Key Concepts

• How the Civil War and reconstruction altered power relationships between the states and the federal government and among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

• How efforts by radical and moderate Republicans to reconstruct the defeated South changed the balance of power between Congress and the presidency and yielded some successes.

• How efforts by radical and moderate Republicans to reconstruct the defeated South reunited the Union, opened up political opportunities and other leadership roles to former slaves and temporarily rearranged the relationships between white and black people in the south.

• How citizenship, equal protection of the laws, and voting rights were granted to African Americans in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments but were progressively stripped away through violence and local political tactics.

• Republicans’ efforts to change Southern racial attitudes and culture and establish a base for their party in the South ultimately failed, due to determined Southern resistance and the North's waning resolve.

• The women's rights movement was both emboldened and divided over the Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments to the Constitution.

Reconstruction

Challenges of Reconstruction

1. How would the South be rebuilt the revolution of emancipation and its physical destruction?

2. How would Southern states be reintegrated into the Union

3. How would you integrate the freed slaves into society?

4. Who's in charge of Reconstruction? The Southern states? Congress? President?

5. How should Confederate leaders be punished?

• Southern agricultural economy that largely relied on slave labor was essentially decimated.

• Even the Southern planter elite faced poverty as they lost investments on their slaves and had nearly useless land.

• As fed troops marched throughout the South to free slaves, many were freed but then re-enslaved → on Juneteenth June 19th 1865) celebrates the emancipation of slaves in Texas, which was the last state to liberate them because of lack of fed enforcement.

• Freed slaves reunited with their families and created black churches, both of which strengthened the community and helped them protect their newfound freedom.

• Freedmen's Bureau (1865):

  • although initially created as a welfare agency to provide food, clothes, and medical care, it's most notable achievement was teaching thousands of illiterate, unskilled, and poor freedmen, as well as poor Southern whites, how to read.

  • Some in the group advocated for giving freedmen forty acres and a mule (confiscated Confederate land) to help slaves become financially independent, but nothing much came out of it.

  • President Andrew Johnson, sympathetic to white supremacists, repeatedly tried to kill the group and eventually did in 1872.

When Lincoln was alive

• 10% Plan (1863): simple plan created by Lincoln (when he was alive and President) about how to reintegrate Southern states. Said 10% of the voters in each Confederate state (specifically, those who had voted in the election of 1860) must pledge an oath of allegiance to the Union and abide by emancipation by supporting the 13th amendment (abolished slavery)

  • Radical Republicans were upset by this lenient policy, and in response, create the Wade-Davis Bill (1864): said 50% of voters must pledge loyalty to the 13th amendment → vetoed by Lincoln because it was too harsh

• Shows the different perspectives on Southern states: Lincoln believes they should be peacefully and easily reintegrated because preserving the Union was the ultimate goal, but others wanted to punish the rebellious states; they left the Union, which meant they forfeited their rights, w__hich meant they should be treated like conquered territory__

• Johnson adds on to Lincoln's 10% plan, saying that Confederate leaders would be disenfranchised (no voting) and __must be pardoned personally by the president__→Johnson pardons most.

• As new Southern govts were formed, Johnson allowed for the continuance of black codes: restrictions on freedmen to ensure a stable (and still subservient) labor force (i.e signing labor contracts, penalties for breaking them) → tried to restore pre-emancipation race relations.

• Sharecropping: allowed freedman to use land, and in exchange, a percent of the crop they grew would be given to the owner of the land → freedmen are still somewhat economically reliate on Southern whites, and the system is reminiscent of slavery.

• By 1866, Northern Republicans were increasingly frustrated by how Southern Confederate leaders were returning to power→ stricter reconstruction known as Congressional Reconstruction.

• Republicans want to maintain their majority in Congress because they were able to pass important legislation during the Civil War (Morill Tariff, Pacific Railroad Act, Homestead Act, etc)→ worried because South now had more political influence since freedmen count as people and can vote.

• President Johnson, however, felt that the Union was sufficiently restored and wasn't worried about the South dismantling their societal and legislative reforms.

• Civil Rights Bill (1866): gave citizenship to freedmen and sought to abolish Black Codes→ vetoed by Johnson but passed by Congress, which shows how Congress assumed an increasingly dominant role in enforcing Reconstruction.

• 14th amendment (1868): stemming from the Civil Rights Bill, it said all people, including freedmen, are citizens and states must protect their freedom.

• In the congressional elections of 1866, Johnson proves unlikable as the Republicans gain a majority in Congress → veto-proof, better opportunities for reforms

• Reconstruction Act (1857): divided the South into 5 military districts controlled by Union generals in order to enforce civil rights reforms. Also disenfranchised thousands of Confederates, making the original 10% plan invalid. Seceded states would need to ratify the 14th amendment to be readmitted.

• 15th amendment: solidified the Reconstruction Act by allowing for total male suffrage.

• Military reconstruction in the South was (sort of) illegal because according the Supreme Court case Ex parte Milligan (1866), citizens couldn't be tried through military tribunals (trials) even during wartime→given the chaotic situation the nation was in, the Supreme Court avoided doing much to offend Congress.

• Women were somewhat upset by the 15th amendment. Female abolitionists in the Women's Loyal League had advocated for black emancipation and other civil rights reforms, but were upset that the amendment granted universal male suffrage, excluding Women.

• Union League: formed by black freedmen, it advocated for Republican candidates and that created a network of political clubs and taught members about their civic duties. African Americans also took on key roles in public office, like governor, mayors, sheriffs, etc.

• Southerners, upset by former slaves advancing in life criticized carpetbaggers (Northerners who went to the South to enforce Reconstruction) and scalawags (Southern whites that cooperated).

• Further Southern resistance is seen with the rise of the KKK, which was est. to secure white supremacy and resist the Reconstruction govt, They harassed African Americans (sometimes fatally) and intimidated them from going to the polls. Some argued the KKK was worse than slavery because African Americans suffered from the illusion of freedom. A Force Bill tried to stop the KKK, but failed.

• Tenure of Office Act (1867): said the Senate must approve of any firing of a Cabinet official by the President » limited president's power and made to protect Republican cabinet members that Johnson disliked.

  • Johnson breaks this, Congress moves to impeach him → impeachments efforts barely fail.

Although Reconstruction made some significant civil rights reform, the lackluster enforcement and strong Southern resistance prevented Reconstruction from having lasting, generational impact domestically. Racism was (and still is) so deeply ingrained in society that more radical changes would be necessary to accomplish true racial equality.