Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution wikipedia , lookup
Opposition to the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke Island wikipedia , lookup
Union (American Civil War) wikipedia , lookup
Fifteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution wikipedia , lookup
Military history of African Americans in the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Issues of the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Reconstruction era wikipedia , lookup
Carpetbagger wikipedia , lookup
- Full civil rights, such as “life, liberty, and property” given to freedmen - Suffrage for freedmen, so they could voice opinions about laws and leaders - African Americans allowed to serve in the state legislatures - Forced all southern states to accept the end of slavery before rejoining the Union - Wanted property for freedmen, “40 acres and a mule” - Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) established for African Americans - Freedmen’s Bureau: Government department created to help African Americans find jobs, education, or reunite families - Military oversight in southern states to ensure enforcement of new laws - Freedmen must pass a literacy test or pay poll taxes before voting - Segregation: separation of white southerners from African Americans - KKK and other organizations protected by government leaders and law enforcement - Confederate leaders receive full amnesty, or forgiveness, for rebelling against the Union - Former Confederates allowed to serve in Congress Reconstruction: Republicans vs. Democrats Radical Republicans After the Civil War ended in 1865, President Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, asked Congress to reunite the country as quickly as possible while ensuring new civil rights for the freedmen. Most Republicans were moderates who wanted the individual southern states to resolve their own issues. However, a small group of Radical Republicans held extreme views about Reconstruction. They demanded full equality and citizenship for all African Americans. To accomplish this, Radical Republicans pushed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 through Congress. This bill declared all persons born in the US were citizens and entitled to equal rights regardless of their race. Although President Andrew Johnson, a Democrat, vetoed the bill, Congress voted to override his veto with a 2/3 vote and succeeded. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 became law. Radical Republicans also wanted equal rights to be protected under the Constitution. To achieve this goal, Congress proposed the 14th Amendment stating all people born in the United States were citizens and had the same, equal rights. Every former Confederate state except Tennessee refused to support the amendment, which infuriated Radical Republicans. As a result, Congress passed the Reconstruction Acts of 1867 instead. This law divided the South into five military districts supervised by the federal government. Before a southern state could rejoin the Union, it had to do two things: 1) create new state constitutions that gave suffrage (voting rights) to all adult men, including African Americans and 2) ratify the 14th Amendment. Delegates in from each southern state met to draft their new state constitutions. About ¾ of these delegates were Republicans. Many of these Republicans were poor white farmers who were angry at wealthy planters for starting what they called the “rich man’s war.” They supported most ideas of the Radical Republicans. Another ¼ of the Republican delegates were known as carpetbaggers. They were northerners who rushed to the South after the war seeking political power or wealth. Southerners were suspicious at these delegates. In addition, African Americans also sided with Republicans and attended the conventions to create new state constitutions. They were mainly men who were free before the Civil War, able to read, and most were skilled workers, ministers, or teachers. By 1870, most Southern states had adopted the new state constitutions created by the Republicans. As a result, they were let back into the Union and allowed to send representatives to Congress. During the time Radical Republicans dominated Congress, they set up new public schools for African Americans and also extended suffrage to all adult males. They also established the Freedmen’s Bureau, a government organization dedicated to assisting former slaves. They helped reunite families, establish schools, and find jobs for freedmen. Democrats After Lincoln’s death, Andrew Johnson, a Democrat and former slaveowner, took office. He and other Democrats resisted the idea of giving African Americans equal rights such as suffrage because they would “operate against the white race.” Johnson believed the goal of Reconstruction was to reunite the nation quickly, not to extend equal rights to African American freedmen. To accomplish his goal of reunification, Johnson offered amnesty to most white Southerners. He promised to return their property as long as the former Confederates remained loyal to the United States. President Johnson also demanded all Southern States ratify the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery across the nation. When Congress resumed in 1866, it refused to seat representatives from the South, many who were Democrats, because they had been Confederate leaders only months before. They were already limiting the rights of freedmen through various Black Codes. In some states Black Codes stated African Americans could not carry weapons or had to show proof of employment. In addition, southern organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan started to emerge. Their goal was to restore Democratic control of the South and keep former slaves powerless. They intimated voters at the polls, beat people, and burned homes of African Americans as well as white Republicans. The Democratic Party gained power in the South and purposely ignored the illegal activities of the KKK. President Andrew Johnson and Republicans in Congress argued about the Civil Rights Act of 1866. President Johnson and Southern states refused to support the 14th Amendment as well. This angered Republicans in Congress who felt he favored the Democrats of the South. The House of Representatives voted to impeach the president. This means they formally accused Johnson of improper conduct while in office. The case moved to the Senate for a trial. After several weeks of testimony, the Senate voted whether to impeach Johnson. He was acquitted (released) by a single vote. Many of the reforms initiated by Republicans were ignored by the Democrats in power and little could be done to stop the Democrats. When the federal government left the South in 1877, twelve years after the Civil War’s end, white Southerners quickly took back control of the region and began to undo some of the changes that had been made.