Chapter 21 APUSH American Pageant

Confederates Post War

Davis was put in jail and eventually released, not convicted (could’ve ended badly)

South cities were destroyed, economies were stopped, transportation ruined, and agriculture gone

What happened to the planter aristocrats?

Humbled and reduced to poverty (gutted mansions)

Their land was useless and slaves were gone, many were still defiant

Emancipation Actions

Was uneven and halting in Confederacy, Union armies emancipated slaves just to be recaptured, some slaves fled to liberated counties (drowned)

Planters said that slavery was still lawful (SC and legislature did not say otherwise), slaves beat up masters

What eventually occurred with emancipation?

Yankee armies forced masters to recognize freedom, assembled slaves to announce

Many blacks were suspicious, eventually took new names and began to find their families and make communities (Exodusters from Louisiana to Kansas)

Church of Africans

Focus of black community, had new ministers

Black Baptist Church of 1850 and African Methodist Episcopal Church flourished

Freed Slaves Rights

Freedmen had societies for self improvement, buying land and learning (schoolhouse with teachers from the American Missionary Association)

Freedmen’s Bureau created by Congress, primitive welfare agency with food, clothing, and care (led by Howard)

Freedmen’s Bureau Accomplishment

Brought many families together for education and Church (Johnson eventually killed)

In some areas it was mischievous, blacks were given land but expelled by administrations, Union army was more reliable

Andrew Johnson Origins

Humble beginnings, orphaned and impoverished kid who was taught by his wife

Became active in politics by championing poor whites, stump speaker (refused to secede, war governor)

How did Andrew Johnson end up as president?

Lincoln’s Union party and Johnson VP for support (scandalous condition)

Intelligent and forceful with states rights, misfit who was never fully supported and removed

Reconstruction Plans

Lincoln proposed the 10 percent Reconstruction plan where 10 percent of the voters in a state take an oath of allegiance + emancipation

Radical Republicans proposed Wade-Davis Bill, 50% of the state had to oath for allegiance and had safeguards for emancipation (pocket-vetoed)

Wade-Davis Bill Controversy

Many were outraged, differences in Congress (Seceders “committed suicide”)

Lincoln wanted swift reintegration but radicals wanted repenting (South uprooted), Andrew Johnson shared radical beliefs

What was Andrew Johnson’s view on reconstruction?

Agreed with Lincoln that the seceded states never left, 10% plan recognized

Disfranchised Confederates with high property, needed state conventions to revert secession and ratify 13th Amendment

Black Codes

Regulated affairs of emancipated blacks, Mississippi started and others followed

Ensured stable labor force, penalties for those who jumped labor contract (dragged back to work or forfeit wages, blacks barred from land/juries)

Reactions to Black Codes

Mocked freedom with mistreatment and poverty (sharecroppers, got land for crops)

Black Codes made the Union question their war win

Southern Presentation in Congress

Confederates claimed their seats, ex-rebels had a costly blunder

South turned to statesmen (associated with secession), Republicans furious so they barred the Southern delegates

Impact of Republican

Republicans alarmed by South, blacks had a lot of population

Republicans had good fear, could’ve recontrolled the White House and reinforced slavery

Civil Rights Act

Blacks were given citizenship (struck at Black Codes)

Johnson vetoed this but was steamrolled, Congress began to dominate

14th Amendment

The principles of the Civil Rights Bill were placed into Constitution to prevent repealing

Gave rights, reduced state representation if blacks did not vote, disqualified confederates from gov, guaranteed fed debt + reject south debt

Radical Government Reactions

Disappointed that Blacks were not given voting rights, but agreed with terms (Johnson wanted to reject)

10 percent govs passed black codes, Congress hindered them but vetoed by Johnson (14th Amendment was revenge)

Congressional Elections

Johnson wanted to secure majority on South policies, tried to speak for support of views

“Swing round the circle” errors, accused Congress of antiblacks and frequently raged, many stood by Congress

Moderates vs Radicals

Radical led by Sumner who labored for racial equality and old Stevens who defended runaway slaves (hated rebellious) whites

Radicals wanted to keep Southerners from Congress until transformation occurred, moderates wanted policies for individual rights

What was agreed upon within the Republicans?

Congress had both schools of thought, enfranchising black voters was necessary

Reconstruction Act: Divided South into military districts with Union general, had to ratify 14th amendment (give rights), not good enough for black justice

15th Amendment

Many were scared that the states would withdraw ballots from blacks

15th Amendment made it necessary for black suffrage, military reconstruction was shaky (Ex parte Milligan declared that people should still be tried in courts)

What was the fate of the radical regimes?

Stayed open due to Supreme Court avoiding trouble in extraordinary times

Southern states reorganized governments, federal troops would leave and occasionally Redeemers would remove black suffrage

Women’s Rights

Women played a big role in abolitionism and even for civil rights (lost their own civil rights battle)

Women’s Loyal League ended slavery, women shocked when 14th Amendment only gave citizenship to male and 15th gave suffrage to males

What was done with black suffrage?

Republicans hesitated, eventually gave in to anger the Southerners (black minorities were still resisted in the North, “hypocrites”)

Union League formed by black men, educated men on civic duties and expanded to making churches and schools

African American women and men roles

Women attended rallies and parades to assemble meetings, monitors

Black men were delegates for states, made new Constitutions and even in Congress/DC (Blanche Bruce and Hiram Revels)

Scalawags and Carpetbaggers (nicknames from angry Confedrates)

Scalawags: Southerners (former Unionists) accused them of going through treasuries with radical ideals

Carpetbaggers: Sleazy Northerners seeking power in the South, trying to modernize the south

What were some problems in the “corrupt” regimes?

Reforms occurred via public schools, tax systems, and more (redeemer government took over after control)

Pocket padders used inexperienced blacks for money, many used funds to purchase personal items and took money for personal profit (North and South)

Ku Klux Klan

Southern white society attempting to scare the black, acted as a ghost who died in Shiloh

Many blacks and whites avoided voting, persistence got you killed (Ku Klux Klan accepted all criminals)

Force Acts

Federal troops tried to stamp out the lash law but the Ku Klux Klan continued to kill many, even during the Colfax Massacre (Force Acts used for justice)

US v. Cruikshank overturned convictions of the culprits, 14th Amendment for state action and not individuals

What other attempts did Whites have at suppressing suffrage?

Undermined empowering blacks by flouting 14th and 15th amendments

Fraud and trickery used via literacy tests to enforce white supremacy

How did Radicals try to impeach Johnson

Tenure of Office Act required consent from Senate before appointees removed (Stanton, spy for radicals)

Stanton dismissed so impeachment began, House of Reps passed for high crimes and more for hate crime

The Defense of Impeachment

Intense public interests, Johnson kept silence as attorneys declared Tenure of Office Act unconstitutional

Senate and House of Reps had a harder time developing a case, Johnson not removed

Why was Johnson not removed

Could’ve established abusive precedent of checks and balances, Wade would’ve took over (high-tariff + pro labor views), Johnson compromised

Radicals were infuriated but eventually accepted (kept the precedent)

Why did the Russians want to sell Alaska?

Russians feared that they would lose it to Britain and also it began to be a liability (USA was prioritized for strength)

Seward signed treaty to transfer Alaska for 7.2 million, many taunted at Seward’s Folly

Why did Congress and America make the purchase?

Russia had been friendly during the Civil War (did not want to offend)

Territory had furs, fish, and gold and also many natural resources