Reconstruction 1865 1876 Lincolns Plan n Easy Reconstruction

Reconstruction 1865 - 1876

Lincoln’s Plan n Easy Reconstruction Wants the country to be reunited ¨ Believes the South never actually left ¨ 10% of southern state population who voted in 1860 had to pledge their loyalty to the Union ¨ Blacks should have a fair opportunity (esp. economically) ¨ n Not necessarily the right to vote

Questions n n What doesn’t Lincoln include? ¨ Does not include the demand that blacks be allowed to vote ¨ Does not “readmit” South…feels they never left How were the goals of Lincoln and the Radical Republicans different during the war? ¨ Lincoln = reunite the country ¨ Radical Republicans = end slavery – want Reconstruction to guarantee rights of blacks

Why Johnson? n Why was Johnson chosen as Lincoln’s VP? ¨ From the South ¨ Moderate ¨ War is going to be over…perhaps relations with the South will be easier if we have a Southerner in office ¨ Only Southern Senator who did not walk out with secessionists ¨ Blatant racist

Johnson’s Plan n Very similar to Lincoln Easy Reconstruction Pardoned those who swore allegiance to the Union ¨ Wealthy – (those with over $20, 000) had to ask for a pardon n Can’t vote or hold office without a pardon States must ratify 13 th amendment ¨ No plans to help African Americans ¨

13 th Amendment (1865)

The Freedmen's Bureau In 1865, the War Department organized the Freedmen's Bureau to help provide education, medical care, and food to newly freed slaves.

Many newly freed slaves were uneducated

Beginning of Reconstruction n South is easily completing Johnson’s steps for readmittance to the Union ¨ same old racist whites ¨ Enact the “Black Codes”

Black Codes ¨ ¨ ¨ Curfew = blacks must be in by sunset Vagrancy = a black person not working could be whipped and sold for a year’s labor Labor contracts = signed contract for 1 year if you failed to work entire year, you must return $ Limits on women = if they stay home with children they must do farm labor Land = blacks could only rent land/homes in rural areas = must still live on plantations Will lead to Jim Crow Laws

Many states had laws prohibiting the education of blacks; here black youngsters are turned away at the school door

Radicals v. Johnson n Radical Rep. are mad at Johnson ¨ Easy Reconstruction ¨ He does nothing about Black Codes ¨ He was not elected…LINCOLN WAS

Radical Reconstruction n Begins with the passage of the Reconstruction Act of 1867 ¨ South is divided in 5 military districts n U. S. soldiers will be present to enforce new laws and protect African Americans ¨ State Conventions n Write new state constitutions n Must include equal rights for all citizens ¨ New state constitutions must be approved by Congress ¨ Must ratify the 14 th Amendment

th 14 n n Amendment (1868) Blacks are citizens As citizens blacks have equal protection under the law ¨ Life, Liberty and Property ¨ Due Process ¨ Trial by Jury

Johnson Loses All Power n Impeachment ¨ Radicals pass “Tenure of Office Act” n Claim pres. needs Senate approval to fire cabinet members n Angry at Johnson and want to make sure he doesn’t remove Republicans from cabinet ¨ Johnson fires Sec. of War Edwin Stanton ¨ Radicals jump on it and House impeaches him (need majority) ¨ Found not guilty by 1 vote in Senate vote and stays in office (need 2/3) ¨ Loses all “power” and “clout”

The Impeachment Of President Andrew Johnson

Johnson is found NOT GUILTY by ONE VOTE!!

