RECONSTRUCTIONChapter 16

After the Civil War South is destroyed:

Economically Physically Spiritually

Major Questions: How could Union be restored? How would South be

reintegrated? How should Confederate states

be treated? Who would control readmission? Would Confederate leaders be

punished? What would happen to former

slaves?

Lincoln’s Plan 10% Plan (1863)

When 10% of state’s citizens took loyalty oath and accepted emancipation, state could set up government Excluded from oath: Confederate government officials and officers (could apply

for Presidential Pardon) Opposition

Thaddeus Stevens Ben Wade

Wade-Davis Bill Passed July 1864 Each state ruled by military government 50% of eligible voters had to take oath State convention had to repeal secession and abolish slavery To earn voting rights would have to swear to 2nd “iron-clad” oath Lincoln vetoed

Charles Sumner Radical Republicans Thought Lincoln’s plan was too lenient

Lincoln’s Death Dies before he could implement any plan

Johnson’s Plan Favored Lincoln’s moderate approach

Created plan while congress out of session All southerners who took oath would receive a pardon and amnesty

with all property restored Could elect delegated to state convention Excluded

Confederate officials and officers As well as, ex-confederates with 20,000+ in taxable property Way to purge aristocracy

Consequences Johnson handed out pardon liberally (13,000) Dropped plan for punishment of treason All established governments by December 1865 Confederates elected to office/congress

Some refused to ratify 13th amendment or repudiate debts

South’s Black Codes

Black Codes Guaranteed basic rights

Marry, own property, contracts, testify

Enforced segregation in public places Prohibited interracial

marriage, jury service by blacks, court testimony of blacks against whites

Barred slaves from leaving former plantations

Most didn’t go into effect Union Army Freedman’s Bureau

Thought of southern defiance

Freedman’s Bureau Created March 1865

By Congress Early Welfare agency

Relief Rations Medical care

Protect blacks rights as laborers Also protected/ helped poor

whites Military courts to settle

disputes Greatest Success =

Education 3,000 schools + black

colleges Taught 20,000 to read by

1870 Sea island experiment

Congress v. Johnson Conflict

Radical Republicans Minority in congress Thaddeus Stevens

Wants black suffrage and to delay readmission of Confederate states Conservative Republicans

Minority in congress Favored Johnson’s plan

Moderate Republicans Largest bloc in Congress Thought Johnson’s plan too weak Didn’t want black suffrage Supported two proposals:

Senator Trumbull Invalidate black codes Bill to make blacks US citizens and ensure rights in court 1866 called Civil

Rights Act Johnson vetoed, Congress over-rode

Mid-term Elections 1866 Johnson

“swing around the circle”

Appealed to whites Argued equal rights

would = Africanized society

Tried to attack Congress

Republicans Accused Johnson as

traitor “waving the bloody

shirt” Reminded North of war

hardships

Results: Overwhelmingly a

Republican victory in both houses

14th Amendment, 1866 Proposed by joint committee on

reconstruction Clauses

Citizens All persons born or naturalized in US No state could abridge blacks rights without due

process Guaranteed suffrage by threatening republicans

in Congress Disqualified those who supported Confederacy

South had to be forced to deal with blacks fairly

Issue in 1866 elections Republicans succeeded Enough members to force any legislation

Congressional Reconstruction, 1866-1867 Radicals wanted:

Black suffrage Federal support for schools Confiscation of Confederate estates Period of military occupation of South

Passed 1867; Reconstruction Act Johnson vetoed, congress passed over Invalidated state governments under Lincoln and Johnson 5 military districts, run by Union generals Enfranchised blacks Slowed readmittance of Confederate states No treason or confiscation of property

Thaddeus Stevens wanted to take property and split into 40 acres and give to freedmen

Didn’t pass because of issues of property rights

Impeachment Crisis, 1867-1868

March 1867 Congress passes two laws to

limit presidential power Tenure of Office Act

Couldn’t remove civil officers without senate consent

Barred Johnson from issuing military orders except through commanding general

August 1867 Johnson suspended

secretary of war Stanton Wants to replace with Grant Senate refused to approve Impeached him Trial March 1868: not guilty

Circus like atmosphere

Election of 1868 Republican

Ulysses S. Grant Famous Union General No political experience

Democrat Horatio Seymour

Gov. from NY Results

Grant wins Mainly due to 500,000 black votes

Only won Pop vote by 300,000

15th Amendment (3rd “Reconstruction” Amendment)

Republicans NEEDED black voters support 1869: 15th amendment proposed

loopholes: Did not guarantee office holding Did not prohibit voting restrictions

Question of women’s rights Two groups:

Boston American Women’s Suffrage Association Julia Ward Howe, Lucy Stone

New York National Woman Suffrage Association Stanton, Anthony More radical, wanted amendment

Legislation: Declared a state could deny woman right to vote Minor v. Happersett (1875)

