Chapter 18 - Reconstruction

Reconstruction

• 1865-1877
• ^^A period after the Civil War to rebuild infrastructure and reunite the US^^
• People disagreed over whether to help or punish the Confederacy
• Made the Southerners very angry

Ten Percent Plan

• 1863 - Proposed by Abraham Lincoln
• The Confederacy was forced to emancipate their slaves and swear loyalty to the Union
• If 10% of the citizens of a state swore their loyalty, the Union would recognize their gov’t and allow them to join the US

Wade-Davis Bill

• Radical Republicans were angry at Lincoln for being too lenient on the Confederacy
• ^^This bill forced the Confederate states to emancipate their slaves and for 50% of their citizens to swear loyalty (compared to 10%)^^
• Lincoln didn’t sign off on this bill

Andrew Johnson

• Didn’t approve of secession
• Became Lincoln’s VP in 1864
• Became President in 1865
• The Radical Republicans resisting him eventually led to Johnson’s impeachment trial

Thirteenth Amendment

• ^^Abolished slavery^^
• Ratified in 1865
• Signified the end of the abolition movement

Radical Republicans

• Wanted to punish the Confederacy and help freed African Americans
• “Waving the bloody shirt” meant the Radical Republicans blaming the Democrats for the Civil War in order to gain more political power
• Supported the passing of the 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments

Civil Rights Bill

• Written by the Radical Republicans
• ^^Would make freedmen citizens of the US^^
• Would lessen influence of Black Codes
• Vetoed by Andrew Johnson

Freedmen’s Bureau

• 1865-1871
• Response to Black Codes
• Led by Oliver O. Howard
• Aimed to provide freedmen with basic necessities to support themselves (ex. education)
• Struggled to find resources and staff
• Was vetoed by Andrew Johnson

Sharecropping

• Tenant farming
• ^^Done by former slaves and poor whites^^
• Farmers would receive a portion of their harvest as income
• Basically the same conditions as slavery

Thaddeus Stevens

• 1866 - Radical Republican takeover of Congress
• Leader of Radical Republicans in House
• Committee on Reconstruction
• Charles Sumner was the leader of Radical Republicans in Senate
• Wanted to punish the South with Reconstruction

Committee on Reconstruction

• 1865
• Provided oversight on Reconstruction
• Led by Thaddeus Stevens
• ^^Achievements included the 14th Amendment + military reconstruction^^

Fourteenth Amendment

• Ratified in 1868
• The Civil Rights Act of 1866 provided citizen rights for freedmen
• Clarified citizen status for Americans
• The federal government would have the responsibility of monitoring states’ treatment of citizens
• Aimed to punish important Confederate leaders

Ex parte Milligan

• 1866
• ^^Military tribunals weren’t allowed to try citizens because civilian courts were open^^
• Military Reconstruction was ignored by Congress

Military Reconstruction Act

• 1867
  • Combined seceded states into 5 military districts
  • Would be monitored by Union generals and armies
• Scalawags were Southerners that cooperated
• Carpetbaggers were Northerners that traveled to the South to reap benefits

Tenure of Office Act

• 1867
• ^^Created by the Radical Republicans to get rid of Andrew Johnson^^
• Congress must consent to firings
• Because Johnson fired Edwin Stanton without the approval of Congress, he was impeached

Impeachment

• Used as a political weapon
• Johnson violated the Tenure of Office Act
  • 1868 - Impeachment of Johnson
• Because there was 1 vote short of ⅔ majority, Johnson was not removed

Chinese Exclusion Act

• 1882
• Influx of Chinese immigrants during Gold Rush
• Chinese worked on transcontinental railroad, taking over the economy + taking away jobs
• ^^Barred Chinese immigration for 10 years^^

Louis Agassiz

• Came to the US to give lectures
• Proposed the ice age + glaciers
• Believed in natural selection + that African Americans are inferior
  • Justified Southern racism
  • Racism based on Darwinism

Fifteenth Amendment

• Ratified in 1870
• ^^Legalized African American male suffrage^^
• Women suffragists protested

Ku Klux Klan

• 1865
• Used intimidation + terrorism against African Americans (burning, lynching, murder, etc.)
• Targeted supporters of Reconstruction

Compromise of 1877

• 1877
• Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican) vs. Samuel B. Tilden (Democrats)
• Hayes won, putting Florida + South Carolina + Louisiana back under Home Rule
• ^^Withdrawing the military from the South signified the end of Reconstruction^^
• Put former slave masters back in power

Redeemers

• Composed of Southern white Democrats
• After the Union army left, they took control of the state governments
• Home Rule + Solid South

Disenfranchisement

• ^^With Southern leaders back in power, they removed African American voting rights^^
• Literacy tests and poll taxes prevented African Americans from voting

Jim Crow

• Symbolized Southern racism
• Restrictions on African American freedom + rights
• Segregation laws banned African Americans from public facilities

BIG PICTURE

• Reconstruction - Healing wounds of Civil War
• Political battles - Democrats vs. Republicans + executive vs. legislative
• Radical Republicans - Reforms → Punish South
• Racism + weak Southern economy → Difficult change
• Unfair laws + bad economy + no freedom/rights → Hurt freedmen