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Unit 7: Reconstruction
Reconstruction was the period after the Civil War in 1865 until 1877 and was an attempt to reconstruct
the south and rejoin it into the union. From a southern point-of-view it was the northern government’s
revenge and attempts to humiliate the South. From a northern point-of-view it was an attempt to keep
the south from restoring slavery. It was a small first step toward civil rights, economic and political
power for the former slaves. It did not, however, ultimately provide the legal and material resources
necessary for true equality. With its end in 1877 the former slaves were abandoned to economic
peonage and legal subordination in “The New South.”
During Reconstruction there were competing ideas of freedom. For African Americans freedom meant
and end to slavery, legal equality, and a redistribution of economic resources (land). For Southerners it
meant control of their own future without the national governments interference, and attempt to
restore slavery in an altered form, to preserve local control, and to preserve white supremacy.
In this environment there were competing ideas of Reconstruction in the North. For some northern
Republican politicians who had gained complete political power as a result of the political division in the
Democratic parties during the elections of 1860 and 1864, readmitting the south would threaten their
political domination. They promoted an ideas of punishment of a south and sought to transform the
south to an industrial society. These Radical Republicans sought the punishment of civilian and military
leaders of the south. They wanted to gain full legal rights of blacks and confiscate (take) property of
southern leaders. On the other hand, conservative Republicans wanted to abolish slavery and do little
else.
There were three different plans for Reconstruction: Lincoln’s plan, Johnson’s plan, and
Congressional/Radical Republican’s plan.
The south as stated in the last unit was physically and economically destroyed. If this were not enough
it now had a population of former slaves whom had neither property nor money.
The first thing northern politicians did was to establish the Freedman’s Bureau in March of 1865. This
federal agency did several things including: controlling abandoned land/seized land, negotiating labor
contracts, establishing medical, schools, and courts, distribution; they attempted to settle blacks on
their own land, however were unsuccessful in this pursuit. The problem was that there were several
hurdles in their way. Southern racism, the fact that there was no real power to enforce the attempts of
the freedman’s bureau, and it was too small of an agency to complete the task. It lasted but one year.
Abraham Lincoln’s plan for reconstruction was a lenient (easy) path to rejoin the South into the union.
He promoted a government pardon (forgive) of Confederates, except high-ranking officials and those
whom committed war crimes involving prisoners, if they swore allegiance (loyal) to the union. Also, as
soon as 10% of those southerners whom had voted in the 1860 election promised to be loyal/oath of
allegiance those states could form a government and send representatives to Congress. They were
required to rewrite their state constitutions to end slavery. Lincoln had hoped to extend voting rights to
blacks with education, property, and to those whom had served in the Union army-not all!
Despite Congressional resistance to Lincoln’s plan, the argument ended when Lincoln was assassinated
on April 14, 1865.
Andrew Johnson, Lincoln’s Vice-President, and then put his plan forth. He was a critic of the southern
planter elite, but a racist who didn’t care about the equality of the former slaves. His plan, like Lincoln’s
contained a 10% oath for readmission to the union. He, however, excluded (did not count) the wealthy
planter elite. Additionally, he allowed for the personal pardon of former confederates. His plan led to
many former confederates being back into political office and upset the Republicans. Other
components (parts) of his plan were: the south had to invalidate (get rid of) secession laws, abolish
slavery, and pay war debts. He gives limited votes to former slaves.
Johnson’s plan makes the Republicans upset. Additionally, during the Presidential phases of
reconstruction the south put into place Black Codes to undermine reconstruction efforts. These Black
Codes included the following: no interracial marriages, denied former slaves full use of court system,
dependent children of the state were forced into apprenticeship, vagrant workers were forced to work
for former plantation owners, and forbade blacks to own or lease farms. Once moderate (in the middle)
Republicans begin to join with Radical Republicans and gain the power to overturn any veto Johnson
puts forth Congressional/Radical Reconstruction begins.
