolina actually had black majority rule

• Scalawags- white men who before war could not achieve office

• Carpetbaggers- young northerners coming South to make money and gain office

• Both seen very negatively

B. Failures

• Women’s suffrage left off Republican agenda • Schools were built, but segregation of schools

enforced- very costly • Many southerners remained illiterate • Many corrupt officials came to power• Many times, failures blamed on new black

representatives

C. Freed People Build New Communities

• Many freed slaves begin moving- out of the shadow of old masters house

• Many couldn’t- fell back into jobs that they had worked as slaves- black codes

• Schools offered education to children and adults- basic reading, writing, and math

• Built own churches

D. Land

• Most couldn’t afford land- had 3 options• Sharecropping• Share-tenancy• Tenant Farming

• First two drove most into debt

E. Violence

• Ku Klux Klan started in Tennessee in 1866- used violence and intimidation to keep AA’s down

• Before long, would take away most of rights AA’s had gained– Right to vote– Lose almost all Representatives

F. Gov’t fights back

• Enforcement Acts- basically the KKK Acts• Passed to stop Klan from interfering with AA’s

rights • Helped stop the Klan, but after troops would

leave the South, AA’s rights ceased to exist

Section 3The End of Reconstruction

• Reconstruction of the South turned out to be more complicated and longer than anyone had anticipated

• A. Corruption– Grant- good leader, bad judge of character– His administration filled with scandal– Won reelection but scandals would weaken

Republican party and Reconstruction

B. End of Reconstruction

• 1873, country would enter recession as banks closed and businesses failed

• Many northerners began to worry about other issues

• Expensive to leave troops in south• Supreme court chipped away at 13,14, and

15th amendments– Slaughterhouse cases– U.S. v. Cruikshank

C. Southern whites gain power

• Klan intimidated AA’s from voting• Democrats and white republicans of the south

begin working together• Redeemers?

D. Election of 1876

• Rutherford B. Hayes vs. Samuel Tilden• 1st election Tilden got 51% of vote• Republicans cried foul• Recount puts Hayes in lead• Congress decides

• Compromise of 1877?

E. Effects

• AA’s did make progress– Right to vote– Owned some land– Official citizens with rights

• Effect on South– Economy began to recover– More crops grown– Barter and credit system

F. Let downs

• AA’s would lose most of rights in following years after reconstruction

• Women did not gain right to vote• White elite would regain power, many former

Confederates• Failed to heal bitterness between north and

South