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Reconstruction & the New South Ch. 15 Brought to you by the… The Politics of Reconstruction Part 1 What was Reconstruction? • Reconstruction – period during which the U.S. began to rebuild after the Civil War (1865-77) • Lincoln, Andrew Johnson (president who took over after Lincoln’s assassination), and Congress all had very different plans for Reconstruction What does field reporter Brian Fantana think of Reconstruction? Lincoln’s Plan • He favored a lenient Reconstruction policy • 10% Plan – Amnesty – blanket pardon, for all Confederates, except ranking officers, as long as they swore allegiance to the Union – Once 10% of the states did this, the state could form a new government and get representatives into Congress Republican Reaction to Lincoln • Radical Republicans – new group who wanted to destroy the political power of former slaveholders in the South (led by Thaddeus Stevens) • Did not like Lincoln’s plan; Response? – 1864 – Wade Davis Bill – proposed Congress, not the President, would take care of Reconstruction • Lincoln pocket vetoes the bill, upsetting the Radical Republicans Johnson’s Plan • Andrew Johnson (D) – 17th president of the U.S. • South saw him as a traitor; Radical Republicans saw him as on of their own (both wrong) • Presidential Reconstruction (May 1865) – South could be readmitted to Union if… – They would withdraw its succession – Swear allegiance to the Union – Annul (void) Confederate war debts Congress’ Plan Johnson and Congress got • Dec. 1865 – Refused to admit new South’s into an arguing match over legislators because they were not different from the Civil War period the bills and the vetoing. • Feb. 1866 – Freedmen’s Bureau – assisted poor whites & former slaves in the South with food and What were some of the clothes & set up institutions •things Civil Rightsthey Act of 1866 – Gavesaying African Americans were to citizenship and forbade the passing of black codes – discriminating laws that restricted blacks’ lives each other? • Johnson vetoed both; Congress overrode both vetoes Congressional Reconstruction • 14th Amendment – All persons born or naturalized in the U.S. are citizens of the country – All are entitled to equal protection under the law & no state could deprive citizens the right to due process of law • Reconstruction Act of 1867 – Divided the 10 remaining Confederate states into 5 military districts; each headed by a Union general – Johnson vetoed; Congress overrode veto IMPEACHED! • Congress was fed up with Johnson, so they tried to find a way to impeach – formally charge for misconduct in office – and remove Johnson from office • Tenure of Office Act – Congressional law stating the president could not remove Cabinet members without the consent of Senate • Johnson felt it was unconstitutional, fired his Secy of War and Congress impeached him • Stayed in office by 1 vote Grant’s in What would Grant say to voters to convince them to vote for him? • 1868 Election – Ulysses S. Grant (R) elected as President • Radical Republicans introduce 15th Amendment – suffrage for all men, no matter race or ethnicity • Enforcement Act of 1870 – federal government had the right to punish anyone preventing blacks from voting Reconstruction & the New South Ch. 15 Brought to you by the… Reconstructing Society Part 2 Conditions of Postwar South BAD • Sherman destroyed ~$100 million work of Confederate property alone in GA and SC • Economy terrible; 1/5 men dead from war GOOD • Public works programs created to rebuild roads, bridges, and RR’s • Established orphanages and schools – Downside: projects were expensive on taxpayers Brick didn’t like Politics in Postwar South carpetbaggers and scalawags, • Scalawags – Democrats’ name for white who joined the Rep. Party so Southerners he would say – Seen as bad by Dems b/c they wanted to help the meanadvancement things, of blacks like this, to – Dems’ nickname for • Carpetbaggers Northerners insult them. who moved to the South after the war – Seen as bad by Dems b/c they felt they came to exploit the South – In reality, they were Freedmen’s Bureau agents, teachers, and businesspeople trying to help Politics in Postwar South • At first, 90% of blacks in the South were voting • There were major differences between Dems and Reps in the South – Reps fought for civil rights for blacks – Dems fought to oppress black people – Reps tried to get Dems on their side by appointing them to offices; betrayed blacks and backfired Former Slaves Face Challenges When Ron • What to do? Where to live? How to survive? Burgundy faces • Some families were reunited •challenges, Many becoming literate (in 1870, 80% is of this African American adults were illiterate) • Many founded own churches and