The Collapse of Reconstruction United States History II

The Collapse of Reconstruction

  • Learning Objectives

    • Explain the reasons for the collapse of Reconstruction.

    • Describe the efforts of white southern "redeemers" to roll back the gains of Reconstruction.

  • Brutal Reaction of Southern Whites

    • Southern whites committed to maintaining a subservient position for blacks.

    • Implementation of exploitative sharecropping systems to prevent economic advancement of blacks.

    • Domestic terror organizations (e.g., Ku Klux Klan) utilized violence (arson, whipping, murder) to suppress voting and equality.

Building Black Communities

  • Post-Emancipation Dynamics

    • Freed black men sought to reunite with families separated by slavery.

    • The absence of legal recognition for slave marriages and gender role distortions during slavery.

  • Reconstruction Era Developments

    • Freed individuals took steps to legalize marriages through the Freedmen’s Bureau.

    • Many relocated to cities for community support through churches and mutual aid societies.

Sharecropping

  • Continued Attachment to Land

    • Freed people remained on lands previously worked under slavery, aspiring to own and farm their own land.

    • Initial hopes of land ownership (e.g., Sea Islands) faced setbacks with land returned to white owners.

  • Economic Dependency

    • Transition from slavery to wage labor did not result in economic independence.

    • High-interest crop-lien system forced many into debilitating debt cycles.

    • Sharecroppers paid landlords with half of their harvest, limiting financial growth and autonomy.

The Ku Klux Klan (KKK)

  • Formation and Ideology

    • Founded in 1866 by Confederate veterans; Nathan Bedford Forrest as first leader.

    • Evolved from a fraternal order into a terrorist organization aimed at restoring white supremacy through violence.

  • Terror Tactics

    • Intimidation and violence used to deter freed blacks from exercising rights.

    • Other anti-black groups emerged (Red Shirts, Knights of the White Camelia).

  • Voting and Education Suppression

    • Klan targeted blacks for trying to improve their social standing and worked to eliminate public education.

    • Engaged in acts of political assassination against Republican politicians.

Klan Methods and Government Response

  • Klan Activities

    • Utilized terror (e.g., circulars warning blacks and sympathizers).

    • Intimidation included violent raids and psychological tactics, like dressing as ghosts.

  • Federal Government Involvement

    • Congress investigated Klan activities; laws passed to combat intimidation and protect freed people.

    • Enforcement Acts provided federal oversight, allowing for martial law and intervention in Klan areas.

Redeemers and the End of Reconstruction

  • Southern Response and Redemption

    • Redeemers aimed to restore antebellum social order and redeem the South from perceived misrule by blacks and Northern forces.

    • Aided by economic depression and scandals within the Republican Party, they marginalized black leadership.

  • Significant Events

    • Economic downturn and political divisions undermined Republican stability.

    • Corruption scandals ('Whiskey Ring', 'Crédit Mobilier') diminished public trust in the Republican Party.

Political Dynamics and the 1876 Election

  • Political Shifts

    • By the 1870s, the Democratic Party regained ground, supported by Klan violence.

    • Notable incidents (e.g., Colfax Massacre) demonstrated the extent of white supremacist violence.

  • Contested Election of 1876

    • Tilden (Democrat) won popular vote; disputed electoral votes led to crisis.

    • The Compromise of 1877 led to the withdrawal of federal troops from the South, effectively ending Reconstruction.

Outcomes and Consequences

  • Reconstruction's Legacy

    • Radical Republican efforts met with fierce backlash and failure to achieve lasting structural change.

    • Establishment of a "Solid South" voting bloc for Democrats, reinforcing white supremacy.

Review Questions

  1. Why was it difficult for southern free blacks to gain economic independence after the Civil War?

    • Freed blacks lacked financial resources and relied on exploitative systems, trapping them in poverty.

Critical Thinking Questions

  1. How would history differ if Lincoln had not been assassinated?

  2. Was the Thirteenth Amendment a success or a failure?

  3. What does the Fourteenth Amendment do that the Thirteenth does not?

  4. In what ways did Radical Reconstruction address social, political, and economic equality?

  5. How would you propose to deal with terrorism during Radical Reconstruction?

Glossary

  • Carpetbagger: Northerner exploiting the South for gain during Reconstruction.

  • Compromise of 1877: Agreement leading to Hayes presidency in exchange for ending federal involvement in the South.

  • Crop-lien System: Credit system binding farmers to repay debts with crops.

  • Ku Klux Klan: White supremacist organization using terror tactics to oppress blacks.

  • Redeemers: Southern whites aiming to reverse gains of Reconstruction.

  • Scalawags: Southern whites supporting Reconstruction.

  • Sharecropping: System where tenants farm land and pay rent with crops produced.