what factors cause the failure of reconstruction? collapse of reconstruction
TRANSCRIPT
What factors cause the failure of reconstruction?
Collapse of Reconstruction
The Depression of ‘73
•Economy collapses•Support for reconstruction (money) ends
The Klan
• Terrorism become widespread and frequent
• Becomes difficult to stop• Costs a great deal of money• How can freedmen influence laws if they
can’t vote?
• Outraged Southern Whites band together• Terrorists• Intimidate Black voters and politicians
Jim Crow Laws• Also called Black Codes
▫ Who are they for?• Literacy tests at polls• Grandfather Clause
▫ If grandfather couldn’t vote, neither could you
• Meant to keep Freedmen and Women away from polls
• Always under the watchful eye of the Klan
Election of 1877: Redemption
Vs
Rutherford B. Hayes (R) Samuel Tilden (D)
Results of Democracy• Reconstruction becomes
political liability• Freedmen voting rates on
the decline▫ Due to intimidation
• 1876 Election▫ Disputed in 3 states
LA, FL, SC• Tilden gives
election to Hayes
• Hayes agrees to end reconstruction if he becomes President
• Removes troops, programs• Freedmen on their own
• What can you conclude from the data in the map?
Whaa Happens?• Southern Whites organize
“White Leagues”▫ Turns into KKK▫ Intimidate, kill, want to
regain power• North struggles to control
▫ Insurgency▫ Pass anti-KKK law
Too little too late• Northern whites give up
▫ “We did enough, now it’s their turn”
▫ Costs $$$$$▫ US in financial
depression▫ Not so big on the racial
equality stuff yet
• How does this cartoon show the reasons reconstruction collapsed?
“THE UNION AS IT WAS; THIS IS A WHITE MAN’S GOVERNMENT; THE LOST CAUSE; WORSE THAN SLAVERY; WHITE LEAGUE”