RECONSTRUCTION

Chapter 16

After the Civil War South is destroyed:

Economically Physically Spiritually

Major Questions: How could Union be

restored? How would South be

reintegrated? How should Confederate

states be treated? Who would control

readmission? Would Confederate leaders

be punished? What would happen to

former slaves?

Lincoln’s Plan 10% Plan (1863)

When 10% of state’s citizens took loyalty oath and accepted emancipation, state could set up government Excluded from oath: Confederate government officials and officers

(could apply for Presidential Pardon) Opposition

Thaddeus Stevens Ben Wade

Wade-Davis Bill Passed July 1864 Each state ruled by military government 50% of eligible voters had to take oath State convention had to repeal secession and abolish slavery To earn voting rights would have to swear to 2nd “iron-clad” oath Lincoln vetoed

Charles Sumner Radical Republicans Thought Lincoln’s plan was too lenient

Lincoln’s Death Dies before he could implement any plan

Johnson’s Plan

Favored Lincoln’s moderate approach Created plan while congress out of session

All southerners who took oath would receive a pardon and amnesty with all property restored

Could elect delegated to state convention Excluded

Confederate officials and officers As well as, ex-confederates with 20,000+ in taxable property Way to purge aristocracy

Consequences Johnson handed out pardon liberally (13,000) Dropped plan for punishment of treason All established governments by December 1865 Confederates elected to office/congress

Some refused to ratify 13th amendment or repudiate debts

South’s Black Codes

Black Codes Guaranteed basic rights

Marry, own property, contracts, testify

Enforced segregation in public places Prohibited interracial

marriage, jury service by blacks, court testimony of blacks against whites

Barred slaves from leaving former plantations

Most didn’t go into effect Union Army Freedman’s Bureau

Thought of southern defiance

Congress v. Johnson Conflict

Radical Republicans Minority in congress Thaddeus Stevens

Wants black suffrage and to delay readmission of Confederate states Conservative Republicans

Minority in congress Favored Johnson’s plan

Moderate Republicans Largest bloc in Congress Thought Johnson’s plan too weak Didn’t want black suffrage Supported two proposals:

Senator Trumbull Invalidate black codes Bill to make blacks US citizens and ensure rights in court 1866 called

Civil Rights Act Johnson vetoed, Congress over-rode

14th Amendment, 1866

Proposed by joint committee on reconstruction Clauses

Citizens All persons born or naturalized in US No state could abridge blacks rights without due process

Guaranteed suffrage by threatening republicans in Congress

Disqualified those who supported Confederacy South had to be forced to deal with blacks fairly Issue in 1866 elections

Republicans succeeded Enough members to force any legislation

Congressional Reconstruction, 1866-1867 Radicals wanted:

Black suffrage Federal support for schools Confiscation of Confederate estates Period of military occupation of South

Passed 1867; Reconstruction Act Jackson vetoed, congress passed over Invalidated state governments under Lincoln and Johnson 5 military districts, run by Union generals Enfranchised blacks Slowed readmittance of Confederate states No treason or confiscation of property

Thaddeus Stevens wanted to take property and split into 40 acres and give to freedmen

Didn’t pass because of issues of property rights

Impeachment Crisis, 1867-1868

March 1867 Congress passes two laws

to limit presidential power Tenure of Office Act

Couldn’t remove civil officers without senate consent

Barred Johnson from issuing military orders except through commanding general

August 1867 Johnson suspended

secretary of war Stanton Wants to replace with

Grant Senate refused to approve Impeached him Trial March 1868: not guilty

Circus like atmosphere

Election of 1868

Republican Ulysses S. Grant

Famous Union General Democrat

Horatio Seymour Gov. from NY

Results Grant wins

15th Amendment Republicans NEEDED black voters support 1869: 15th amendment proposed

loopholes: Did not guarantee office holding Did not prohibit voting restrictions

Question of women’s rights Two groups:

Boston American Women’s Suffrage Association Julia Ward Howe, Lucy Stone

New York National Woman Suffrage Association Stanton, Anthony More radical, wanted amendment

