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The Ordeal of
Reconstruction
Chapter 22
The Problems Of Peace
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Major questions facing the country
 How
would the south be rebuilt
 How would the liberated Blacks be converted
to free citizens
 How would southern states be reintegrated
into the Union
 Who would direct reconstruction, the southern
states, the President or Congress
 What to do with confederate leaders?
Major Problems InThe South
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Social and economic system had collapsed.
Key Southern cities were devastated.
Banking system had collapsed under run-away
inflation.
Factories were destroyed
Transportation system completely broken down
Agriculture, major economic force of the south,
totally collapsed.
Southern rich were suddenly much poorer.
Many Southerners were beaten but still defiant
and were not yet emotionally prepared to
reintegrate with the north.
Freedmen Define Freedom
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Immediately after war, freedom for Blacks depended on where the
army was located.
Many whites in South rejected the validity of Emancipation
Proclamation
Reaction of Blacks
Blacks hit the road
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Exodusters
Black schools
Black churches
The Freedmen’s Bureau
Congress creates the Freedmen’s
Bureau March, 1865.
 Purpose?
 Greatest success?
 Failed to provide land, as authorized
 Blacks and labor contracts
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Freedmen’s Bureau School
Southern View of Freedmen’s
Bureau
Southern View of Freedmen’s Bur.
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Southerners resented
the Bureau as
northern intrusion.
Pres. Johnson didn’t
support it. Why?
It died in 1872.
One of many failures
of reconstruction.
Plenty to eat and
nothing to do.
Johnson: The Tailor President
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He had started from very humble
beginnings.
Never attended school.
Enters politics in Tenn.
Champion of poor whites and
mountain whites.
As Tenn. Congressman he
refused to secede with Tenn.
Forced to flee Tenn.
Johnson: The Tailor President
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Appointed War Governor after
Tenn. partially redeemed by
Union Army.
Appointed VP when Lincoln
needs to cement the Union Party
and keep the vote of border
states and Union democrats.
Dogmatic believer in State’s Right
and the Constitution.
See John Tyler
Presidential Reconstruction
Lincoln plan proposed before war over.
 What is Lincoln’s basic theory
 What is the basic condition for states to be
redeemed?
 Who does Lincoln think should be in
charge or reconstruction? Why?
 How does Congress feel about his plan?
Why?
 Lincoln’s 10% Plan. Details
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Congress Reacts
Congress disagreed with Lincoln’s
approach.
 Congressional Republican theory?
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 Who
in charge of readmission?.
 Radical Republican Goals.
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Congress passes the Wade-Davis Bill in
1864
 What
does it say?
 What happened to this bill?
Johnson’s Plan for Reconstruction
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Johnson agreed with Lincoln’s 10% plan.
Recognized several 10% governments.
Introduced his plan 8/1865.
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Disenfranchised southerners with property over
$20,000.
They could petition him for a pardon
called for special state conventions
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to repeal declarations of secession,
repudiating confederate debts and
ratifying 13th Amendment prohibiting slavery
Who deals with former slaves?
How does Congress React? Why?
Black Codes
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New states passed Black
Codes
Harsh
Purpose?
Southern concerns and
motives?
Consequences
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For blacks
politically
Congressional Reconstruction
1865. States readmitted by Johnson start
sending Congressmen to Washington.
 Many are former Confederate politicians
and Generals.
 Republicans outraged
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 Why?
Congress’ reaction?
 This sets up a monumental show-down
with Johnson
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Johnson Clashes With Congress
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Johnson reacts strongly to Congress
Johnson announces that South had
satisfied his conditions and Union was
restored.
Vetoed extension of Freedman’s
Bureau.
Civil Rights Act.
 What does the Act do?
What does Johnson do to the bill.
What does Congress do in response?
Fourteenth Amendment
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Why does Congress propose?
What does it say?
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Conferred Civil Rights except the vote on Freedmen.
 Reduced representation in Congress of states that did
not give the freedmen the vote.
 Disqualified from federal and state office former
confederates who had previously sworn oath to
Const. of the US and, thus, had violated it.
 Repudiated the confederate debt.
 Extended Due Process to all citizens.
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Ratified in 1868
Johnson’s Back-firing Campaign
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1866 Johnson and Congress battle over whether
reconstruction would continue with or without the
14th Amendment.
The battle-ground became the Congressional
elections.
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Johnson hoped for a majority in favor of his soft
approach.
Republicans sought a congress that was veto-proof.
Johnson goes on a “give-‘em-hell” campaign
swing to try to marshal votes.
Johnson’s efforts backfire. Why?
Result?
SWINGING AROUND THE CIRCLE WITH
JOHNSON
Republican’s In Charge
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Republicans now in the driver’s
seat, but split between the radicals
and the moderates.
Radicals led by Charles Sumner in
the Senate and Thaddeus Stevens
in the house.
Aims of Radicals?
Aims of Moderates?
Moderates had the upper hand
Eventual policies showed
influences of both
Both recognize that federal power
necessary to ensure
enfranchisement of blacks.
Military Reconstruction
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Reconstruction Act (March 1867)
What did it do?
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Temporarily disenfranchised many southerners—
10,000
 Stringent conditions for the readmission of the
seceded states
 States required to ratify Fourteenth Amendment to
come back in
 State constitutions must guarantee vote for slaves
 Stopped short of giving blacks land or requiring
education.
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Johnson vehemently opposes.
Military Reconstruction Act
Military Reconstruction
15th Amendment passed 1869 (ratified in
1870).
 Why necessary after Reconstruction Act?
 Military reconstruction questionable
constitutionally.
 By 1870 all states readmitted under terms
of Reconstruction Act.
 Last federal troops leave in 1877.
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Radical Reconstruction In The South
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Evolution of attitude toward black
enfranchisement.
Blacks voting, but many whites weren’t.
Union Leagues
14 Black Congressmen; 2 Black
Senators. Height of black political
power until mid 20th Century.
Carpetbaggers and Scalawags.
Assessment of reconstruction
governments in the South
Ku Klux Klan
KKK (Invisible Empire of the South)
 Used intimidation, fear and force to get
upstart Blacks and carpetbaggers to get
back in their place.
 Founded by Nathan Bedford Forrest.
 Undermined the civil rights given to blacks.
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Johnson Impeachment
Radical Republicans frustrated with
Johnson and out for his hide.
 Tenure in Office Act (1867). Provisions?
 How does Johnson violate the act?
 Constitutionality of act?
 House vote for impeachment
 Factors impacting the Senate vote
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The Purchase Of Alaska
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One of Johnson’s few
successes was the purchase
of Alaska.
Why were Russians looking
to unload Alaska?
Sec. of State Seward agrees
to purchase for 7.2 Mil in
1867. Dubbed Seward’s
Folly.
Why was US willing to
purchase?