Download Reconstruction and Redemption

Reconstruction
1863-1877
Ad Hoc Arrangements in
Border States
In the early years of the war, Federal troops occupied all of Missouri, much
of Tennessee (Memphis above, in June 1862), parts of Virginia, Florida,
Louisiana, and North Carolina. These were administered under military rule,
which at first was fairly lenient. Lincoln’s government had over-estimated
Union sympathy in these areas.
New Orleans
In New Orleans (1862), General
Benjamin Butler told soldiers to
treat rude Southern women as
“women of the town.”
Confiscation
The Confiscation Acts (1861 and 1862) were major steps in the
slavery issue, with orders given to free slaves who had worked in
defense of the Confederacy or ran away from slaveholders “in
rebellion. Officers were forbidden to return runaway slaves.
Disagreement Over Postwar Policy
The Union was not of one mind over how
to treat the defeated South. Lincoln
seemed inclined to be gentle. By 1863,
he would require the ex-slave states to
ratify the 13th amendment and accept
“loyalty oaths” from the former
Confederate office-holders and army
officers as a sign of loyalty.
Other Republicans, like Thaddeus
Stevens of PA. (left) wanted to
reconsider the south as “traitors” and
feared that if they returned to Congress
without a period of occupation, they
would join the northern Democrats to
undo the results of the war.
“Compensated” Emancipation
Lincoln spent two full years trying to promote a system of emancipation in
which states would end slavery over a period of years, and the Federal
government would pay them compensation. Despite discussions and
suggestions, no state accepted the idea until near the war’s end.
The Wade Davis Bill
Required 50% of the number of
1860 voters to take an “iron clad”
oath of allegiance (swearing they
had never voluntarily aided the
rebellion ).
Senator
Benjamin
Wade
(R-OH)
Required a state constitutional
convention before the election of
state officials.
Enacted specific safeguards of
freedmen’s liberties.
Congressman
Henry
W. Davis
(R-MD)
Punishment of the
killers and conspirators
Lincoln’s assassination moved the
Union to harsher measures in
occupying the southern states. In
addition to hanging those who had
helped Booth (and some who didn’t
even know what he had done), the
new Federal government arrested
Confederate officers who had
possibly mistreated Union
prisoners, brought Jefferson Davis
to trail for treason, and planned for
military governments in the defeated
states.
Andrew Johnson
Seen by many as a “simple-minded”
tailor who had “risen above his
abilities,” Vice President Andrew
Johnson was in fact a fairly skilled
politician who had won renown in
the north for his refusal to join his
native Tennessee in secession. He
was however, very stubborn, and,
like Andrew Jackson (who he
greatly admired) he refused to
change his course once he had
made up his mind about what was
the “right” thing to do.
Jefferson Davis in prison
Redistributing the land
Carpetbaggers
 Gave aid to refugees and
freedmen, and revived
abandoned Lands.
 Many former northern
abolitionists risked their
lives to help southern
freedmen.
 Termed “carpetbaggers”
who enriched themselves,
by exploiting suffering of
white southern Democrats.
Southern views of freedmen
“Plenty to eat
and nothing
to do.”
Northern Dreams
Northern-born judges and lawyers tried to protect freed slaves
(freedmen) from the anger of white ex-Confederates. But this
proved difficult. Albion Tourgee, one such ‘protector,’ wrote
about his frustrations in the novel A Fool’s Errand.
Bureau Schools
The Johnson plan
 Southern leaders won amnesty upon a simple oath of loyalty.
While Confederate civil and military officers and those with
property over $20,000 were excluded, they could apply directly
to Johnson for pardon – he granted thousands.
 When 10% (+1) met the requirements, then new state
constitutions were written -- repudiating slavery, secession
and the Confederate state debts.
 Named provisional governors in Confederate states and called
them to oversee elections for constitutional conventions.
Johnson’s Republican critics s were outraged that planter elite
were returning to power in the South.
Who won?
• Many Southern state constitutions
fell short of minimum requirements
for “returning to Congress.”
• Johnson granted 13,500 special
pardons to men who could not meet
the oath requirements.
• A revival of southern defiance
occured, especially in violence
against freedmen.
New “Black Codes”
Fearing that emancipation
would ruin agriculture
and create a system of
social equality, Southern
state leaders created
codes for legal segregation
while banks and
merchants used debt to
force black families into
sharecropping.
