Reconstruction1865-1877

I. The Freeing of the Slaves

A. 13th amendment to the Constitution- Dec 6, 1865

1. Slavery in US was banned by 13th Amendment!

2 Problems for freedmen (freed slaves)

a. Illiteracy (couldn’t read/write)

b. Jobless

c. Homeless

d. Hunger/disease

3. Freedmen who left owners were seen as “disloyal/ungrateful”

4. Some freemen stayed with owners while many left

I. Freeing of Slaves

B. Freedmans Bureau

1. Federal Govt. aid program to help freed slaves

2. Established by Congress, Run by the U.S. Army, volunteers from NORTH

3. Provided

a. Food/Clothing

b. Jobs/ Training

c. Schools

d. Medical care

e. Saving bank for freedmen

f. Legal aid for freedmen

4. provided care to free blacks AND poor whites!

5. Often met by southern white resistance/violence

I. Freeing of Slaves

6. Problems:

a. Govt. over promised and under delivered

b. Govt. promised freemen “40 acres and a mule”- didn’t happen

c. Govt aid created DEPENDENCY UPON GOVT among freedmen

d. Govt corruption!

I. Freeing of Slaves

C. Union Leagues

1. Formed by Northern Republicans

2. Very popular amongst Southern Freed slaves

3. These organizations helped Freedmen:

a. Register to vote (Over 20,000 Freedmen!)

b. Learn about/discuss politics

4. Union leagues were targets of Southern white violence

II. Tenant Farming and Sharecropping

A. Tenant Farming:

1. Farmer rents land/house/equipment from Land Owner

2. Farmer decides what crop to grow

3. Farmer sells crops at harvest to pay land owner

B. Sharecropping:

1. Farmer rents land/house/equipment from land owner

2. LAND OWNER decides what crop to grow

3. Farmer gives land owner 1/3-1/2 of his crop to land owner

4. Farmer sells the rest for market price

II. Tenant Farming and Sharecropping

C. Debt Cycle:

1. Merchants lent money to farmers/landowners to buy farm equipment/work animals on CREDIT:

2. Usually, farmers and landowners had little cash to pay back debt…

2. Credit was based on CROP LIEN:

a. Farmers promised merchants a share of crop at HARVEST TIME

b. bad harvest or low crop prices= Farmer could not pay back his debt

c. Farmer borrows more money, hoping for a better season

d. Result- Unending cycle of debt that locked farmers to plantations

III. Carpetbaggers and Scalawags

A. Desperation in the South created opportunity for some:

1. Carpetbaggers: Nickname for Northerners who moved South after war:

a. Carpetbags were the “rolling luggage bag” of the 1800’s, oftencarried by Northerners off the trains as they moved South

b. Seen by southerners as dishonest con-men, taking advantage ofpoor whites and blacks alike, or as abolitionists, coming to starttrouble

c. They were often businessmen, volunteers (preachers/teachers),politicians looking for easily gained position

III. Carpetbaggers and Scalawags

2. Scalawags

a. Southerners who supported the Union (Republicans)

b. Hated worse than Carpetbaggers- seen as traitors

c. “scalawags” often gained political benefit/positions

d. Some scalawags did it because of economic benefit

President vs Congress

III. Presidential Reconstruction vs. Congressional Reconstruction

Question for the nation: how should Southern States rejoin the Union?

A. Lincoln’s Idea of Reconstruction:

1. Lincoln was a REPUBLICAN who wanted to UNIFY the nation

2. Lincoln believed the southern states had never really left the Union.

3. Lincoln’s requirements for southern states:

a. 10% of voters in each southern state- oath of loyalty (10% plan)

b. High level CSA officials had to personally ask for pardon

c. Southern states had to ratify 13th amendment

2. Effect: Never went into action (Lincoln Assassinated)

III. Presidential Reconstruction vs. Congressional Reconstruction

B. Johnson’s reconstruction plan

1. Slave owning, state’s rights DEMOCRAT from TN!

2. Against secession/blamed ELITE for war. Sympathized with POOR

3. Johnson’s Plan:

a. Pretty much, the same as Lincoln’s plan

b. EXCEPT: ELITE PLANTERS had to ask him for Pardon

4. Johnson was able to enact this plan without Congressional Approval. RESULT:

a. Many former confeds took office in south

b. BLACK CODES limited black rights in the south

III. Presidential Reconstruction vs Congressional Reconstruction

C. Johnson vs Congress:1. many congressmen were “RADICAL REPUBLICANS” (johnson=democrat!)

a. They had tended to be abolitionists before the warb. They believed Johnson’s plan was too lenient on Southc. Congress passed a Civil Rights to give freemen full citizenship rights

-Johnson vetoed this bill! (1st veto in history!)-Congress, fully controlled by republicans, overrode his veto

2. Congress passed the 14th amendment to the constitution:a. Gave full citizenship to blacksb. Limited congressional representation for states NOT giving blacks the

right to votec. Barring ex-confederates from being involved in government

III. Presidential Reconstruction Congressional Reconstruction3. Congress impeached Johnson

a. Congress passed the “Tenure of office act”

