Ch.17 Reconstruction
The Reconstruction Battle Begins
The South was in total chaos and ruin when the war ended (politically, economically, and physically).
Before Lincoln’s assassination, Congress passed the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery.
Lincoln had proposed a lenient plan that provided amnesty (pardon) to all Southerners who swore an oath to the Union.
Radical Republicans in Congress sought a harsher path: punish the South, keep ex-Confederates out of power, and secure rights for African Americans.
Radical Republicans in Congress
The Radical Republicans pushed for a stronger federal role in Reconstruction.
The Senate acted as a court of impeachment for the trial of Andrew Johnson, 1867.
Different Plans for Reconstruction
April 14, 1865 – President Abraham Lincoln is assassinated at Ford's Theatre by John Wilkes Booth.
Johnson Takes Office
Andrew Johnson became president after Lincoln’s assassination.
He was from Tennessee and a former slaveholder, but remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War.
Johnson’s Version of Reconstruction
Johnson picked up on Lincoln’s plan but lacked Lincoln’s strength and popularity.
Initiated a very lenient Reconstruction Plan:
1. Offered amnesty to former Confederates if they took an oath of loyalty.
2. States had to revoke their ordinance of secession.
3. Ratify the 13th Amendment.
Most states complied immediately and, when they held elections, former Confederate officials were elected to Congress.
Black Codes
Southern states began passing Black Codes (laws that limited the rights of African Americans).
Examples:
Blacks could not own weapons.
Blacks could not meet together after sundown.
Blacks could not marry whites.
Life for Emancipated Blacks
“Freedmen” – emancipated (freed) slaves.
Problems faced:
Widespread illiteracy (unable to read or write).
Freed slaves had no money and owned no land.
The Freedmen's Bureau
To help newly freed slaves, Congress created the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands, or the Freedmen's Bureau.
Goals:
Provide food, shelter, clothes, etc. for newly freed men and women.
Freedmen's Bureau: Functions
They helped find jobs and negotiate labor contracts.
They set up schools to help freed people learn to read and write.
They helped track down lost family members and performed marriage ceremonies.
Radical Republicans Take Control
Radical Republicans were furious and refused to accept Johnson’s plan.
They controlled Congress and passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and then the 14th Amendment.
14th Amendment
This guarantees citizenship to anyone born or naturalized in the United States and guaranteed equal protection under the law for all citizens.
Significance:
Supreme law setting national standards for citizenship and civil rights.
Military Reconstruction Act
The Radical Republicans then took over Reconstruction and passed the Military Reconstruction Act.
This divided the South into military districts, each controlled by a Union general.
Purpose: enforce federal Reconstruction policies in the South and protect newly granted rights.
Readmission Requirements to End Military Occupation
To be readmitted and end the military occupation, Southern states had to:
(1) write a new Constitution giving African Americans the right to vote,
(2) ratify the 14th Amendment.
Impeachment
To remove President Johnson, Congress passed the Tenure of Office Act, which said the President could not fire anyone without Senate approval.
Johnson fired his Secretary of War and the House of Representatives voted to impeach him.
Outcome: Johnson was not removed from office, but impeachment showcased the power struggle between Congress and the Presidency.
The 1868 Election and the 15th Amendment
Johnson chose not to run for re-election; U.S. Grant was elected president in 1868.
Congress also passed the 15th Amendment which gave African American males the right to vote.
Republican Rule in the South
Most white Southerners resented Republican control because it included Northerners and African Americans.
Key groups opposed to Reconstruction:
Carpetbaggers – Northerners who came south after the war (often businessmen, etc.). These newcomers were sometimes perceived as corrupt.
Scalawags – Southerners who cooperated with Republican rule.
Advancements During Reconstruction for African Americans
Reconstruction was a time of significant advancement for African Americans.
African Americans began voting, and 14 were elected to the House of Representatives, and 2 to the Senate.
Republican governments enacted reforms, repealed Black Codes, and established schools.
