Download Reconstruction

Chapter 15
Rebuilding the Union
Deep Divisions
The Civil War left deep divisions
in the United States, some of
which – for some people –
never healed.
Deep Divisions
"The Gettysburg speech was at once the shortest and the most
famous oration in American history... the highest emotion reduced
to a few poetical phrases. Lincoln himself never even remotely
approached it. It is genuinely stupendous. But let us not forget
that it is poetry, not logic; beauty, not sense. Think of the
argument in it. Put it into the cold words of everyday. The doctrine
is simply this: that the Union soldiers who died at Gettysburg
sacrificed their lives to the cause of self-determination -- that
government of the people, by the people, for the people, should
not perish from the earth. It is difficult to imagine anything more
untrue. The Union soldiers in the battle actually fought against selfdetermination; it was the Confederates who fought for the right of
their people to govern themselves."
-- H.L. Mencken
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What was supposed to be reconstructed,
during Reconstruction?
Common misconception: “Reconstruction”
was about rebuilding the damaged South
FALSE!
Congress dealt with rebuilding the broken
bonds of Union among the states
“Readmitting” the seceded states to a Union
they never really left in the first place
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Not a time of reconciliation, not a time of pity
and forgiveness to the South, as far as most
Americans (North and South) were
concerned
Lincoln’s idea: we are family, forgive their
error and welcome them home (“Prodigal
Son” image)
Their statehood not dead during war, was
merely “asleep.” We never acknowledged
they were legally out of the Union.
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Lincoln’s plan:
“Ten Per Cent” plan – once
10% of ordinary Southerners in
a state (not CSA office holders)
had taken an oath to end
slavery and be loyal to Union,
the state could be re-admitted.
Only oath-takers would be
eligible for office in new state
government
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Lincoln’s plan was not popular in Congress
Radicals in the Republican Party wanted
retribution and punishment for CSA
Radical Plan: Wade-Davis Bill – a majority
(not 10%) must take an “ironclad oath” that
they had never supported the Confederacy
Lincoln killed Wade-Davis via pocket veto
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Shortly after veto, Lincoln was
assassinated
Vice President Andrew
Johnson became President
Radicals were glad Lincoln was
dead, but used his murder as a
“Public Relations project” to
blame Southerners for his
death, promote Wade-Davis
plan
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Johnson instead favored the old Lincoln plan
Made only slight changes:
States must ratify 13th amendment (formally,
legally abolishing slavery)
States must not attempt to collect any war
damage payments from Union (repudiation of
war debt)
States must issue formal statement
apologizing for secession
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At time of Lincoln’s death, 3 states
(Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana) had
completed steps for Lincoln plan and applied
for re-admission
But Congress refused to “re-admit” them
Now all states must comply with somewhat
harsher rules of Johnson
13th Amendment was ratified on December 6,
1865
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Johnson also hoped each state would allow
freed slaves to vote, but did not require it
Bear in mind that black people could not vote
in most Northern states either
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Meanwhile, in other news . . .
Johnson’s Secretary of State, William
Seward, negotiated a treaty to buy Alaska
from Russia for just over $7 million in 1867
Seen as waste of money at the time
Until gold was discovered in Alaska in the
late 19th century
Then, later, of course – oil
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Radicals in Congress hated Johnson’s lax
attitude to former Confederate states
Publicly questioned his patriotism
1866 mid-terms Congressional elections a
victory for more radical Republicans
Radicals forced a harsh new set of
demands on Southern states
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This marked the end of “Presidential
Reconstruction” (according to a president’s
plan) . . .
And the beginning of “Congressional
Reconstruction” (according to Congress’
plan)
Radicals were now poised to mete out
punishments they felt the former Confederate
states deserved
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First, the newly-freed slaves must be dealt
with
They were often homeless, jobless, and
without any independent survival skills
Congress created Freedman’s Bureau to
deal with the issues of education, jobtraining, health care, etc.
Also passed Civil Rights Act of 1866, giving
Congress wide police powers to enforce
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Johnson vetoed both measures
Congress overrode both vetoes
Congress also passed the 14th amendment,
giving citizenship to freed slaves
Made ratifying the amendment a new
condition of readmission for former
Confederate states
14th Amendment was ratified on July 9, 1868
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Congress passed Military Reconstruction Act
in 1866 (again, over Johnson’s veto)
Divided entire South into 5 military districts,
each under martial law controlled by the US
Army
Only Tennessee was excused from this,
having already been re-admitted
Passed Army Act, reducing Johnson’s power
as Commander-in-Chief
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Were these acts unconstitutional?
