Reconstruction

Aftermath of the Civil War

• Devastation and Loss:
  • 620,000 soldiers died, impacting families nationwide.
  • Many returning soldiers had physical (missing limbs, scars) and mental wounds.
  • The South was physically devastated, as most battles occurred there.
  • Southern people suffered deprivation, hardship, poverty, and starvation.
  • 4,000,000 slaves were freed, but faced an uncertain future.
  • Lincoln's assassination by John Wilkes Booth five days after the war complicated Reconstruction efforts.

Political Landscape Post-Civil War

• Two-Party System:
  • Democrats: Primarily a Southern party associated with slavery and secession (though some Northern Democrats remained).
  • Republicans: The anti-slavery party, formed in 1856; Lincoln was a Republican.
• Factions within the Republican Party:
  • Radicals:
    • Sought to punish the South.
    • Wanted to protect the citizenship rights of freed slaves.
    • Advocated for property redistribution: confiscating land from former slave owners to give to freedmen.
  • Conservatives:
    • Accepted the abolition of slavery.
    • Believed that Southern states only needed to abolish slavery to be readmitted to the Union.
  • Moderates:
    • Fell between radicals and conservatives; Lincoln was a moderate.

Lincoln's Reconstruction Policy

• Lenient Policy:
  • Aimed for a lenient readmission of Southern states to the Union.
  • Believed state governments should determine political equality.
  • Proposed readmitting states when 10% of voters pledged loyalty to the Union.

Andrew Johnson's Presidency

• Succession:
  • Became president after Lincoln's assassination.
  • Was chosen as VP to appeal to Southerners; he was a pro-Union Democrat from Tennessee.
• Differing Views from Lincoln:
  • Johnson wanted to punish wealthy Southerners due to his background of poverty.
• Johnson's Reconstruction Vision:
  • Excluded Confederate leaders and the wealthy from constitutional conventions.
  • Required states to ratify the 13th Amendment, which ended slavery.

Conflict between Johnson and Congress

• States' Rights vs. Civil Rights:
  • Johnson (Democrat) supported states' rights.
  • Congress was concerned about protecting civil rights for freed slaves and wanted federal intervention.
• Vetoes and Overrides:
  • Johnson vetoed the Freedmen's Bureau bill (to aid former slaves) and the Civil Rights Act of 1866 (to nullify black codes).
  • Congress overrode the veto on the Civil Rights Act, guaranteeing full citizenship rights to freedmen.

Radical Reconstruction

• 14th Amendment:
  • Ensured national citizenship for all persons born or naturalized in the U.S., guaranteeing that slaves were American citizens.
• Congressional Control:
  • Congress took control of Reconstruction due to its ability to override presidential vetoes.
• Reorganization of the South:
  • The South was divided into five military districts with military governors.
  • States were readmitted when they ratified state constitutions providing for black suffrage.
  • Black people were allowed to vote, while former Confederates were barred from voting.
  • Republican governments rose to power in the South.

Impeachment Crisis

• Conflict with Congress:
  • Johnson and Congress disagreed significantly.
• Violation of Tenure of Office Act:
  • Johnson removed a cabinet member without Senate approval.
  • The House voted to impeach him.
• Senate Trial:
  • The Senate did not convict Johnson, so he remained in office, but his power diminished.

Social and Economic Changes in the South

• Key Terms:
  • Scalawags: Southerners who cooperated with Republicans for personal gain.
  • Carpetbaggers: Northerners who came to the South to reconstruct, often viewed negatively.
• Land Redistribution Issue:
  • General Sherman's order to give land to former slaves (40 acres and a mule) was not supported by Johnson or most of Congress.
  • The policy of giving 40 acres and a mule was abandoned, leaving freedmen without land.
• Economic Systems:
  • Contract Labor:
    • Former slaves worked for fixed wages, but this system was problematic if crops failed.
  • Sharecropping:
    • Workers (freed slaves or poor whites) worked land for a share of the crop.
    • Share was paid only after harvest, making it difficult for families to survive.
    • Property owners provisioned sharecroppers at high prices, leading to debt and a cycle of dependency.
    • Sharecropping turned into another form of slavery.
• Segregation:
  • Black and white people were segregated in public and private facilities.
  • Black codes enforced separation in public places.