Reconstruction Reconstruction 1 st major task is to rebuild the country A very difficult task Before his death Lincoln had already began making plans Reconstruction Plans Lincoln Lincoln wanted to be lenient ID: 306596
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Slide1
And its effects
ReconstructionSlide2
Reconstruction
1
st
major task is to rebuild the country. A very difficult task. Before his death, Lincoln had already began making plans.Slide3
Reconstruction Plans : Lincoln
Lincoln wanted to be lenient.
10% Plan:
The president would be in charge of ReconstructionGovernment would pardon all Confederates, except high-ranking officials
10% of state’s voters must swear allegiance before they could rejoin the Union
After 10% swears allegiance:
Write a new constitution
Elect a new governor
Elect senators and representatives to send to D.C. Slide4
Reconstruction Plan: Radical Republicans
Radical Republicans wanted to punish the South.
The Wade-Davis Bill:
Congress would be in charge of Reconstruction Former CSA states must declare their secession illegal
A majority of a state’s voters must swear allegiance to rejoin the Union (If not the state would be considered conquered territory)All ex-Confederates would be prevented from voting or holding office
African Americans would be given full citizenship
Former CSA states would be placed under military rule.Slide5
President Andrew Johnson
After Lincoln’s assassination, Andrew Johnson takes the presidency.
He represented Tennessee but stayed in the Union after secession.
Lincoln chose him as a running mate because he knew the war was coming to an end and wanted the Democrat vote. Slide6
Reconstruction Plan: Presidential
Congress had adjourned in March, so while Congress was away Johnson began implementing his own plan.
This is all without Congressional approval.
Presidential Reconstruction
CSA states must declare their secession illegalAt least 20% must swear allegiance to the Union
Ratify the 13
th
Amendment
Only high-ranking officials must apply for pardonSlide7
Reconstruction Plan
Under this plan all the states come back except for Texas.
When Congress reconvened and saw all the representatives from the former Confederate states, they were furious!
The Republicans did not recognize the states and told them to go home. Slide8
Congressional Takeover
Johnson worked to readmit states and pardon most Southerners.
Congress began passing legislation to prevent this and to address issues regarding freed slaves
Freedman’s BureauCivil Rights Act of 1866Slide9
Freedman’s Bureau
Help freed slaves adjust to new ways of life
Supply food, clothing, and shelter
Supervise labor relations between blacks and white employers Ex- failure to pay an ex-slave results in the bureau taking you to court
Create educational opportunities. Slide10
Civil Rights Act of 1866
Gave African Americans citizenship and forbade states from passing black codes.
Ex – Vagrancy Law says that if any adult male was unemployed he could be arrested and fined for being a vagrant. If he could not pay, then he would be hired out to a white employer until he was able to pay the fine. Slide11
14th
Amendment
Congress passed the 14
th Amendment which recognized people born within the United States as citizens.
Congress also said that if the southern states agree to ratify the Amendment then they can rejoin the Union as legitimate states.However Johnson denounced it saying it was illegitimate. He said it was only passed by northerners.
Johnson convinced all states to denounce the Amendment. To him they were already legitimate states. The only state to ratify the Amendment was Tennessee, Johnsons own state. Slide12
Congressional Takeover
1866 – The Radical Republicans gained enough seats to give them complete control of Reconstruction. They could overrun presidential vetoes.
Divided the former CSA states into 5 military districts, governed by a Union generalSlide13Slide14
To Rejoin the Union
All males, white and black, had to register and vote.
However, if you held office under the Confederacy you could not vote.
Once that is complete you could have elections and create your own state government.
Then these governments had to ratify the 14th Amendment.Then they could be a legitimate state and have representation in Washington.Slide15
Johnson’s Impeachment
President Johnson and the Radical Republican Congress did not get along. Congress wanted to limit the power of the Presidency.
Congress, who was led by Thaddeus Stevens and Charles Sumner, passed the Tenure of Office Act in 1867.Slide16
Johnson’s Impeachment
The Tenure of Office Act prohibited the President from removing federal officials without the approval of the Senate. (So the President can appoint federal positions but not fire them)
Johnson believed this was unconstitutional and therefore tested it out by firing Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. Slide17
Johnson’s Impeachment
February 24, 1868 - the House of Representatives voted for impeachment on the grounds of Johnson violating federal law.
The House brings charges against someone – impeach. To be removed they must be tried by the Senate and voted out by a 2/3 majority. Slide18
Johnson’s Impeachment
March – May 1868 – Johnson was tried before the Senate.