Who should take over? n n If you were a Republican and wanted a president who could be trusted…who had and would punish the South who would you elect? ? ? Election of 1868 ¨ Republican Ulysses S. Grant is elected President

Grant, R – 1869 - 1877 n Administration has major problems ¨ Scandals and wasted money on Reconstruction ¨ Reconstruction is taking a long time! ¨ Economic depression in 1873

What happening in the South? n n Nearly all states admitted by 1868 Results ¨ ¨ ¨ Universal suffrage for men Civil rights protections Segregated schools and social services are established Criminal Codes are reformed Economic recovery NO PLANS FOR REDISTRIBUTION OF LAND

15 th Amendment (1870) n It is illegal for any citizen to be denied the right to vote based upon “race, color, or previous condition of servitude” ¨ n What is not included? 1870 is the first election in which blacks can run for office and vote – Federal Troops patrol South and make sure blacks can vote ¨ Predict the outcomes

Republican Coalition n Election of 1870 leads to: ¨ 2 black Senators ¨ 14 members of the House ¨ No governors ¨ Some serve in state legislatures ¨ Blacks are never proportionately represented in government

Unpopular whites in the South n n Carpetbaggers = a northerner who went to the South after the war seeking economic opportunity Scalawag = a southern Republican

Southern Resistance

Ku Klux Klan n Leads Southern resistance Wanted to defend social and political superiority of whites Tactics ¨ n Intimidation, torture, kidnap, murder Victims Anyone who did not share goals ¨ Carpetbaggers, scalawags, freedmen ¨

Founder – Nathan Bedford Forrest

Force Act of 1870 n n n Bans the use of terror, force, or bribery to prevent voting Military protection to allow voting and arrests KKK members Never totally destroys KKK ¨ Still around today

Solid South n n By 1872 almost all Confederates had been pardoned and states were being readmitted Solid South = ex. Confederates and white southerners who vote for the Democratic Party ¨ Reverse many of the Reconstruction reforms n n n Literacy Tests Poll Tax Grandfather Clause

Barriers to Voting – state laws which kept A-A from being able to vote n Literacy Tests ¨ Read, interpret and answer questions on a passage (usually state constitution) n Poll Tax ¨ Must n pay to vote Grandfather Clause ¨ If you grandfather couldn’t vote, you can’t vote

Economic changes for A-A Sharecroppers n Tenant Farmers n Debt n

How did freedmen make a living? n n n Sharecropping – families rent land from their former owners and paid rent in crops Tenant farmers – families rent land from their former owners and pay rent in cash Some got an education, but the South created separate schools for black and white kids. Booker T Washington - black college graduate, in favor of vocational training (learn a trade) W. E. B. Du Bois – Ph. D from Harvard, in favor of a liberal arts education in order to lead the blacks.

Reconstruction comes to a Close n Mid 1870 s voters are upset with Republicans ¨ Reconstruction has put South in deeper debt ¨ Reconstruction has led to greed and corruption ¨ When troops leave, blacks are discriminated against ¨ Whites continue to dominate policy ¨ Economic downturn ¨ People start to vote for Democrats in congress

Election of 1876

Election of 1876 n n Rep. Rutherford B. Hayes and Democrat Samuel Tilden both claim victory S. C. , La. , and Fla. Are disputed ¨ Both still are controlled by Republicans and Federal Government Vs.

Compromise of 1877 n n Election of 1876 ¨ A special electoral commission voted 8 -7 along party lines for Hayes Compromise of 1877: ¨ South agrees to Hayes victory in the election ¨ Federal troops withdraw from the south n Marks the end of Reconstruction ¨ Republicans pledge financial aid to Southern States

Effects of Reconstruction n Success ¨ Rebuild Union ¨ Repair South ¨ Economic growth ¨ 14 th and 15 th Amend. ¨ Freedman’s Bureau and others helped blacks ¨ Increased education n Failures ¨ Blacks remain in poverty ¨ Fed. Troops leave and blacks are discriminated against ¨ Racist beliefs continue ¨ South is bitter ¨ Does not address all economic and social issues

Jim Crow Laws - 1881 n n Laws passed in Southern states and enforced until 1965 Legal Segregation in: ¨ Schools ¨ Public buildings ¨ Public transportation ¨ Restrooms ¨ Restaurants ¨ Water fountains ¨ military

• Gave legal justification for racial segregation by ruling that separate facilities for different races were legal as long as those facilities were equal to one another.