Reconstruction Governments

New Electorate Blacks held majority in

Southern states base of Republican party

Southern Republicans Carpetbaggers Scalawags freedman

Black Officeholders= elite Literate, non-slaves

Republican Rule No state instituted land reform Ambitious public works at

state levels Created public school systems State debt/ taxes skyrocketed

Counterattacks Didn’t act until states

admitted to Union 1870 Enforcement Act

Protect black voters 1871 2nd Enforcement Act

Federal suspension of elections

3rd Enforcement Act (KKK) Strengthened punishments Use of federal troops Suspension of habeas

corpus

Impact of Emancipation Changes to life

Waves of migration Urban movement Find family Freedman’s Bureau

Family life Legalize unions Traditional roles

Black Institutions Growth of black churches

Ministers assumed political roles Black schools

Segregated public schools Rejected integration Black universities Remained limited, underfunded

Sharecropping Southern Homestead Act 1866

44 millions acres in SC/GA Poor soil, no resources Unable to establish Lacked $ and equipment White didn’t want to sell to blacks Planters wanted to preserve black

labor force Black codes

Labor contracts 1866 “work your way up” Problems

Bad harvests, price dropping = sharecropping

Rents for share of crop Landowners still retained power Depression of 1873

Lots of debt

Crop-Lien Economy Needed more localized

network of credit Merchants sold supplies,

equipment on credit No collateral, used claimed

on next crop Cycle of indebtedness

Transformed southern agriculture Prevented crop

diversification Cash crops Soil depletion, land erosion poverty

New Concerns in the North, 1868-1876 Grantism

War hero Endorsed by Union Vets Passive President

Plagued by scandals Rise of the Spoilsmen

Roscoe Conklin, James Blaine

Credit Mobilier Affair Whiskey Ring

Boss Tweed Foreign policy

Johnson Seward’s Folly 1867 $7.2 Million

Grant Dominican Republic unsuccessful

Liberal Revolt Republicans worried about

election of 1872 Formed Liberal Republican Party Revolt

Turning point in Recon. Split support for Reps. “Liberal”

Free trade, gold standard, supply/demand

Attacked Grantism, civil-service reform, high

tariff policy, Bayonet rule in South

Nominated Horace Greely Democrats endorsed “anything to beat Grant” Worked himself to death

Grant wins = landslide

Panic of 1873 Post-war industrial boom

Transcontinental railroad 1869

over speculation Jay Cooke (Union Pacific)

1873 costs outrun investments

By Sept. couldn’t meet obligations

Banks shut down Panic

Other banks shut down Stock market collapsed 5 yr depression

Consequences Industrialization issues now

replaced sectionalism Currency Dispute

Greenbacks withdrawn after war Farmers wanted easy money Issue divided Rep. party

National Debt Public Credit Act 1869 (Sherman)

Pay back war bonds in coin Swap for new ones 1872 “gold coin” 1875 Specie Resumption Act

Politics Democrats win house 1875 Greenback party 1876 No answer to money question

Reconstruction and the Constitution Supreme Court

Weakened northern support Ex Part Milligan 1866

Court would not support congressional laws to protect freedman’s rights

Special military courts to enact Texas v. White 1869

Restoring states meaningless because union was indissoluble

Slaughterhouse Cases 1873 Chipped away at 14th

amendment Over monopolies States could violate rights

U.S. v Reese and U.S. v. Cruikshank 1875 Enforcement Act

1870 Undercut

effectiveness Consequences

Invalidated Civil Rights Act of 1875

KKK Act of 1875

End of Reconstruction Republicans in Retreat

Grant reluctant to assert federal authority in state and local affairs

1870’s idealism waned 1872: Amnesty Act Commercial and industrial

interests more important 1874: Democrats win elections 1875 Radical Republicans

disappeared Reconstruction abandoned

1876-1877 Last Civil Right Act of 1875

Equal accommodations in public places

Poor enforced

Redeeming the South Democrats gained momentum

after Amnesty Acts Mobilized formerly apathetic

white voters Divided party

Businessmen Industrialized New South

Bourbons Old planter elite

One goal: Oust Republicans from office

Used intimidation White leagues, Miss. plan

Exodus movement “Kansas Fever” 1879

Election of 1876 Republican Rutherford B. Hayes

“moderate” on southern policy, Home-rule Untainted by Grant Guaranteed civil and political rights for all

Democrat Samuel Tilden Campaigned against fraud and waste

Boss Tweed Both:

Fiscal conservatives Favored sound $ Decried corruption

Election: Corrupt Challenged Tilden’s victory Electoral Commission 1877

Hayes Win, Democrats the House “Compromise of 1877”

Election cartoons

Evaluating the Republican Record

Accomplishments Liberalized state

constitutions in South Universal male suffrage Property rights for women Debt relief

Promoted building of roads, bridges, railroads, and other internal improvements

Est. state institutions such as hospitals, asylums

State-supported school systems

Failures Corruption

Wasteful spending Bribes/ kickbacks

The North During Reconstruction Rise of the Spoilsmen Corruption in business and

government Scandals Boss Tweed

Stole $200 million from taxpayers in NY

Battle between Tweed and Thomas Nast

Arrested in 1871

Reconstruction Summary Reconstruction a

democrat experiment that didn’t go far enough Congress did not promote

freedman’s independence through land reform

Federal government neglected to back Congressional Reconstruction with military force

Failure of government to fulfill its own goals Looking towards a new America