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Reconstruction
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Freedman’s Bureau: A government agency
established in March 1865 to help both
former slaves and poor whites cope with
their everyday problems by providing food,
clothing and other necessities
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Reconstruction: a plan to rebuild the South and
restore southern states to the Union as quickly and
easily as possible
Lincoln’s Reconstruction Plan:
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All southerners were to take an oath of allegiance to the
U.S. (exclude high ranking military officials &
Confederate government officials)
After 10% of the voters in a state took the oath, the state
could form a government and ask to be readmitted to
the Union
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Disagreement with Lincoln’s plan:
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Congress felt the southern states should be
punished
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Johnson’s original plan:
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The same as Lincoln’s except he expanded the
groups who were not granted a general pardon
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Disfranchised:
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To take away the voting rights of others
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Three Additions to Johnson’s Plan:
States had to approve (ratify) the 13th
amendment
 States had to nullify the articles of secession
 States had to promise not to repay institutions
and individuals who had funded the Confederacy
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Purpose of the 13th Amendment:
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Abolish slavery
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Black Codes:
Laws passed in the South to restrict the rights of
freedmen
 These laws often controlled the types of jobs
freedmen could have, permitted whipping as a
punishment, and established labor periods (sunrise
to sunset
 These laws also permitted prison for jobless blacks
so many worked for very low wages
 Did not allow freed men to vote, serve on juries or
testify against white men in court
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Congress’ response to Black Codes:
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They passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866
 Extended
citizenship to African Americans
 Gave federal government the right to intervene in
issues of discrimination
 14th amendment was also passed at this time
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14th Amendment:
Gave citizenship to freedmen
 Ensured equal protection under the law
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Congressional Reconstruction:
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Had to ratify 14th amendment
When southern states refused:
Congress invalidated the new governments
 States were placed under military rule
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Carpetbaggers:
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Northerners who moved south after the war
Scalawags:
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Southerners who supported the Republican
reconstruction plan
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Three improvement made during the
Constitutional Convention of 1867:
1. Civil rights for all GA citizens
2. Free public education for all children
3. Allowed married women to control their own
property (1st state to do this)
New governor:
Rufus Bullock - Republican
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Henry McNeal Turner:
One of 29 black legislators elected to the Georgia
House of Representatives in 1868
What happened to the 32 African Americans
elected to the Georgia General Assembly in
1868?
They were expelled after it was determined they
had been given the right to vote, but not to
hold office
Reconstruction
Ku Klux Klan:
A secret organization that tried to keep freedmen
from exercising their new civil rights
Started in Pulaski, Tennessee in 1865
Methods of Terrorism used:
Intimidation included beatings, whippings, murder
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15th amendment:
Gave all male citizens the right to vote
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Georgia’s readmission was completed after
they:
1. Ruled that blacks were eligible to hold office
2. Reseated the expelled African American
representatives
3. Approved 14th amendment
4. Ratified 15th amendment
Democrats regained control of both houses of
the Georgia General Assembly
Reconstruction
Sharecropping:
Landowners provided land, a house, farming tools and
animals, seed, and fertilizer. Workers agreed to give
the owner a share of the harvest.
Tenant Farming:
Similar to sharecropping. Main difference was tenants
usually owned some equipment and farm animals.
They also bought their own seed & fertilizer. At
end of year they paid landowner a set amount of
cash or share of crop
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Demand on soil:
Because the bankers put such high expectations on
farmers (expected them to grow cotton & tobacco
crops year after year) the soil was ruined
Farmers became poorer and poorer
Cotton was still the most important crop in Georgia
Reconstruction
Other businesses expanded during
Reconstruction:
 Industry increased because of increased cotton
demand (textile mills increased)
 Banks began to reopen due to increased demand
 Dry goods stores, shops, and hotels reopened
 Railroad traffic & shipping increased as shipping
demands grew