16) reconstruction

the aftermath of the war

devastated south

reconstruction is not

refering to the physical rebuilding of the south

reconstruction is

the period from the of the civil war to 1877

the period of national healing between the north and the south

the period of organization of the southern political, economic, and social practices, especially coming to terms with newly freed blacks

the problems of peacemaking

myth of the “lost cause” - 

competing notions of freedom

freedom for the ex-slaves

the freedmens bureau - only education for the blacks in the south available for many decades, taught them reading and math skills

issues of reconstruction

the primary original challenge was how readmission to the union was going to happen - wasnt stated in the constitution so they had to make it up as they went 

congress was mostly republicans, conservative and radical republicans

lincoln’s 10% plan

based on the election of 1860, when 10% of the voters swore loyalty to the us, they were granted readmission into the union

what lincoln’s 10% rule harsh or mild?

mild

90% didn’t have to swear their loyalty

wade-davis bill

plan for reconstruction similar to lincoln’s but 50% loyalty, not 10%

passed in the house and senate, goes the president and he pocket vetoes, he didnt sign but didnt veto it, so it automatically vetoes

lincoln’s death

he is not there to implement his 10% plan

andrew johnson and “restoration”

johnson - lincoln’s vp, was chosen bc he was a southerner from tennessee, which had seceded but he hadn’t

he wasn’t a good president, didn’t like southern elites or blacks

northern attitudes harden - he allowed pardons if the people he resented humiliated themselves for him

radical reconstruction

redistribution of land - breaking up the southern plantations

40 acres and a mule - a plan of what might’ve been offered to the slaves

senator charles sumner and congressman thaddeus stevens - prominent voices for the remaking of the south

the black codes

passed by state legislature and assemblies

intended to deny civil rights to free blacks

intended to promote conditions that are very close to those pre-war times with slavery

johnson’s vetoes

• renewal of freedman’s bureau

• civil rights act, 1866

but overridden by congress

reconstruction amendments

13th, 14th, 15th

13th amendment, 1864-1865

prohibited slavery

south had to ratify so they could be admitted into the union

14th amendment, 1866

defines the requirements for citizenship

confederates are barred from holding office

repudiation of confederate debt

apportionment of reps - if they did not follow what was stated in the 14th amendment, their reps would be changed

the congressional plan

reconstruction acts, 1867

divided the southern territories into 5 military districts

ratification of the 14th amendment was required

state constitutional conventions - they had to amend their constitutions and rewrite them to abolish slavery

registration of all voters

15th amendment, 1869

the right of citizens of the US to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the US or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude

congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation

there was opposition bc it didn’t state that women could vote

impeachment of the president

impeach = accuse

tenure of office act - if it took congressional approval to get into office, congressional approval can remove them from office

he wanted to fire some of his cabinet members

johnson violated the tenure of office act and was acquitted

the reconstruction governments

scalawags - southerners

carpetbaggers - northerners

both hated by the pre-war southerners

freedmen - ex-slaves, help rewrite the constitution and have office positions

the election of 1868

grant is president, known as the “soldier” president, was terrible in office bc his cabinet was corrupt

US grant

the grant scandals

crédit mobilier - an organization trying to secure investment funds for the railroad and they pocketed the money

whiskey ring  

the abandonment of reconstruction

the southern states “redeemed” - trying to restore the south to pre-war times

ku klux klan - intended to intimidate th ex-slave and deny them civil rights

ku klux klan

enforcement acts

decline of the klan - bc they win and didnt have to keep intimidating them anymore

the compromise of 1877

hayes vs tilden

hayes - nominated to help get rid of grant’s corruption

electoral college was a 1 vote difference with hayes winning

but tilden wins the popular vote

so a special electoral commission is called to decide the winner but they end up doing a compromise

republicans abandon the south and in return reconstruction is done

booker t washington

makes a speech called the atlanta compromise, saying they should try to blend in with the whites

plessy v ferguson

“separate but equal”

segregation was upheld

sharecropping

becomes the agricultural focus in the south

grow the crops and are shared with people

jim crow laws

similar to the black codes

local laws designed to intimidate and prohibit blacks from having civil rights

reconstruction is sometimes called half of a revolution

no more talk of secession

3 constitutional changes (13th, 14th, and 15th amendments) occurred as a direct result

slaves were freed and became citizens, but were considered 2nd class at best

women were still denied the right to vote