Probably, but the Supreme Court declined to
intervene
Johnson was seen as obstructing what
Congress intended to do
Congress sought a way to get rid of Johnson
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Johnson was making moves to remove some
cabinet members he inherited from Lincoln
Congress quickly passed Tenure of Office
Act
Made it illegal for the President to remove an
official that Congress had approved, without
Congress’ permission
Johnson fired the Secretary of War anyway
Congress voted to impeach him 1867
Impeachment
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“Impeachment” is a Constitutional procedure for
removing a federal official (not just the President)
from office
This may be done for “high crimes and
misdemeanors”
Article Two, Section 4: “The President, Vice
President and all civil Officers of the United States,
shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for,
and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high
Crimes and Misdemeanors.”
Impeachment
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The House of Representatives votes to
impeach (passes “Articles of Impeachment”)
NOTE: “impeachment” does NOT equal
“removal from office”
It’s sort of like an indictment by a Grand Jury
The actual trial is held in the Senate
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
presides
Members of the Senate function as the jury
Impeachment
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In Johnson’s case, the Senate narrowly
voted “not guilty”
But Johnson was greatly intimidated, and
never crossed Congress again
Since 1789, 19 federal officials have been
impeached
Two Presidents, one Senator, one cabinet
member, and 15 judges
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Some were convicted and removed from
office
Some were also disqualified from serving in
federal office again (the Senate can also do
this, but does not always do so)
Some were acquitted (including both
Presidents who were impeached)
Some resigned before being put on trial
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At the 1868 Convention,
Republicans decided to
select a candidate who
would endorse every
Radical plan for
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Chose war hero Ulysses
S. Grant
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Most Democrats were still in the South
 Democrats had little chance of winning
this election
 Grant won, but not by the expected
landslide
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Grant was a good military leader, but a poor
politician
Saw his role as “assisting Congress”
Congress quickly passed 15th Amendment, a
vague outline for granting the right to vote to
newly freed slaves
Congress made ratification of the 15th
Amendment a new condition for re-admission to
Union
15th Amendment ratified February 3, 1870
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Dictatorial Union rule, martial law in South,
and Grant’s disinterested style of
management in North, made this a time of
corruption
Great corruption in the South, advantage
taken of inexperienced black-led
governments
Many Northern entrepreneurs came South to
take advantage (“Carpetbaggers”)
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Great economic distress, even starvation
among whites and blacks alike in South
Ku Klux Klan militias formed to restore order;
spread race fears and hatred of Republican
Party
Goal of Klan and other militias: “redeem”
Southern states from Republican (black) rule
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By 1876, all but 3 states had been
“redeemed” (South Carolina, Louisiana,
Florida)
Congress tried to control Klan with two KKK
Acts (1870, 1871)
Applied most severely in South Carolina.
KKK violence died down
Enthusiasm for radical ideas was dying
down also
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Grant was an ineffective president
Many financial scandals during his time:
“Salary grab” by Congress
Credit Mobilier Corporation cheated
government out of funds to build railroads
Grant’s Secretary of Treasury stole funds
from the whiskey tax
Still, Grant was re-elected in 1872
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Grant was dying of cancer by the time his
term ended in 1876
Republican candidate Rutherford B. Hayes,
Democrat Candidate Samuel Tilden
3 Southern states still “out of union,” but sent
election returns anyway.
Much corruption alleged in vote-counting
process; no clear winner
Decision sent to House of Representatives
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Hayes offered a deal to any southern state
that would direct its Congressmen to vote for
him:
In exchange, he would end military rule
South quickly accepted (“Compromise of
1877”)
Reconstruction officially ended; Union troops
withdrawn. Very bad news for freed slaves.
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Began new era of “virtual slavery” in
Southern farming: sharecropping
Many Southern states enacted “black codes,”
similar to old slave codes
Many tactics to keep black citizens from
voting (poll tax, literacy test, grandfather
clause)
President Hayes did not stop any of this
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But gradually South also began to
industrialize, lessen dependence on
agriculture
New industries
Textiles (North Carolina, South Carolina)
Steel (Alabama)
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Now that all states were “redeemed,”
segregation became official policy
Segregation system nicknamed “Jim Crow,”
after a Southern euphemism for black folk.
US Supreme Court upheld legality of
segregation (Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896)
Doctrine of “separate but equal” =
segregation is OK as long as “equal facilities”
were provided
Preview of Chapter 16
Conquest of the American West:
Impetus for continuing westward
expansion of both the nation and the economy:
mining, ranching, homesteading
The Dawes Severalty Act and
government dealings with the American First
Nations
There will be an analytical essay on US
relations with Native Americans; students will
be expected to identify lands lost by indigenous
peoples via classroom and desktop maps.