Southern Resistance
White southerners organized groups such as the Ku Klux Klan to resist Republican government.
They threatened, intimidated, and used violence against Republicans and their supporters to suppress voting.
The Grant Administration
Ulysses S. Grant was a strong military leader but a weak political leader.
His presidency was marked by corruption and scandal at various levels of government.
Reconstruction Ends
By 1876, Democrats had retaken control of almost every Southern legislature.
Presidential Election of 1876
Republican Rutherford B. Hayes vs. Democrat Samuel Tilden.
Due to disputed votes in three states, Congress appointed an Electoral Commission to decide the election.
Composition of the Electoral Commission:
7 Democrats, 7 Republicans, and 1 Independent.
The Independent member left and was replaced by a Republican.
The Commission decided the votes belonged to Hayes (R) and he was elected president.
Democrats were outraged.
Compromise of 1877
In order to keep the peace, Democrats said they would let Hayes win the presidency if the Republicans would end Reconstruction.
Agreement: Hayes would be President if Reconstruction was ended and the South was left to deal with their race issues.
This compromise is known as the Compromise of 1877.
A “New South Arises”
Reconstruction brought more industry (e.g., steel in Birmingham) and railroads to the South, but the region remained largely agricultural.
Many African Americans returned to plantations.
Economic Arrangements in the New South
Tenant Farmers – paid rent for the land they farmed.
Sharecroppers – farmed someone else’s land and received a portion of the crops.
These arrangements often bound Black and poor white farmers to the land and the planter system, perpetuating economic dependency in the postwar South.
Foundational and Practical Implications
Federal vs. state authority: Reconstruction reshaped the balance of power between the federal government and Southern states.
Civil rights and citizenship: The 14th and 15th Amendments established a constitutional basis for equal protection and voting rights, though enforcement would take decades.
Civil rights enforcement mechanisms: The Freedmen’s Bureau and Military Reconstruction Act illustrate how Congress used federal authority to shape postwar society.
Resistance and violence: Groups like the Ku Klux Klan demonstrated that political and social change often faced violent backlash.
Economic transformation vs. social reality: While industry and schools expanded, core social and economic structures (land ownership, labor contracts) kept many African Americans in subordinate positions.
Legacy: The end of Reconstruction in 1877 set the stage for Jim Crow laws and long-term struggles for equality in the South, highlighting the gap between constitutional guarantees and practical implementation.
Key People to Remember
Abraham Lincoln – his assassination and his plan for Reconstruction.
Andrew Johnson – presidency after Lincoln; lenient plan; impeachment attempt and showdown with Congress.
Ulysses S. Grant – presidential leader after Johnson; notable for military prowess but political weaknesses.
John Wilkes Booth – assassin of Lincoln.
Hiram Revels – first African American Senator (highlighted as a milestone during Reconstruction).
Major Amendments and Acts (Quick Reference)
13th Amendment: Abolished slavery. 13^ ext{th} Amendment.
Civil Rights Act of 1866: Federal civil rights protections for newly freed people.
14th Amendment: Citizenship and equal protection under the law. 14^ ext{th} Amendment.
Military Reconstruction Act (1867): Divided the South into military districts to enforce Reconstruction.
Tenure of Office Act: Restricted the President’s power to remove certain officeholders without Senate approval.
15th Amendment: The right to vote cannot be denied based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude. 15^ ext{th} Amendment.
Compromise of 1877: Ended Reconstruction in exchange for Hayes’s presidency.
Connections to Broader Themes
Civil rights progression vs. resistance: Early constitutional protections coexisted with harsh social codes (Black Codes) and later violent suppression (KKK).
Federal responsibility in civil rights: Reconstruction era established a precedent for federal intervention to secure rights, influencing future civil rights movements.
Economic transformation and exploitation: The shift toward industrialization in the New South coexisted with continued sharecropping and tenancy, indicating persistent economic disparities.
Lessons for governance: Balancing mercy, punishment, federal authority, and local autonomy shaped postwar governance and policy outcomes.