CHP 22/ 23 - The Ordeal of Reconstruction 1865-1877

Reconstruction Overview

Essential Questions

  • How did the Civil War and Reconstruction end slavery, alter power relationships between the states and federal government, and lead to debates over new definitions of citizenship?

  • How did constitutional amendments grant African Americans equal protection under the law and voting rights?

  • How did efforts by Republicans to change the balance of power between Congress and the presidency, and attempts to reorder race relations in the defeated South yield short-term successes?

  • How did Reconstruction open political opportunities for former slaves, but ultimately fail?

Goals of Reconstruction

  • Southern Goals

    • Restore the plantation economy

    • Maintain white political supremacy

    • Guarantee that black “freedom” does not equal black “equality”

  • Northern Goals

    • Radicals: Create racial equality in the South

    • Democrats: Forget the Civil War and focus on rebuilding at home

Planning for Reconstruction

  • Lincoln’s Plan

    • Do not alienate the South

    • Require a 10% loyalty vote to establish new state governments

    • Creation of new state constitutions

    • Offer amnesty for most Confederate leaders

  • Johnson’s Plan

    • Follow through on Lincoln’s plan

    • Requires new state constitutions

    • Ratification of the 13th Amendment

    • Offer broad amnesty; 13,000 out of 15,000 applications granted

The Radical Republicans

  • The Radical Republicans emphasized that

    • Reconstruction must transform the South

    • Commitment to racial equality

    • Proposed plans for broad land redistribution

    • Wanted Southern governments composed of Unionists

    • Advocated for an active federal government

    • Established the Freedmen’s Bureau

    • Instrumental in passing the 14th and 15th Amendments

The Freedmen's Bureau

  • Established to aid freed slaves during the transition from slavery to freedom.

  • Provided:

    • Food and housing

    • Medical aid

    • Established schools

    • Oversaw labor contracts

Johnson and the Radicals

  • President Andrew Johnson vetoed significant Radical legislation, including:

    • Extension of the Freedmen’s Bureau

    • Civil Rights Act

  • Johnson was impeached under the Tenure of Office Act

  • Acquitted in the Senate, narrowly avoiding removal from office

The Republican South

  • Southern Republican Coalition

    • Comprised of:

    • Black majority

    • Carpetbaggers (Northerners who moved South)

    • Scalawags (Southern whites who supported Republicans)

  • Republican Successes

    • Political control of some legislatures

    • Legal achievements included passing laws guaranteeing equal rights (e.g. transportation laws)

  • Republican Challenges

    • Faced economic crises and legitimacy challenges

    • Accusations of corruption and racial tensions

    • Northern apathy towards the Republican governments needed for support

The Challenge of Enforcement

  • The Ku Klux Klan

    • A white supremacist group targeting Republicans and “uppity” freedmen

  • Enforcement Acts (1870-1871)

    • Set to combat the violence perpetrated by groups like the KKK

  • Northern retreat from Reconstruction due to economic panic and unfavorable court rulings (e.g. Slaughterhouse Cases; U.S. v. Cruikshank; U.S. v. Harris)

De Jure and De Facto Segregation

  • Various strategies employed to circumvent the 15th Amendment included:

    • Poll Taxes: Fees required to vote

    • Literacy Tests: Tests required for voter registration

    • Grandfather Clauses: Allowed individuals to bypass literacy tests and poll taxes based on their grandfathers’ voting status

  • Southern Labor Systems

    • Included Gang Labor, Convict Labor, Tenant Farming, and Sharecropping

    • Resulted in a cycle of debt and dependency for African Americans

The Compromise of 1877

  • Election of 1877

    • Congressional committee formed to resolve disputed electoral votes

    • Led to a compromise involving:

    • Withdrawal of federal troops from the South

    • Promised at least one Southerner in the cabinet

    • Federal subsidies for internal improvements

    • Patronage privileges to conservative Southern politicians

  • This marked the symbolic end of Reconstruction

Did Reconstruction Fail?

  • Successes

    • Constitutional amendments and the extension of the franchise to African Americans

    • Political power gained in some regions

    • Rights to marry, own businesses, and control local institutions

    • Freedom of movement and land ownership

    • Rights to negotiate labor contracts

  • Failures

    • Rise of segregation laws

    • Implementation of Black Codes and restrictive voting laws

    • Increase in violence against African Americans

    • High levels of poverty and limited land ownership

Wrapping Up Essential Points

  • Reconstruction and the Civil War ended slavery, changed power dynamics between states and federal government, leading to new citizenship debates concerning African Americans, women, and other minorities.

  • The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, while the 14th and 15th Amendments provided citizenship, equal protection under the law, and voting rights for African Americans.

  • The women's rights movement experienced both emboldenment and division due to the 14th and 15th Amendments.

  • Radical and moderate Republicans had some short-term successes in altering power dynamics and race relations in the South, but ultimately reconstruction efforts failed due to Southern resistance and Northern indifference in the long run.