Legislation: Declared a state could deny woman right to vote

Reconstruction Governments

New Electorate Blacks held majority in

Southern states base of Republican party

Southern Republicans Carpetbaggers Scalawags freedman

Black Officeholders= elite Literate, non-slaves

Republican Rule No state instituted land

reform Ambitious public works at

state levels Created public school

systems State debt/ taxes

skyrocketed

Counterattacks Didn’t act until states

admitted to Union 1870 Enforcement Act

Protect black voters 1871 2nd Enforcement Act

Federal suspension of elections

3rd Enforcement Act (KKK) Strengthened

punishments Use of federal troops Suspension of habeas

corpus

Impact of Emancipation Changes to life

Waves of migration Urban movement Find family Freedman’s Bureau

Family life Legalize unions Traditional roles

Black Institutions Growth of black churches

Ministers assumed political roles

Black schools Segregated public schools Rejected integration Black universities Remained limited,

underfunded

Sharecropping Southern Homestead Act 1866

44 millions acres in SC/GA Poor soil, no resources Unable to establish Lacked $ and equipment White didn’t want to sell to blacks Planters wanted to preserve black

labor force

Black codes Labor contracts 1866

“work your way up” Problems

Bad harvests, price dropping = sharecropping

Rents for share of crop Landowners still retained power Depression of 1873

Lots of debt

Crop-Lien Economy

Needed more localized network of credit

Merchants sold supplies, equipment on credit No collateral, used

claimed on next crop Cycle of indebtedness

Transformed southern agriculture Prevented crop

diversification Cash crops Soil depletion, land

erosion poverty

New Concerns in the North, 1868-1876 Grantism

War hero Endorsed by Union Vets Passive President

Plagued by scandals l

Boss Tweed Foreign policy

Johnson Seward’s Folly 1867 $7.2 Million

Grant Dominican Republic unsuccessful

Liberal Revolt Republicans worried about

election of 1872 Formed Liberal Republican Party Revolt

Turning point in Recon. Split support for Reps. “Liberal”

Free trade, gold standard, supply/demand

Attacked Grantism, civil-service reform,

high tariff policy, Bayonet rule in South

Nominated Horace Greely Democrats endorsed “anything to beat Grant” Worked himself to death

Grant wins

Panic of 1873

Post-war industrial boom Transcontinental railroad

1869 over speculation

Jay Cooke (Union Pacific) 1873 costs outrun

investments By Sept. couldn’t meet

obligations Banks shut down

Panic Other banks shut down Stock market collapsed 5 yr depression

Consequences Industrialization issues now

replaced sectionalism Currency Dispute

Greenbacks withdrawn after war

Farmers wanted easy money Issue divided Rep. party

National Debt Public Credit Act 1869

(Sherman) Pay back war bonds in coin Swap for new ones 1872 “gold coin” 1875 Specie Resumption Act

Politics Democrats win house 1875 Greenback party 1876 No answer to money question

Reconstruction and the Constitution Supreme Court

Weakened northern support

Ex Part Milligan 1866 Court would not support

congressional laws to protect freedman’s rights

Special military courts to enact

Texas v. White 1869 Restoring states meaningless

because union was indissoluble

Slaughterhouse Cases 1873 Chipped away at 14th

amendment Over monopolies States could violate rights

U.S. v Reese and U.S. v. Cruikshank 1875 Enforcement Act 1870 Undercut effectiveness

Consequences Invalidated Civil Rights

Act of 1875 KKK Act of 1875

End of Reconstruction

Republicans in Retreat Grant reluctant to assert

federal authority in state and local affairs

1870’s idealism waned Commercial and

industrial interests more important

1874: Democrats win elections

1875 Radical Republicans disappeared

Reconstruction abandoned 1876-1877

Redeeming the South Democrats gained

momentum after Amnesty Acts

Mobilized formerly apathetic white voters

Divided party Businessmen

Industrialized New South Bourbons

Old planter elite One goal:

Oust Republicans from office

Used intimidation White leagues, Miss. plan

Exodus movement “Kansas Fever” 1879

Election of 1876 Republican Rutherford B. Hayes

“moderate” on southern policy, Home-rule

Untainted by Grant Guaranteed civil and political rights

for all Democrat Samuel Tilden

Campaigned against fraud and waste Boss Tweed

Both: Fiscal conservatives Favored sound $ Decried corruption

Election: Corrupt Challenged Tilden’s victory Electoral Commission 1877

Hayes Win, Democrats the House “Compromise of 1877”

Election cartoons

Evaluating the Republican Record

Accomplishments Liberalized state

constitutions in South Universal male suffrage Property rights for women Debt relief

Promoted building of roads, bridges, railroads, and other internal improvements

Est. state institutions such as hospitals, asylums

State-supported school systems

Failures Corruption

Wasteful spending Bribes/ kickbacks

The North During Reconstruction Rise of the Spoilsmen Corruption in business

and government Credit Mobilier Affair

Insiders gave stock to influential members of congress

Reconstruction Summary

Reconstruction a democrat experiment that didn’t go far enough Congress did not

promote freedman’s independence through land reform

Federal government neglected to back Congressional Reconstruction with military force

Failure of government to fulfill its own goals

Looking towards a new America