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Ch. 17.2 “The Fight Over Reconstruction” (p. 558-563) KEY
BIG IDEA: The return to power of the pre-war southern leadership led Republicans in
Congress to take control of Reconstruction.
Building Background
Main issues of disagreement: Ending racial inequality & guaranteeing civil rights for African
Americans.
Result: Political parties split, conflict between the president and Congress.
OPPOSITION TO PRESIDENT JOHNSON
Black Codes: Laws that greatly limited freedom of African Americans.
 Requirements:
o African Americans had to sign contracts, which created working conditions similar to
slavery.
o If they could not prove employment, African Americans could be arrested and the penalty
might be a year’s labor with no pay.
o African Americans could not own guns.
o African Americans could not rent property except in cities.
Radical Republicans
 Most Republicans were moderates. They wanted the South to have loyal state
governments, and they thought African Americans should have rights as citizens. They
did not want to have to force the South follow federal laws.
 Radical Republicans wanted the federal government to force change.
o Leaders: Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania and Charles Sumner of Massachusetts
FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT
 1866: Freedmen’s Bureau Bill proposed to give Freedmen’s bureau more powers—It would
allow military court to try people accused of violating African American civil rights.
(Hoped it would be fairer than local southern courts.)
Johnson versus Congress
 President Johnson vetoed the Freedmen’s Bureau Bill.
 Republicans responded to the veto with the Civil Rights Act of 1866.
 Johnson vetoed that law too, because he said it gave too much power to the federal
government and because he rejected the principal of equal rights for African Americans.
 Congress overrode Johnson’s veto.
 Why did Congress propose the Fourteenth Amendment? They thought when the Southern
states were readmitted they would overturn the Civil Rights Act.
 Provisions of The Fourteenth Amendment:
1. All people born or naturalized within the U.S., except Native Americans, are U.S. Citizens.
**What Court case was overturned by this? This overturned the Dred Scott case.
2. Granted all citizens the equal protection of the laws.
3. States could not “deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of
law.”
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4. Banned many former Confederate officials from holding state or federal offices.
5. Made state laws subject to federal court reviews.
6. Gave Congress the power to pass any laws needed to enforce it.
1866 Elections
List 2 things that hurt the Democrats:
1. Johnson’s speaking tour was a disaster—he argued with and offended people.
2. Two major riots in the South (Memphis, TN—local police v. Black Union soldiers, and New
Orleans—political demonstration—34 blacks killed and 3 white Republicans.)
CONGRESS TAKES CONTROL OF RECONSTRUCTION – 1866 Election gave Republicans
a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate.
Reconstruction Acts (4 facts)
1. Date: March, 1867
2. Military controlled the South until states were readmitted the Union.
3. Conditions for being readmitted: New state constitution that supports the 14th
Amendment and must grant right to vote to African American men.
4. Thaddeus Stevens was main supporter.
President on Trial
 President Johnson opposed the Reconstruction Acts because he said they used “powers
not granted to the federal government or any one of its branches”.
 Congress passed a law that said: President can’t remove cabinet officials without Senate
approval.
 Johnson broke the law by firing Secretary of War, Stanton---Congress responded by
voting to impeach the president.
 Senate Republicans failed to convict Johnson.
Election of 1868
 Democratic candidate: Horatio Seymour
 Republican candidate: Ulysses S. Grant -- Grant’s slogan: “Let Us Have Peace”
o 7 states approved the 14th Amendment, agreed to let African Americans vote,
and were readmitted to the Union
o White Southerners used violence to try to keep African Americans from voting.
o Grant won the election.
FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT
 Date: 1870
 What did it do? It gave African American men the right to vote.
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