APUSH05.10_Reconstruction_PP

PERIOD 5 | 1844-1877

TOPIC £5.10: RECONSTRUCTION

(1) WAR AFTERMATH:

Overview of Civil War Impact

  • The Civil War had catastrophic consequences:

    • More than 3 million soldiers participated.

    • Approximately 500,000 soldiers died, representing 2% of the U.S. population.

    • A similar number were seriously injured.

(2) Damage to the South

Sherman’s March to the Sea

  • General Sherman's campaign from Atlanta to the sea in fall 1864 resulted in widespread destruction.

  • Union forces burned everything in their path, leaving cities in ruins.

Destruction of Infrastructure

  • Two-thirds of Southern railroads were destroyed.

  • One-third of the livestock in the South was lost or disappeared.

  • The Southern economy was devastated; they were in dire straits.

(3) KEY QUESTIONS OF RECONSTRUCTION

Core Issues to Address

  1. Integration of Former Slaves:

    • How would 4 million former slaves be reintegrated into American society?

  2. Political Status of Confederate States:

    • What would be the political and legal status of former Confederate states that fought against the U.S.?

  3. Rebuilding the South:

    • How to effectively reconstruct the war-ravaged Southern states?

(4) GOVERNMENT'S INITIAL FOCUS

Redress and Readmission

  • The government’s initial focus centered around the readmission of Southern states into the Union, particularly their political and legal status post-war.

(5) PRESIDENTIAL RECONSTRUCTION

(A) LINCOLN'S TEN PERCENT PLAN

  • In December 1863, before the war’s end, Lincoln introduced the "Ten Percent Plan":

    • Offered citizenship to Southerners taking a loyalty oath.

    • States could establish governments once 10% of 1860 voters swore allegiance.

    • Governments must:

      • Be of republican form.

      • Acknowledge the permanent freedom of slaves.

      • Provide education for freed blacks.

(6) CONGRESSIONAL RESPONSES

(B) WADE-DAVIS BILL

  • The Radical Republicans found Lincoln's plan too lenient and passed the Wade-Davis Bill in July 1864:

    • Mandated a majority of Southerners take loyalty oaths.

    • Confederate officials and anyone who supported the Confederacy were prohibited from voting.

    • The bill was pocket-vetoed by Lincoln.

(7) LINCOLN'S ASSASSINATION

Significant Event

  • Date: April 14, 1865

  • Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater while watching a performance.

  • Booth's motivation stemmed from a belief that Lincoln aimed to undermine the South.

  • Lincoln died early on April 15, 1865.

  • Vice President Andrew Johnson assumed the presidency.

(8) PRESIDENTIAL RECONSTRUCTION UNDER JOHNSON

(A) JOHNSON'S PHILOSOPHY

  • Johnson viewed Reconstruction as primarily an executive responsibility, pushing for rapid restoration of Southern states.

  • Proclaimed his Reconstruction Plan, calling it “Restoration,” soon after taking office in 1865 including:

    • Withdrawal of secession and allegiance to the Union.

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

  • Johnson pardoned many Confederates, aggravating Radical Republicans.

(9) CONGRESSIONAL RECONSTRUCTION

(A) CONGRESS'S TURN

  • Upon Congress’s reconvening on December 4, 1865, Radical Republicans took control; Southern delegates’ names were not read.

(B) CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1866

  • Passed in February 1866, this act asserted that Blacks were citizens and their rights could not be restricted.

  • Johnson vetoed, but Congress overrode his veto.

(C) RACIAL VIOLENCE IN SOUTH

  • May 1-3, 1866, witnessed racial violence in Memphis; subsequently, a massacre in New Orleans in August.

  • These events catalyzed the push for the 14th Amendment.

(10) EARLY RECONSTRUCTION AMENDMENTS

(I) 13TH AMENDMENT (1865)

  • Ratified by December 1865, officially abolished slavery in the U.S.

(II) 14TH AMENDMENT (1868)

  • Established citizenship rights for all born/naturalized in the U.S.

  • Provided equal protection under the law, addressing discriminatory legislation.

  • Passed in June 1866 after Memphis Massacre testimony.

  • Southern states faced challenges in ratifying due to all-white legislatures.

(11) MILITARY RECONSTRUCTION ACT

(A) STRUCTURE

  • Implemented in March 1867, dividing I the South into five military districts, each controlled by a Union general.

(B) ENFORCEMENT

  • Military commanders registered voters, including freedmen, establishing a political base for the Republican Party in the South.

(C) 1868 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

  • Following the Military Reconstruction Act, most Confederate states rejoined the Union, allowing for significant Black voter participation in the 1868 election.

(D) 15TH AMENDMENT

  • Passed to ensure voting rights regardless of race, color, or prior condition of servitude, but not addressing women's voting rights, leading to factions within the women’s suffrage movement.

(12) RATIFICATION

  • The 15th Amendment was ratified by March 30, 1870, with Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas among the last to ratify it, enabling their reentry into the Union.

(13) FINAL CONSIDERATIONS

  • Despite the 15th Amendment's passage, Reconstruction faced ongoing challenges and was far from complete.