Planning for Peace:

Reconstruction before surrender

Cause of the War

• When tallying the Causes for the Civil War - slavery is among the chief causes – In 1861 when the war began - what was the stated

cause for the war– “A House divided against itself cannot stand….” 1858

speech by Abraham Lincoln – Lincoln’s first inaugural address aimed at keeping the

union together:– “I have no purpose, directly or indirectly, to interfere with the

institution of slavery in the States where it exists. I believe I have no lawful right to do so, and I have no inclination to do so.”

– Provisioning troops at forts within seceded territory - Fort Sumter…

Causes of the war

• By Lincoln’s second inaugural address - he allowed that Slavery and its end was a key element to the war and a key to the future.

• “On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago, all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it--all sought to avert it. While the inaugeral [sic] address was being delivered from this place, devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, insurgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it without war--seeking to dissole [sic] the Union, and divide effects, by negotiation. Both parties deprecated war; but one of them would make war rather than let the nation survive; and the other would accept war rather than let it perish. And the war came.” Abraham Lincoln March 4, 1865

Territory held by Confederates at end of 1863

Reconstruction before surrender

• What is the political purpose and effect of the Emancipation Proclamation– Signed January 1, 1863

– Document frees slaves everywhere but:• Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri

• Union occupied Tennessee, Louisiana and Virginia

• What is the social and cultural effect? How many slaves are actually freed by this effort?

Conceptualizing Emancipation

• Abraham Lincoln did not merely go to his office on January 1 and sign the emancipation proclamation into law - rather throughout 1862 he began to take steps toward the proclamation by…– Ending slavery in Washington DC

– Supplementing the ending of slavery by paying damages

– Writing a preliminary emancipation proclamation dated September 22, 1862

Ending Slavery in DC

• Connects those who own slaves and are loyal US citizens to present to the government a petition in writing setting the names, ages and personal description of the freed slaves.

• Within 90 days damages will be assess and awarded through the Secretary of the treasury

Emancipation of Slaves in DC

Supplement• On July 12, 1862, Congress passed a

supplemental bill to the original DC Emancipation Act which allowed slaves whose masters had not filed for compensation to do so.

• An important factor in deciding claims under this Act was that the testimony of both blacks and whites was accepted.

– if an owner challenged a slave who petitioned for freedom, the testimony from both was given equal weight,

– a sharp departure from the previous legal practice in which slaves or freed blacks could not testify against whites.

Supplemental Act

Preliminary Proclamation

• On September 22, 1862 - Lincoln penned the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation which later was signed on January 1 1863

• This document suggests that if the Confederate slave holding states persisted in rebellion that the slaves within the rebellious states would be freed.

• This sets the stage for the phrasing of the later Emancipation proclamation by freeing slaves only in rebellious regions and states and not those under government control or border states.

Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation

Planning for Peace

• Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction– Terms for accepting the Confederate states back in the

union

– Believed that reconstruction was a presidential rather than congressional responsibility

• Magnanimous in victory

• 10% - loyalty oath and acceptance of end of slavery

• Problems with the Proclamation - those detailed in text and those you have thought of?

Wade Davis Bill

• In July of 1864 Benjamin Wade of Ohio and Henry Davis of Maryland developed an alternative approach to reconstruction.

• This alternative approach was stricter and more punitive of the Confederate states than was the president’s plan

• It offers us an idea of the conflict between the Executive and the Legislative Branches of the government.

Wade Davis Bill, National Archives

Wade Davis Bill

• Appointment of Provisional Governors• All white male citizens to take oath to support the

constitution - need to get a majority of the population

• Constitutional convention for the state to establish a government in support of the US

• Elections held to elect qualified and loyal citizens to fill roles of necessary government offices

• Limited those who could hold office• Prohibited slavery

Benjamin Franklin Wade, Senator for Ohio

Problems with the two Plans

• Redistribution of land - Abandoned land or not?• Four million recently freed impoverished black

laborers - should the government assist these people in becoming independent or not.

• Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned lands (Freeman’s Bureau) created March 3, 1865

• Surrender achieved - April 9, 1865• Lincoln Assassinated April 14, 1865

Surrender

• Surrender signed on April 9th 1865 by Robert E. Lee – The Fall of Richmond - the capital of the Confederacy -

April 3, 1865– A series of notes passed between Grant and Lee

regarding details of the surrender – Meeting at the McLean House - where Grant wrote a

brief document and it was signed by Lee after some consideration.

– What is the impact of this historic event?

Surrender at Appomattox

Currier and Ives’ Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, Original in National Archives

Assassination and Impact

• Lincoln’s assassination was not a single event but rather part of a much larger conspiracy– In addition to Lincoln, William H. Steward Secretary of

State was also to be assassinated– The plan called also for the death of Andrew Johnson– The larger plot which was to create chaos and

overthrow the government of the United States was not successful

– In the end 8 coconspirators were tried for the plot - four of whom died by hanging, three were imprisoned for life, and Booth died during capture.

Impact of Assassination

• First American President to be assassinated• Mourned throughout Nation• Attacks on those who supported Booth• Opinion of Lincoln increases after death - millions

came to funeral procession in Washington• Train trip to Illinois for burial • Andrew Johnson - one of least liked Presidents