When the vote came in Johnson needed a 2/3 vote to convict, but was saved by 1 vote. Those who voted in favor of Johnson believed the Act was unconstitutional.
Johnson remained in office, but lost political power. Slide19
Election of 1868
Democrats chose Horatio Seymour
Republicans chose war hero Ulysses S. Grant
The African American vote helped secure Grant’s victory. Slide20
New Opportunities for African Americans
Began participating in all levels of government
1867 – 16 seats in the South were held by African Americans
1st African American Senator was Hiram Revels
In the South about 90% of the qualified African American voters voted.Slide21
New Opportunities for African Americans
Few former slaves had enough money to buy land and if they could many whites would refuse to sell property to them.
40 acres and a Mule is what General Sherman promised freed slaves that followed his army.
40 acres / family and the use of an army mule.
Eventually President Johnson gave the land back to the original land owners.Pro – Former slaves deserved the land because they worked on it. Believed they really needed land for them to truly be free.
Con – viewed it as wrong to seize citizens private propertySlide22
New Opportunities for African Americans
1866 Southern Homestead Act – 44 million acres were distributed in the South for freed slaves and loyal whites. Yet the land was swampy and unsuitable for farming. Slide23
Opposition to Reconstruction
Many white Southerners opposed losing their political voice and resorted to violence to prevent African Americans from exercising their political rights. Slide24
Ku Klux Klan
3 main goals:
Restore white supremacy and economic power
Throw Republicans out of power
Prevent African Americans from voting or holding office.
Why do they wrap themselves in white hoods and sheets?Slide25
Ways of Terror
Who was Targeted
Wear their white sheets and hoods roaming the countryside on horses.
Various forms of harassment, beatings, and hangings.
Typically if you were visited 3 times they would hang you.
Blacks in politics
Blacks sending their kids to school
Blacks discriminating whites
Whites who sympathized with blacks
Whites who educated blacks
Whites who encouraged blacks to participate in politics.
Ku Klux Klan
http://
www.history.com/topics/ku-klux-klan/videos/the-kkk
Slide26
Ways of keeping economic power:
Sharecropping – where landowners divided their land and gave each worker a few acres with seed and tools to use. At harvest time the worker gave a share of his crop.
Tenant Farming – “Croppers” who bought their own tools could rent the land from landowners. Then they could keep all their harvest. Problem – rarely earn enough to pay for past debt and future supplies. Slide27
Between 1880 and 1900, the number of tenants increased from 53,000 to 93,000.
By 1890, one in three white farmers and three of four black farmers were either tenants or sharecroppers.Slide28
Corruption in Grant’s Administration
When making political appointments, Grant selected friends and acquaintances. Many turned out to be dishonest.
Credit
Mobilier
scandal – involving a construction company, working for the Union Pacific Railroad, skimming money through the government contract. Grant’s vice president was found to be part of the scandal.Whisky Ring – govt. officials accepted bribes from whiskey distillers to be excluded from paying taxes.Slide29
Anger begins to Erode
1872 – Amnesty Act
Restored to almost all southern males the right to vote and hold office
Why: 7 years since the war and anger starts to cool down
Most blacks and carpetbaggers were voted out of officeNewly elected state governments were run by democratic whites. Slide30
The Election of 1876
Republican: Rutherford B. Hayes
Democrat: Samuel J. Tilden
Tilden won the popular voteHayes was declared the winner of the Electoral College, but many votes were disputed. Slide31
The Election of 1876
Democrats agreed to accept Hayes if Republicans agreed to a compromise:
The Compromise of 1877:
Remove Federal troops from the South
Federal money to build railroads in the South
Hayes must appoint a Southerner to his cabinet
The Compromise brought an end to ReconstructionSlide32
Home Rule
Democrats were allowed to run state governments without federal intervention.
Passed laws restricting the rights of African Americans- some Supreme Court decisions limited the 14
th
and 15
th
amendments
Ended social programs
Cut taxesClosed public schools
Poll tax, literacy tests, grandfather clauseSlide33
The Legacy of Reconstruction
13
th
Amendment – Outlawed slavery14th
Amendment – people born in the U.S. were automatic citizens15th Amendment – No one can be kept from voting because of race, color, or previous conditions of servitude.
Increased education
Segregation
Laws protecting African Americans were not enforced
Increased bitternessOverall Reconstruction is not considered a success