Reconstruction

Reconstruction Begins

• Recap of Civil War:

• Fought over many issues – states rights vs. federal government, and SLAVERY.

• Argument over slavery went on for generations – boiled over and actual fighting went on from 1861-1865.

Reconstruction Begins

• Northern states wanted to abolish slavery, southern states did not – their economy based on agriculture – needed cheap labor.

• The Union (North) won in 1865 – the Confederacy (South) defeated.

• Question – what now? How to we repair the country? – This time is called Reconstruction.

Reconstruction Begins• Civil War aftermath – the south was in ruins.

• Over 550,000 deaths from the war – 1/3 of all southern men were either killed or wounded.

• 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution passed – abolished slavery, made freed slaves citizens, allowed them to vote.

• Special hardships for 3 groups – black southerners, plantation owners, and poor white southerners.

Reconstruction Begins

• Black southerners–1. 4 million freed slaves looking for

jobs, shelter and food–2. Not much opportunity with

damaged southern economy–3. Some stayed to work on

plantations – others went to cities for work

Reconstruction Begins

• Plantation owners–1. Lost slave labor worth about $3

billion–2. Confederate money was

worthless and could not afford to hire help–3. Many sold property to cover

debts

Reconstruction Begins

• Poor white southerners–1. Tough finding jobs especially

with freed slave competition–2. Many migrated to frontier lands

in Mississippi and Texas for better opportunity

Reconstruction Begins

• White leaders in southern state governments restricted African-American freedoms with a bunch of laws

• These new laws were commonly called the “Black Codes”

• The Black Codes essentially virtual slavery with certain restrictions placed on freed slaves

Reconstruction Begins

• Black Codes–Could not gather after sunset–If convicted of vagrancy were fined,

whipped, or forced to do manual labor–If labor contract broken, then all wages

were lost–Could not rent homes in rural areas

Reconstruction Begins

• To assist freed slaves in the south, Congress established the Freedman’s Bureau.

• Delivered food, health care, and clothing to many freed people – created schools – helped reunite families broken up by slave trade.

• Churches also became the most visible black organizations – center for help, meetings, and worship.

Reconstruction Continues

• Lincoln was assassinated in 1865 – and this put a wrinkle into the Reconstruction plans.

• Lincoln had planned on using forgiveness towards the South.

• He was going to offer pardons to any Confederate if they swore an oath to the U.S. – and welcomed states back to the union if they agreed to the 13th Amendment – abolishing slavery.

Reconstruction Continues

• However, Lincoln who was a Republican was criticized by “Radical Republicans” from his own party – they thought it was a threat to Congressional power.

• The radicals wanted to punish the South – called the traitors.

• And force southerners to accept that newly freed slaves were equal citizens.

Reconstruction Continues

• After Lincoln was killed, his Vice President Andrew Johnson – democrat from Tennessee – took over as President.

• Johnson agreed with Lincoln’s plan of forgiveness – wanted the South to accept 13th Amendment – but no punishment.

• To make laws, President and Congress must work together – Johnson and Radical Republican Congress clashed.

Reconstruction Continues

• In 1868, Congress attempted to remove Johnson from the Presidency – tried impeaching him.

• Johnson was impeached by the House of Representatives for violating the Tenure of Office Act - but not convicted by the Senate.

• Therefore, he remained as President but lost his influence, and Radical Republicans took over Reconstruction.

Reconstruction Continues

• In the next election Union war hero, and Republican Ulysses S. Grant won and became 18th President.

• He was more willing to work with Radical Republicans in Congress.

• Reconstruction Act of 1867 - The military immediately took control of the South – divided up into five districts – each with a general in charge.

Reconstruction Continues• The union military forced the southern states to accept

the 14th Amendment – which made all newly freed slaves citizens and gave them equal protection under the law.

• And the 15th Amendment – which granted all newly freed slaves the right to vote (13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments ensured rights of African-Americans.)

