(11) APUSH American Pageant Chapter 22 Review

Overview of Reconstruction Era

• Reconstruction is the period following the American Civil War focused on reunification and rebuilding the nation, particularly the South.

Key Challenges Post-Civil War

• Reintegration of Southern States: How to readmit Southern states into the Union.

• Rebuilding the South: Addressing the physical and economic devastation.

• Integration of Freedmen: Protecting and integrating newly emancipated black individuals into society.

• Government Authority: Determining if Congress or the President controls the Reconstruction process.

• Leadership of Former Confederates: How to handle leaders like Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis—punishment vs forgiveness.

Freedmen's Bureau

• Established by Congress in March 1865 as a welfare agency for former slaves and impacted poor whites.

• Provided food, shelter, and medical care; notable success in education with approximately 3,000 schools created, teaching over 200,000 African Americans to read.

• Land Distribution Idea: The notion of "40 acres and a mule" aimed to give land for economic independence, but this was rarely realized, leaving many economically vulnerable.

Phases of Reconstruction

Lincoln's Wartime Reconstruction

• Initiated before the Civil War's end in 1863 via the Proclamation of Amnesty.

• 10% Plan: Southern states could rejoin the Union if 10% of voters from the 1860 election pledged loyalty and accepted emancipation.

• The plan was lenient but faced Northern opposition.

Wade-Davis Bill

• Congress proposed stricter terms requiring 50% of Southern voters to take an ironclad oath of allegiance.

• Pocket-vetoed by Lincoln before becoming law.

Johnson's Presidency and Plan

• Andrew Johnson, Lincoln's vice president, adopts a version of Lincoln's plan but includes disenfranchisement of influential Confederates.

• Ratification of the 13th Amendment (abolishing slavery) was necessary.

• Johnson’s pardoning of most Confederate leaders enabled them to regain political power, causing Northern outrage.

Black Codes

• Implemented by Southern states to control the labor of freedmen and recreate pre-emancipation race relations.

• Examples of Black Codes:

• Prohibited land rental or borrowing for African Americans.

• Required labor contracts, with penalties for not adhering.

• Excluded African Americans from jury duty and voting.

• Resulted in sharecropping, seen as a new form of slavery by Northerners.

Congressional Reconstruction

• By 1866, Congress, especially Northern Republicans, sought a stricter Reconstruction approach.

• Southern Congressional delegates were denied entry into Congress.

• Johnson vetoes the extension of the Freedmen's Bureau and the Civil Rights Bill of 1866, both of which Congress overrides.

Key Amendments and Legislation

• 14th Amendment:

  • Declared all persons born in the U.S. are citizens, ensuring equal protection under the law.

  • Prevented former Confederates from holding political office.

• Reconstruction Act of 1867:

  • Divided the South into five military districts to enforce Reconstruction.

  • Required new state constitutions including black male suffrage.

Johnson’s Impeachment

• Johnson impeached for violating the Tenure of Office Act by removing a cabinet member without Senate approval.

• Narrowly avoided removal from office.

Successes and Failures of Reconstruction

Amendments Overview

• 13th Amendment: Abolished slavery.

• 14th Amendment: Granted citizenship and equal protection.

• 15th Amendment: Granted universal male suffrage; prohibited voting rights denial based on race.

Social and Political Changes

• During Congressional Reconstruction, African American political participation increased significantly with the election of African American leaders like Hiram Revels.

• The Republican coalition in the South included African American voters, scalawags, and carpetbaggers.

Decline of Reconstruction

• Rise of the Ku Klux Klan in 1868 aimed to resist Reconstruction efforts and secure white supremacy.

• Attempts to address such violence through federal legislation like the Force Bills were undermined over time.

• The Civil Rights Act of 1875 had little enforcement and was ultimately overturned by the Supreme Court in the 1880s.

Conclusion of Reconstruction

• By the late 1870s, Northern support waned, leading to an end of Reconstruction.

• The Compromise of 1877 effectively concluded the era, culminating in the reinstitution of segregation and Jim Crow laws despite initial progress toward African American rights.