Chapter 17

Morrill Tariff

• Increased import duties to protect American industry and fund the Civil War, encouraging domestic production.

National Banking Act

• Established a system of national banks, standardized currency, and facilitated war financing.

Homestead Act of 1862

• Granted 160 acres of public land to settlers who agreed to live on and improve the land for five years, promoting westward expansion.

Morrill Land Grant Act

• Allocated federal lands to states to fund the establishment of agricultural and mechanical colleges.

Southern Cities After the War

• Cities like Atlanta, Richmond, and Charleston were in ruins, with destroyed infrastructure and widespread poverty.

Economy in the South

• Devastated by the war; reliance on agriculture without slavery led to economic stagnation and widespread poverty.

Southern Sentiment Toward Yankees

• Deep resentment and bitterness due to military defeat, economic hardship, and Reconstruction policies.

Rebuilding State Governments in the South

• Through Reconstruction Acts, states were required to draft new constitutions and ratify the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments.

Needs of Newly Freed Slaves

• Land, education, and economic opportunities were deemed crucial for independence. Many faced poverty, discrimination, and limited access to resources.

Martin Delaney’s Perspective

• Argued African American soldiers’ contributions were pivotal in winning the war and that landownership was key to independence.

War Department Creation

• Established systems to manage wartime logistics and oversee Reconstruction efforts.

Freedman’s Bureau Functions
A. Provided food and shelter.
B. Established schools for African Americans.
C. Negotiated labor contracts.
D. Protected freedpeople’s rights.
E. Helped reunite families.

Issues with Contracts

• Many labor contracts exploited freedpeople, creating conditions similar to slavery.

Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction
A. Offered pardon to Confederates who took a loyalty oath.
B. Allowed states to rejoin the Union once 10% of voters swore loyalty.
C. Excluded high-ranking Confederate leaders.

Exclusions Under Lincoln’s Plan

• Confederate leaders and wealthy plantation owners.

Lincoln’s Reconstruction Claim

• Asserted that Reconstruction was an executive responsibility, not congressional.

Radical Republican Goals
A. Ensure equal rights for African Americans.
B. Punish the South for the war.

Wade-Davis Bill
A. Required 50% of voters to take a loyalty oath.
B. Demanded stronger protections for freedpeople.
C. Vetoed by Lincoln.

Lincoln’s Death

• Killed by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865, at Ford’s Theatre.

Other Targets

• Andrew Johnson and William H. Seward were also targeted; Seward survived an attack.

Fate of Booth

• Tracked down and killed by federal troops.

Johnson’s Plan
A. Excluded wealthy Southerners from pardons.
B. Granted many pardons.
C. Allowed states to rejoin after ratifying the 13th Amendment.
D. Encouraged state conventions to rewrite constitutions.

Black Codes

• Restricted African Americans’ rights to vote, own property, testify against whites, move freely, assemble, and access education or jobs.

Civil Rights Act of 1866

• Granted citizenship and equal protection to African Americans, laying the foundation for the 14th Amendment.

Congressional Reconstruction

• Military districts were established, and stricter terms for Southern readmission were imposed.

Command of the Army Act

• Limited the president’s power by requiring military orders to go through the commanding general.

Tenure of Office Act

• Prevented the president from removing certain officials without Senate approval.

Rebel States’ Fate

• Placed under military rule until new constitutions were written and amendments ratified.

State Constitutions

• Required guarantees of civil rights and suffrage for African Americans.

Choosing African American Delegates

• Selected through conventions often organized by the Freedmen’s Bureau and local Republican organizations.

Impeachment of Johnson

• Charged for violating the Tenure of Office Act; narrowly acquitted by one Senate vote.

Reestablishing Families

• Families were critical for social stability and economic recovery among freedpeople.

Jobs for African Americans

• Mostly sharecropping and low-wage agricultural labor.

Schools for African Americans

• Schools were established, often by Northern charities and the Freedmen’s Bureau.

Opposition to Education

• Elite whites feared education would challenge social hierarchies and economic dependence.

Tensions in African American Communities

• Divides over class, education, and political strategies.

Radical Republican Achievements

• Established public schools, improved infrastructure, and expanded civil rights.

Corruption

• Instances of graft and mismanagement, often exaggerated by opponents.

Republican Platform (1868)
A. Support for Reconstruction.
B. Equal rights.
C. Economic development.
D. Education.
E. Unity.

Democratic Position

• Advocated white supremacy and opposed Reconstruction policies.

Grant’s Money Issues

• Scandals and mismanagement undermined trust in his administration.

Jay Gould and James Fisk
A. Attempted to corner the gold market.
B. Led to financial panic.
C. Tarnished Grant’s administration.

Public Perception of Grant

• Seen as honest but surrounded by corrupt officials.

Economic Bubble Burst

• Speculative investments collapsed, leading to financial crises.

Credit Mobilier Scandal
A. Overcharging for railroad construction.
B. Bribed politicians.
C. Public outrage.

Beneficiaries

• Wealthy executives and corrupt politicians.

Treasury Secretary Actions

• Reform efforts were often undermined by scandal.

Whiskey Ring
A. Fraudulent tax collection.
B. Implicated Grant’s administration.

Terrorist Groups

• KKK, White League, Red Shirts, and others.

Actions of Klansmen

• Intimidation, violence, and suppression of African American political rights.

KKK Victims

• African Americans, carpetbaggers, and Southern Republicans.

Enforcement Acts
A. Protected African American voting rights.
B. Federalized election oversight.
C. Criminalized KKK activities.

Northern Sentiment Shift

• Declining Northern support for Reconstruction and African American rights.

Panic of 1873

• Economic depression caused by over-speculation in railroads and banking failures.

Waving the Bloody Shirt

• Republicans invoked Civil War memories to discredit Democrats and appeal to voters.