Download Reconstruction of Georgia and the South 1863-1877

Chapter 17
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After the war the south was an
economic, political, and social wreck.
Most of the railroads were destroyed or
damaged. Major cities lay in ruins. The
were food shortages and people were
unable to find adequate clothing and
shelter. While most Southerners
understood that they had lost war, many
were angry and defiant.
This is the term applied to freed slaves
They tried to enjoy the freedoms that
had previously been denied them like
finding their sold loved ones, changing
their names, practicing their religion,
and buying guns.
 Many migrated to the big cities looking
for work.
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10% of white males must pledge an oath of
allegiance to the Union.
 Then a new Constitution could be written but it
must include a ban on slavery.
 Radical Republicans pushed for stronger
requirements:
 Ratify the 13th amendment banning slavery.
 Annul (cancel) the Ordinance of Secession.
 Cancel all wartime debts.
 Anyone that owned more than 20,000.00 in
property was banned from taking the oath of
allegiance.
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The Freedman’s Bureau was established to
help freed slaves and poor whites obtain
food, shelter, and clothing.
Schools were established by the Bureau.
Many schools were established by religious
organizations.
 Augusta Baptist Institute later became
Morehouse College.
 America Missionary became Atlanta University.
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Property owners needed field hands and
freedmen and poor whites needed work.
 Gang Labor: An attempt to recreate slavery, long
hours, beatings for perceived under performance and
with-holding of wages.
 Wage Labor: Workers were paid “wages” but
generally had to wait until the crop was harvested.
 Contract System: Workers and land owners would
sign a contract but many would not renew their
contract if conditions were bad.
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This was a system where the landowners would
supply the land, the seed, and tools to farm in
return for a share of the crops that were raised.
(usually half)
Many whites and freedman were sharecroppers.
BY 1880 one third of the white farmers in the
deep south were sharecroppers.
The cost of housing and planting were deducted
from the sale of the harvested crop. The sale
was usually handled by the land owner.
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This system of farming created the “cycle of
poverty.”
 High interest rates
 Dishonest land owners
 Bad weather
 Low prices for crops
 Laws were passed to keep sharecroppers from
moving if they were in “debt” to the land owner.
Peonage: a person with little authority assigned to do the
less desirable jobs.
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June 1865, James Johnson from Columbus GA
is assigned as Georgia’s provisional governor.
The Constitutional Convention of 1865: all of
the delegates were white males that had
opposed secession but wanted to retain
white supremacy in government. The
convention reluctantly went along with
President Johnson’s requirements.
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November 1865, Charles J. Jenkins became
the first elected governor after the war.
Freedman feared for their safety once the
military presence was removed from Georgia.
The 13th amendment is ratified by Georgia,
Alexander Stephens (former VP of the
Confederacy) and Hershchel Johnson are sent
to Washington as Georgia’s two Senators.
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Many Southerners resisted “reform” by passing
black codes or laws to restrict the rights of
former slaves.
 Prohibited inter-racial marriages
 Blocked freedmen from serving on juries and
prevented them from testifying against whites.
 African-Americans could be arrested for being
disorderly or not having a job.
 They could be forced to work on road crews or farms.
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Laws were passed that allowed for the
“whipping” as a punishment for minor crimes.
African Americans could be imprisoned for
not having a job. White land owners would
pay their fines and the freedmen would be
required to work off the debt.
African Americans could be fired and not be
paid their wages.
Because of these laws and the actions of these
types of laws, Congress voted to not allow
Georgia’s Senators (and other Southern states)
to be seated in Congress.
 This meant that many Southern states could not
rejoin the Union.
 Civil Rights Act of 1866 guaranteed the rights
of freedmen and blocked the Black Codes.
 The 14th Amendment (June 1866) guaranteed
the citizenship and equal rights to all persons
born in the United States (excluding Native
Americans)
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 Georgia refuses to ratify or adopt the
14th Amendment. Georgia’s
Legislature soundly rejected the
adoption of the 14th Amendment and
President Johnson is not happy. The
South will now move form Presidential
Reconstruction to Radical
Reconstruction.
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Passed by Congress in 1867, vetoed by President
Johnson, and overrode by Congress.
 Divided the South into 5 military districts. Georgia
was part of the 3rd district with Alabama and Florida.
 Required to write a new Constitution guaranteeing
African American males over the age of 21 the right to
vote.
 Approve the 14th Amendment
 No former Confederate officeholders were allowed to
vote or run for office.
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Congress decides to impeach “to charge
someone with wrong doing” President
Johnson and if found guilty he would be
removed from office. The Senate failed
to remove Johnson from office by 1 vote
but his power to influence the
reconstruction of the South was
damaged.
