Download reconstruction (1865-1877)

RECONSTRUCTION
(1865-1877)
Period during which the US began to
rebuild after the Civil War; process
used by federal gov’t to readmit the
Confederate States to the Union
Essential Questions
1.
To what extent did the Civil War and
Reconstruction establish the
supremacy of the national government?
2.
Describe the beginning of
Reconstruction and the development of
Radical Reconstruction.
PROBLEMS
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Had to rebuild everything: politics,
society, and the economy in the South
Deal with issues that caused the Civil
War
Lincoln, Johnson, and Congress had
different ideas on how reconstruction
should be handled
Lincoln’s Plan
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“10% Plan”
Preserve the Union—lenient policy
Higher Cause
Forgiving peace
“with malice toward none, with charity for all”
Amnesty (forgiveness) to most
10% must take oath—swear allegiance
Little mention of former slaves
RADICAL PLAN
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Radical Republicans led by Thaddeus
Stevens and Charles Sumner want to
destroy power of former slave owners
Wade-Davis Bill of 1864—(harsher plan,
martial law, majority takes oath, bars
leaders) proposed Congress do
reconstruction, Lincoln vetoed the bill
Lincoln Assassinated
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April 15, 1865 by John Wilkes Booth
Vice President Andrew Johnson becomes
President
Tried to follow Lincoln’s plan with additions
(wanted to deal with leaders of CSA more
harshly)
Congress refuses plan
South tries to reorganize under Lincoln’s plan
Southern Politics
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Black codes —informal code of conduct
that governed blacks allowing whites to
maintain control and deny blacks rights
Many of the same Confederate leaders
re-elected
The North saw little change in the
South—leading more to favor for
Congress’ plan
Power Struggle
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Congress refuses to
admit new Southern
delegates
Johnson’s plan comes to
a standstill after he
vetoes 2 bills
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Passes Civil Rights Act
of 1866 over presidential
veto (1st time ever)
14th amendment—all
persons entitled to equal
protection of the law
Riots led to Radicals
gaining control of
Congress in 1866
RADICAL RECONSTRUCTION
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Reconstruction Act:
• did not recognize Southern states under
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Lincoln or Johnson’s plan
divided South into 5 military districts
new state constitutions would be drafted
had to ratify the 14th amendment
banned former leaders
New Government
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Scalawags: white Southerners who
joined the Republican party
Carpetbaggers: Northerners who moved
South
African-Americans can vote, black
leaders are elected (first black to
Congress, Hiram Revels)
Johnson Impeached
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Johnson fights with Radicals;
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Tenure of Office Act: cannot remove Cabinet
appointments during the term of the president
who appointed them
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in turn Radicals seek a reason to impeach him
Johnson tests legality—fires Secretary of War
Johnson is impeached, but acquitted (not
guilty)
GRANT ELECTED
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Johnson serves out term with no real
effect on policy
General Grant (war hero) nominated and
easily wins (election of 1868)
15th amendment—no man can
be kept from voting based on
race, color, or previous
condition of servitude
Plans for Reconstruction
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Radical Republicans
Punish rebels by taking land
Replace existing political leaders
Demand that states meet strict
requirements to be readmitted
Provide assistance to AfricanAmericans
Use military to maintain control and
enforce new laws
Civil Rights Act of 1866: grants full
citizenship to all people born in the
United States
Reconstruction Act of 1867:
military rule of the South, protect
former slaves, bans former leaders
Chance to create a more “perfect”
union
Passes the 13th and 14th
amendments
Congress should pass laws giving
some land to freedmen and build
schools for them
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President Johnson
Accept verbal pledges of loyalty
Require existing leaders to seek
pardons from Congress
Expedite the readmission process
by emphasizing rejection of
secession and slavery
Allow states to decide on what
type of assistance to give African
Americans
Give leniency towards the south to
heal the nation’s wounds
Vetoes the Civil Rights Act of 1866
For states to be readmitted—call a
convention and write a new
constitution, repeal secession,
cancel all Confederate debts, and
ratify the 13th amendment
African-Americans should not be
guaranteed the right to vote
Review Questions
1.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Which amendment became part of the
Constitution because Congress feared that
Southern whites might try to keep African
Americans from voting?
Thirteenth
Fourteenth
Fifteenth
Sixteenth
2. White Southerners who joined the
Republican party
a. Scalawags
b. Carpetbaggers
c. Copperheads
d. Anacondas
3. In the Reconstruction Act of 1867, Congress set
requirements for the readmission of former
Confederate states into the Union. Which of the
following problems did the act address?
a.
Southern states did not allow African Americans
to vote
b.
Southern states had little money to pay for public
works projects
c.
Former slaves needed education
d.
Confederate bonds and money were worthless
4. The Tenure of Office Act
a. Was used to impeach President Johnson
b. Stated the President could not remove an
appointed official
c. Was challenged by President Johnson
when he fired his Secretary of War
d. All of the above
5. How did black codes help bring about the
passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1866?
a. They convinced Congress African Americans
needed federal laws to protect them
b. Congress believed white Southerners needed
more help rebuilding the South’s society
c. The South’s economy needed the added
protection against the North’s dominance
d. None of the above
6. What was the Presidential approach to
Reconstruction?
a. To make the South’s return as easy and
forgiving as possible
b. To punish the South for the trouble it had
caused over the last 5 years
c. Force 100% of Southern voters to take an
oath of allegiance
d. Act as if nothing had happened to the U.S. at
all
7. What were the challenges facing the
country during Reconstruction?
a. Had to rebuild the South’s economy
b. Had to reform the South’s society
c. Had to address the causes of the Civil
War
d. All of the above
8. Which statement BEST describes AfricanAmerican involvement in politics during
Reconstruction?
a.
They held some offices at the local level.
b.
They held offices in local, state, and federal
government
c.
They held no elected offices
d.
They held a majority in many Southern state
legislatures