Charles A. Sumner and Thaddeus Stevens were the two leaders of the Radical Republicans
Reconstruction plans. In them they desired to destroy the power of former southern slave states. They
wanted full citizenship and voting rights for African Americans.
In 1864 the 13th Amendment was passed banning slavery.
Under Radical Reconstruction the Civil Rights Act of 1866 was passed. It was a response to the Black
Codes. It stated that “…all persons born in the U.S. …excluding Indians . . . full and equal benefit of the
laws.” It gave the federal government power to interfere in local affairs to ensure this. In 1868 the 14th
Amendment was passed which defined citizenship to, “all born in U.S.” and added the Due process
Clause which prevented states from denying U.S. citizens their rights and privileges. This overturned the
previous Supreme Court decision of Dred-Scot that had ruled slaves were not citizens. In 1870 the 15th
Amendment was passed stating that, “. . . cannot deny vote basis of color. . .”
Now in complete control of Congress and with the ability to overturn Presidential vetoes the Radical
Republicans passed the Reconstruction Act of 1867. This Act had three parts: Military Reconstruction
Act, commander of Army Act, and the Tenure of Office Act.
The Military Reconstruction Act established military control of the south with the intent of providing law
enforcement and registering black voters. It created five military districts and required the states to do
the following: allow African Americans to vote, pass the 14th amendment to submit a constitution.
Under this Reconstruction, ¼ of all white males were excluded from voting creating black majorities in
the South. Republicans dominate southern politics with the help of Carpetbaggers and Scalawags.
Carpetbaggers were low-class northerners who came to the south to take advantage of the economic
and political opportunities in the Reconstruction South. They would befriend local politicians and/or
military leaders for their own economic benefit. Scalawags were southerners who befriended the
Republican controlled administration in the south for their own political gain.
Reconstruction did have some positive effects on the former slaves. Southern blacks became active in
reconstruction efforts. Churches developed into the centers of black political and social life. Former
slaves were able to reunite with family members. 40% of blacks attended schools and there were black
academies like Fisk and Morehouse established. There was a degree of political participation and black
political representation. There were even two black senators-Hiram Revels being the first African
American Senator.
Despite these improvements African Americans never achieved anything close to equality due to The
Crop-Lien system and southern racism.
Under the Crop-Lien system local country stores would provide loans to former slaves. They did so,
however, at interest rates ranging from 50-60%. Black farmers had to use their land or crops as a lien
(security for payment) to gain the loan. This lead to larger percentages of black farmers losing their
lands when unable to repay loans.
The K.K.K. was a white supremist group that used violence and intimidation to undermine
Reconstruction efforts in the south. They would patrol election centers and intimidate black voters to
keep them from the polls. The killed white Scalawags and used intimidation and violence to enforce the
Black Codes.
Interest in Reconstruction began to erode (go away) as westward expansion and Indian problems, and
economic troubles became more important to northern politicians. Slowly the Republican Party’s
dominance went away as these issues replaced Radical Reconstruction efforts. The final blow to
Reconstruction started over the election controversy in during the election of 1876. The Democratic
candidate Tilden fell 1 electoral vote short of securing the electoral college/presidency. The Republicans
and Democrats then did a deal. The Democrats gave up the Presidency and allowed the Republican
candidate Rutherford B. Hayes to gain the presidency. In return the north agreed to remove the military
out of the south. With this move there was no enforcement agency to oversee Reconstruction effortsReconstruction was over and the “New South” was born. The South entered a phase known as the Jim
Crow south that had both legal and socially instituted racism in an effort to return the African Americans
to a position of servitude.
The Jim Crow south instituted Poll or Property taxes on voters in an effort to keep blacks from the voting
booth. They would, also, require literacy (able to read) tests on voters. They passed Grandfather Laws
that said if your grandfather had not voted, you could not vote. By 1890s black voting was down 62%.
This Jim Crow south created a system of legal and practical segregation in rail cars, waiting rooms, and
washrooms. The south retained this environment of racial intimidation by the K.K.K. and its legal and
social segregation of blacks until the Civil Rights movement began in the 1950s.