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Major General John Pope was the first
commander of the 3rd District.
April 1867 he registered 102,411 whites and
98,507 blacks to vote. It was the first election
in which blacks were allowed to vote and
many whites boycotted the convention vote.
The convention was moved from
Milledgeville to Atlanta because hotels in
Milledgeville refused to reserve rooms to
African-American delegates.
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Carpetbaggers: An insulting term given to
Yankees that came to the South to exploit the
situation of the time. Buying up plantations at
dirt cheap prices and manipulating the political
process. The term was derived from the
“carpetbags” that many carried.
 Scalawag: The southern version of a
carpetbagger, these were white southerners that
sided with the Yankees for profit and/or gain.
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Voting rights for all male adults
Prohibition of slavery
Support of free public education
Whipping is abolished as a form of
punishment
A poll tax
Capital moved from Milledgeville to Atlanta
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John Emory Bryant: a carpetbagger that settled
in Augusta after the Civil War. He was a newspaper
editor and worker for the Freedmen’s Bureau. He
campaigned for the rights of freedom.
 Governor Joe Brown was labeled a scalawag.
When he changed from Democrat to Republican
many believed that this was a sign that he was against
Georgia and white supremacy.
 Rufus B. Bullock was elected governor over
former Confederate General John B. Gordan.
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29 African Americans are elected to the
House and 3 to the Senate.
Georgia ratified the 14th Amendment.
On July 21, 1868, Georgia petitioned for
readmission to the Union but Congress had
adjourned for the summer, so Georgia was
not readmitted but federal troops did leave
Georgia.
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In September 1868, white democrats in
the legislature removed the AfricanAmerican members claiming that
although blacks had the right to vote,
they did not have the right to hold office.
Republicans fought back but Democrats
were better organized and used violence
to control politics and government.
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Created by African-Americans to protect the
rights of blacks and poor whites.
 Fair pay
 Voting
 Jury rights
 Access to public accommodations
 Education
 The right to earn a living
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Aaron A. Bradley: former slave from Savannah that headed
the Chatham County Union league. He fought for land
ownership and voting rights.
Tunis G. Campbell: Northern abolitionist and governor of
the Georgia sea islands. He served in the Georgia Senate and
was active in civil rights. He was critical of white efforts to
stop land ownership.
Jefferson Franklin Long: Former slave and tailor. That
worked actively to stop former Confederate officers from
holding office.
Henry McNeal Turner: Raised in the south as a free AfricanAmerican; Methodist preacher; Union soldier; Freedmen’s
Bureau; Was disliked by many white Georgians due to his
radical politics.
All of these men promoted land ownership, education, and
voting rights.
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Secret organizations formed to terrorize freedman
and their supporters.
Klan started in Tennessee, but quickly spread across
the South.
Used terror and violence to keep freedmen from
voting, holding office, and exercising their rights.
Lynching and other attacks were common.
September 19, 1868: Camilla, GA200-400 AfricanAmericans go to Camilla for a voting rally. Violence
erupts and eventually as many as 30 black men are
hunted down and killed or wounded.
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In Savannah, Aaron Bradley and the Union
league were determined to exercise their voting
rights and violence again erupted. Two AfricanAmericans and a police officer were killed.
As a result of the continued violence, Congress
sent federal troops back into Georgia in 1869.
General Alfred H. Terry was appointed as military
governor. He reappointed black representatives
into the Legislature. White Georgians referred to
this as Terry’s Purge.
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February 1870: 16 states (north and south) had not
ratified the 15th Amendment. Georgia, Texas,
Mississippi, and Virginia were required to pass it to be
readmitted to the Union.
July 1870, Georgia ratifies the 15th Amendment.
Governor Bullock is accused of corruption and leaves
office. He is the last Republican governor until Sonny
Perdue in 2003.
Democrat James Smith of Columbus is elected
governor in January 1872.
Redeemers: Whites who took control after the state
is “redeemed” and supervised Reconstruction in
Georgia ends in 1872.
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Rutherford B. Hayes makes a deal with Southern
states for their electoral votes. He would agree
to remove federal troops from Florida, South
Carolina, and Louisiana in exchange for their
electoral votes. (1876-1877)
Northerners were less interested in protecting
the rights of African-Americans at this point and
more interested in the economic situation in the
North. Southerners also turned their attention
towards economic regrowth.
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13th Amendment: Banned slavery and granted
full emancipation to all slaves (ratified by a
majority in 1865)
 14th Amendment: provided citizenship and
equal rights to of the law to all persons born in
the United States (except Native
Americans)(1868)
 15th Amendment: Protected the voting rights
of African-Americans (and all other males) (1870)