• During the next election in 1870 thousands of black men voted for first time - many African-Americans won political office in southern states – the Republican Party gained strength in the South.

Reconstruction Continues

• However, even though the 14th Amendment was designed to grant citizenship and all the rights that come along with it to newly freed slaves…

• The U.S. Supreme Court made rulings in the 1870s that restricted and limited the scope of the 14th Amendment to them.

• SCOTUS said there was a difference between “federal citizenship” and “state citizenship” thus giving southern states the power to suppress rights to blacks.

Reconstruction Continues

• Some in the South resisted the changes and tried fighting back.

• Six former Confederate soldiers in Tennessee created the Ku Klux Klan.

• The KKK used white hoods and robes to pretend to be the ghosts of Confederate soldiers seeking revenge after death.

• Goal was to scare African-Americans from exercising their new rights to vote and keep them oppressed.

Reconstruction Ends

• Some northerners tried to take advantage of the vulnerable and weak south.

• Carpetbaggers – northerners who went to the south looking to make money.

• Questions arose in the south with how to make money through agriculture – because that is what they had – hardly any industrialization.

Reconstruction Ends

• Planters had land but no workers, and workers had labor but no land.

• Southern Homestead Act of 1866 tried to help farmers by offering low cost land.

• Situation led to a new pattern of farming in the south called “sharecropping”.

• A family would work the land in return for a home and a portion of the profit from the harvest.

Reconstruction Ends

• Some sharecroppers were corrupt and would not pay fair share – fining workers if they missed a day – or lying about land expenses.

• This kept many families in debt to the planter and trapped on the plantation.

• Some sharecropping families who had success moved up to tenant farming.

Reconstruction Ends

• Rented the land and worked for themselves – decided what crops to grow.

• Freed African-Americans were attracted to sharecropping.

• For many it was the only thing they knew, and they could not do anything else.

Reconstruction Ends

• Sharecropping and tenant farming changed the south’s economy.

• Farmers wanted to make money – and cotton and tobacco were the “cash crops”.

• With everyone growing cotton and tobacco to make money – less food crops were being harvested.

Reconstruction Ends

• Another economic concern in the South was the rebuilding the destroyed infrastructure.

• Infrastructure is the public property and services that society uses – roads, telegraph lines, and bridges.

• Southerners were amazed at northern cities and how industrialized they had become.

Reconstruction Ends

• Railroads were repaired and extended in the south and cities increased populations – used tax money to rebuild infrastructure.

• Atlanta was on the rise and quickly becoming a major southern city.

• Even though south made some strides in industry – they still never flourished like the north.

Reconstruction Ends

• President Grant responded to the KKK with the Enforcement Act of 1870

• The Act banned the practices of the KKK and within a year the KKK was virtually wiped out by Federal Govt

• Violators were fined $500 and sentenced to a month in jail.

• But by the time Grant was reelected in 1872, people grew tired of Reconstruction (heavy taxes) and corruption was exposed in Grant’s administration.

Reconstruction Ends

• With the attention off of the South and on Grant and corruption, reconstruction moved out of focus.

• Grant was giving top level jobs to friends and acquaintances.

• White southern democrats began regaining power – lowered taxes to help improve economic conditions in the south.

• White leaders began winning elections again – criticized Republicans for raising taxes – intimidated blacks when they tried voting.

Reconstruction Ends

• Reconstruction officially ended after the 1876 election when there was a dispute over who won a close result.

• A compromise was made between Republicans and Democrats.

• Republican Rutherford B. Hayes named the winner – and he removes military troops out of the South.

Reconstruction Ends

• Success of Reconstruction–Union restored–14th and 15th Amendments protect

rights of African-Americans–Repaired the war torn south - south

economy grows and wealth continues in North

Reconstruction Ends

• Failures of Reconstruction– White southerners bitter towards Federal

Government– Black and white southerners caught in poverty

cycles– Racist attitudes towards African-Americans

continue in North and South- Movement by women to earn the right to vote

during Reconstruction but they failed.