PostCivil War Reconstruction 1865 1877 1 After the

Post-Civil War: Reconstruction (1865 -1877) 1

After the War: • In much of the South: farms destroyed…bitterness & resentment • The country needed to be healed 2

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Richmond – the Confederate capital 4

Reconstruction • the era of reuniting the nation and rebuilding the southern states without slavery. 5

What needed to be reconstructed? • • Cities, towns and farms = ruined Crop failures and high priced food = starvation Confederate economy = in ruins Where would the freed people go and what would they do? 6

Lincoln’s “ 10% plan” • A “gentle” approach to reunite the country as • 1. 2. • quickly & painlessly as possible Offered to pardon southerners for all illegal acts during the rebellion (Civil War) IF: Swear oath of loyalty to U. S. Agree slavery was illegal Once 10% of voters in a state did these 2 things, they could form a new gov’t & again be part of the U. S. 7

The Congressional Plan • Republicans in Congress argued that the Congress should have a say in how the South was reconstructed • The Radical Republicans thought Lincoln’s plan did not punish the South enough, so they came up with their own plan: the Wade-Davis Bill 8

The Wade-Davis Bill 1. Each state had to ban slavery 2. 50% of voters (adult males) in that state had to take a loyalty oath 3. Only Southerners that swore they had never supported the Confederacy could vote or hold office -President Lincoln vetoed this bill 9

Assassination • April 14, 1865 - Lincoln went to a play at • • Ford’s Theater (5 days after war over) Southerner John Wilkes Booth sneaks into Lincoln’s box & shoots him Lincoln died next day, his Vice-President, Andrew Johnson was sworn in 10

The new President: Andrew Johnson • • A DEMOCRAT former slave holder 11

Lincoln Conspirators Hanged! 12

Reconstruction under Andrew Johnson • • Continued Lincoln’s plans Pardoned 1, 000’s of ex-Confeds Approved new state constitutions in southern state (many written by ex-Confeds) Congress passed 13 th, 14 th, and 15 th Amendments 13 th: 14 th: 15 th: Abolish slavery made former slaves citizens gave freed men right to vote 13

Reaction by southern whites: • “black codes”: laws to restrict freedom of freed men (e. g. , illegal to testify v. whites, illegal to be unemployed) • Widespread acts of violence • Ku Klux Klan born - (ex-Confed. Nathan Bedford Forrest) 14

Military Reconstruction • To curb violence and corruption, south divided into 5 military districts • Law ‘n order maintained by U. S. Army 15

End of Reconstruction • Disputed vote count in 1876 Presidential election • Democrats conceded victory to Republicans (U. S. Grant) in exchange for complete withdrawal of fed’l troops in the south 16