(president can’t remove a cabinet member w/o asking congress)

b. Johnson threatened to remove a radical republican cabinetmember- Edwin Stanton (secretary of war)

c. The house of reps voted to impeach

d. The senate was 1 vote short of 2/3 majority needed to remove him

4. Johnson becomes powerless- Congress overrides all of his vetos.

Congressional Reconstruction

III. Presidential Reconstruction Congressional Reconstruction

D. Congressional enacts a new (RADICAL) reconstruction plan:

1. CSA= divided into 5 military districts

2. Black males= VOTE!

3. People who’d supported CSA= NO VOTE!

4. People who’d participated in war= NO PUBLIC OFFICE!

5. Each South. State had to write and acceptable State Constitution.

6. Each state had to pass the 14th amendment- CIVIL RIGHTS TO BLACKS

III. Presidential Reconstruction Congressional Reconstruction

E. Effect:

1. Johnson VETOED THIS PLAN

2. Congress Overrides his Veto with 2/3 Majority

3. SC comes under MILITARY RULE

4. Black southerners gained opportunities never before had! (VOTE, HOLD OFFICE)

4. Caused bitterness as white Southerners felt robbed of power

F. SC Under Military Rule

1. SC was in the “2nd Military District”

2. US General, DANIEL SICKLES was put in charge in SC

3. SC constitution of 1868 was written under Sickles’ direction:

a. Representation in SC General Assembly was based on POPULATION

b. Property-ownership requirements for office holders was dropped

c. ALL males got right to vote (15th amendment)

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

IV. Carpetbaggers and Scalawags

A. 2 groups of people hated by many white Southerners

1. Carpetbaggers:

a. Northerners who came to SC during reconstruction

b. often carried luggage bags made of carpet material

c. got positions in SC’s radical-republican controlled govt

d. bought up cheap land from bankrupt planters

e. many took advantage of/cheated southerners

f. many were missionaries and educators

IV. Carpetbaggers and Scalawags

B. Scalawags:

1. Southerners who sided with radical republicans

2. often hated worse than carpetbaggers- seen as traitors!

3. Why be a Scalawag?

a. Some had been union supporters all along

b. Some saw cooperation with republicans as the best possible option

c. Some took bribes/gained personal advantage

VI. End of Reconstruction

A. Racial Violence in SC:

1. KKK: Powerful terrorist organization in the South

2. Formed by ex-confederate general NATHAN BEDFORD FORREST

3. GOALS OF KKK: stop the rise of BLACKS/RAD REPS- keep them from being

involved in govt/voting

4. KKK Used intimidation, Physical Harm, Killing (Terrorists)

5. Often supported by southern newspapers, business men, politicians

6. Many whites believed the KKK was the “SAVIOR OF THE SUNNY SOUTH”

VI. End of Reconstruction

B. Radical Republicans leave the South

1. Fear of KKK caused many rad reps to leave sc

2. Transcontinental Rail Road= better biz opportunities out west

C. Election f 1876 and the end of Reconstruction in the South

1. There was a tie in the election:

a. Rutherford B. Hayes (republican)

b. Samuel Tilden (Democrat)

2. A compromise was made between dems and reps:

a. Hayes was given the presidency

b. Hayes agrees to pull Troops out of South, ending reconstruction

VI. End of Reconstruction

D. The REDEEMERS

1. As radical republican LEFT the South, CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRATS

returned to power

2. Who were conservative democrats?

a. Often had been supporters of confederacy

b. White supremacists (often supported kkk)

c. Did everything possible to return SC to the way it was before war

d. Promised to “REDEEM” SC from power of Northern Rad Reps

VI. End of Reconstruction

3. Wade Hampton:

a. CSA general in the Civil War (ineligible to serve in govt)

b. He was pardoned , which allowed him to serve

d. He ran for governor of SC in 1876- (Tied w/Daniel Chamberlain)

e. REDSHIRTS: his supporters who used violence/intimidation againstblacks and republicans. (he didn’t always support his supporters)

f. Lots of voter fraud- the tie was broken when Rutherford B. Hayes

became president and ended reconstruction

g. Hamptons goal- bring about peace in the state:

-restore power to white elite

-allow blacks to have political equality

h. Later became a U.S. Senator

V. Did Radical Reconstruction work?

A. Yes!

1. Black/Poor SC’ers gained a voice in SC Govt!

a. They voted

b. They gained positions in SC Govt

2. Funds were set aside to rebuild bridges,roads, railroads, etc

3. Rights were gained by 13th, 14th, 15th amendements!

4. Educational opportunity for blacks

B. No!1. Radical Republicans ANGERED white southerners- LONG LASTING BITTERNESS (KKK)2. North lost interest in “reforming” south as better biz opportunities came up out west! 3. Southern Govts controlled by radical repubs= Very Corrupt!