volunteer what he usually groups says… – Many moved to Southern cities for jobs – Ministers became influential community leaders Former Slaves Face Challenges • Many tried to get into politics, several successfully gaining seats in Congress – Most served in local and state governments • Many black codes and segregation not allowed • African Americans focused more on the black community rather than full integration Changes in the South’s Economy • 40 acres and a mule – Sherman’s promise to give any former slave 40 acres and military mules if they helped fight Civil War – Afterwards, the land was taken back by Johnson – African Americans upset; government issues 1866 Homestead Act to give them land, but land is unusable Rural South’s Economy • Planters had problems, too – Could not find workers to put in as much labor as they had before – Weren’t making profit b/c they had to pay workers – Whites didn’t want to work for them b/c they felt like slaves • Most former slaves took jobs working on RR’s, in mills, or subsistence farming • Cotton was no longer king – Other countries increased their production value of Southern cotton plummets South tries to increase production price plummets again switch to other crops Rural South’s Economy • Blacks and poor whites had a few choices for farming: • 1. Sharecropping: landowners divided up their land and gave each worker a few acres along with seeds and tools – Had to give the owners half of their harvest • 2. Tenant farming: paying rent for land and keeping all the harvest – Very few could do this b/c it would cost too much money Reconstruction & the New South Ch. 15 Brought to you by the… The Collapse of Reconstruction Part 3 Opposition to Reconstruction • Ku Klux Klan – founded as a social club for Confederate veterans in Tennessee, 1866 – As it grew many chapters in the South, it turned into a violent terrorist group – MAIN GOAL: to restore white supremacy • 1868-1871: Klan killed thousands of men, women, and kids and burned schools, churches, and properties (mostly blacks, but also whites who supported equality for blacks) • Klan assassinated a Republican (John Stephens) for helping black people • RESULT: Klan scared black people away from voting and the Dems won in the South, overwhelmingly Opposition to Reconstruction • Economy – Blacks were hurting economically because the Klan was destroying their property & whites wouldn’t hire them out of fear from Klan repercussion • Congress’ Response – Enforcement Acts of 1870 and 1871: federal supervision of Southern elections (blacks were afraid to vote) • RESULT: Grant didn’t use power and S. Court found it unconstitutional • RESULT 2.0: Klan activity decreased, only because the Klan was successful at restoring white supremacy in the South Ron is a staunch Rep, so when he found out the Dems took over, this • Politics – Dems in; Reps out was his response… Scandals & Money Crises Hurt Reps • Grant (R) was honest, but naïve • His administration was crooked and being corrupt (started in 1872), but he didn’t do anything about it b/c he refused to believe it to be true – 1875 – Whiskey Ring – 1876 – Secy of War accepted bribes • Reps upset, many set up new party, the Liberal Rep Party, splitting Rep Party up Economic Turmoil Ron was scared to • The Panic of 1873 death about the panic. What did he say? • Specie Resumption Act (1875) – made money – HOW? Northern and Southern investors borrowed too much money to pay for projects in the South – Defaulted on loans; many banks failed – By 1875, 89 RR’s broke, 18,000 companies went bust, and 3 million people unemployed be backed up by gold; caused deflation Dems “Redeem” the South • Redemption – Dems’ return to power in the South, due to the end of Reconstruction in 1877 • 1876 Presidential Election – Rutherford B. Hayes (R) won, but by a vote in the House – Dems agreed to put him into power, but they had to get something out of it… • Withdrawal of troops in LA and SC • Federal funds to build RRs from TX to the West Coast • Wanted Hayes to appoint a conservative Southern cabinet Home Rule of South • Home rule – the ability to run state governments without federal intervention • EFFECT: Dems (the “Redeemers”) passed laws restricting the rights of blacks, wiped out social programs helping them, and dismantled public schools • North didn’t really care; indifferent Legacy of Reconstruction • Ended in 1877 when Hayes took office GOOD • 13th, 14th, 15th amendments • Literacy and universities increased for African Americans BAD • Ended without much real progress • Radical Reps made mistakes by believing extending civil rights to freed people would solve everything, by not giving land to former slaves, and by not seeing the deep-seated racism in the South towards blacks THE END!!!