Congress vs. the president
 Congress barred Southern
Congressional delegates.
 Joint Committee on
Reconstruction was created.
 In February, 1866, the president
vetoed the Freedmen’s Bureau bill.
 In March, 1866, Johnson
vetoed the 1866 Civil Rights Act.
 Congress passed both bills over
Johnson’s vetoes. No override had
been successful before.
Johnson plays a martyr
“If my blood is to be shed
because I vindicate the Union
and the preservation of this
government in its original purity
and character, let it be shed; let
an altar to the Union be erected,
and then, if it is necessary, take
me and lay me upon it, and the
blood that now warms and
animates my existence shall be
poured out as a fit libation to the
Union.”
Johnson February 1866
The 14th Amendment
 This was ratified by Congress and northern
states in July, 1868 to counter Johnson’s
leniency. The amendment:
*
Provided a constitutional guarantee of the rights
and security of all citizens.
*
Insured against neo-Confederate political power.
*
Repudiated the debt of the CSA.
 Would US troops and officials in the South
risk their safety to enforce this?
Congressional Politics
State
White Citizens
Freedmen
SC
291,000
411,000
MS
353,000
436,000
LA
357,000
350,000
GA
591,000
465,000
AL
596,000
437,000
VA
719,000
533,000
NC
631,000
331,000
Johnson takes to the stump
 A referendum on Radical Reconstruction.
 Johnson made an ill-conceived propaganda tour
around the country to push his plan.
 Republicans
won a 3-1
majority in
both houses
and gained
control of
every northern
state.
Johnson’s “Swing around
the Circle”
Congress’s reconstruction
 The civil authorities in the territories were
subject to military supervision.
 New state constitutions were expressly
required to allow for black suffrage and the
ratification of the 13th and 14th Amendments.
 In March, 1867, Congress passed an act that
authorized the military to supervise the
enrollment of eligible black voters and begin
the process of constitution making.
Teeth for the plan
 Military Reconstruction Act
*
More troops went south to occupy the 10 Southern
states that had refused to ratify the 14th Amendment.
*
The Army divided the 10 “unreconstructed states” into 5
military
districts.
Soon, Johnson and
Grant (as Army
commander) were
at odds over the
role of the Army in
the South. Grant is
drawn into politics.
Johnson resists
 Command of the Army Act
*
The President must issue all Reconstruction
orders through the commander of the
military – of doubtful legality.
 Tenure of Office Act
*
The President could not remove
any officials (like Cabinet members) without
the Senate’s consent, if the position originally
required Senate approval.
 This was designed to protect radical
members of Lincoln’s government.
 There was a question of the
constitutionality of this law.
Edwin Stanton
Johnson Impeached
Johnson was inclined to accept the “Lincoln plan” for reconstructing
the South. He granted pardons to many Confederate officers. The
Congress, fearing that he would forge an alliance with the South for
the 1868 elections, rejected his plans and imposed military occupation
on the South. Johnson resisted.
Trial in the Senate
 Johnson removed Stanton in February, 1868.
 The House impeached him on February 24 by a vote
of 126–47
Acquittal
In an 11 week trial,
Johnson was attacked
brutally, but acquitted on a
vote of 35 to 19 (one short
of required 2/3rd vote).
1868 Election
“Public opinion” was hard to measure in 1868, but most voters in
the North likely wanted Johnson removed from office. He was not a
candidate for the 1868 election. Grant, the Republican nominee,
won easily – many white southern voters could not vote.
Bloody Shirt appeals
The Republican strategy was to
appeal to war emotions.
Election results
Easy Money
As president Grant presided over an era of
unprecedented economic
growth. His views on
social equality were not
clear – he had owned slaves
in Missouri. His advisors
embarrassed him with a
series of scandals – the
Credit Mobilier and the
corruption in Indian affairs
Tweed’s Ring
Thomas Nast cartoon’s of William Marcy Tweed -notorious head of Tammany Hall’s political machine.
Massive corruption
1872 Election
 Rumors of corruption
during Grant’s first
term discredited the
Republicans.
 Horace Greeley ran
as a Democrat/Liberal
Republican candidate.
 Greeley was attacked as a
fool and a crank.
 He died on November 29,
1872, just after the
election.
Financial collapse
Unemployment grew to crisis
levels. Hard times raised “the
money question.” While
In 1876, the Greenback Party
was formed.
debtors wanted an inflationary
monetary policy by continuing
the circulation of greenbacks,
many investors, creditors, and
‘economists” supported hard
money. In 1875 the Specie
Redemption Act required the
Treasury to redeem paper money
in hard coin
Sharecropping
Furnishing Merchant
 Loan tools and seed
up to 60% interest to
tenant farmer to plant
spring crop.
 Farmer also secures
food, clothing, and
other necessities on
credit from merchant
until the harvest.
 Merchant holds “lien”
{mortgage} on part of
tenant’s future crops
as repayment of debt.
Tenant Farmer
 Plants crop, harvests
in autumn.
 Turns over up to ½ of
crop to land owner as
payment of rent.
 Tenant gives
remainder of crop to
merchant in
payment of debt.
 Tenant families often
live in perpetual debt.
Landowner
 Rents land to tenant in
exchange for ¼
to ½ of tenant
farmer’s future crop.
Intimidating Black voters
Black education
Such colleges as Howard, Fisk and Grambling created an
educated core (a ‘talented tenth’) for the Black population
Black representatives
The Southern
segregation
was mirrored
by northern
views that
Blacks were
incapable of
governing.
The 15th Amendment
Ratified in 1870, this stated that “the right of citizens
of the United States to vote shall not be denied or
abridged by the United States or by any state on
account of race, color, or previous condition of
servitude.” The Congress was enjoined to enforce
this article by appropriate legislation.
Although the amendment was praised in the North,
women’s rights groups were furious that they were
not granted the vote. Leaders like Susan B Anthony
took steps to express their disappointment.
The reality
 Core black voters were military veterans.
 Most blacks had little (if any) political experience,
but the Black representatives were capable.
 Blacks could register and vote in states, but
violence was used to deter them from doing so.
The 15th
Amendment
guaranteed
Federal voting
rights, but it was
hard to enforce.
KKK
Voting Rights Act, 1875
 It was a crime for any individual to deny full &
equal use of public conveyances and
public places.
 The act prohibited discrimination in jury
selection.
 Enforcement relied on a strong Attorney
General and honest Federal marshals.
 No further major civil rights acts were passed
for over 80 years (1957).
Support wanes
 Panic of 1873 .
 Corruption and scandals
 Key monetary issues:
Was paper money legal;
Should the $432m in
“greenbacks” be redeemed?
Should war bonds be redeemed in specie or
greenbacks or both?
1876
A flawed compromise
Tilden the loser
The Democrats got more representation in Congress and some
Federal patronage, but “Sammy Tilden” was abandoned. As
one cartoon put it -- “Boo-Hoo! Ruthy Hayes’s got my
Presidency, and he won’t give it to me!”
Rebuilding
•
Economic Devastation – destruction
of labor force, end of plantation
system, small amount of
infrastructure ruined, extreme
poverty, hyperinflation, worthless
currency, source of wealth (slaves)
erased, land values plummeted
• Social Changes – destruction of
planter aristocracy, 1/5 of all white
males dead
• White Desires – reimplementation of
slave, gang labor/wage labor with
blacks in fields, removal of federal
troops and northern encroachment
in labor contracts and regulations
Charleston, South Carolina (1865)
Legacies of Reconstruction
• The impoverishment and underdevelopment of the South until
the 1950s (crop liens, cotton lock, debt peonage, tenant
farming and sharecropping)
• Better education for blacks (public schools, increased literacy
rates), more autonomous black institutions (Baptist over AME
churches), own reform orgs. (e.g. Union League – pol.
awareness club)
• 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments (at least in place, if not enforced)
• Black congressional representation ( 14 H.o.R. and 2 senators from
1868-1876)
The “late unpleasantness”
The military occupation of the South ended in 1876, when
the last states (Louisiana, Florida, and South Carolina)
were allowed to send representatives and senators back
to Congress.
After Union troops were removed in early 1877, most
southern states used “Jim Crow” laws to block voting
rights for most ex-slaves. Segregation laws to restore
white domination and prevent economic progress for
African Americans were passed.
As the years when by, the former enemies mellowed.
Grant, Sherman, and others attended gatherings with
former Confederate generals, politicians made deals, and
writers began referring to the war as “the late
unpleasantness” -- an unfortunate family quarrel.