Warm-up:• Answer in brief paragraph:

• What was life like for the newly freed African Americans?

Reconstruction Politics

• Three branches of governmentLegislative, Executive,

Judicial• Each branch has appointed

responsibilities or powers for running the country smoothly

• The separation of powers was created to keep any one branch from gaining too much power

Separation of Powers

Presidential Reconstruction• Lincoln and Johnson both wanted

basically the same thing:oNone of which included rights for

African Americans other than freedom

oShow kindness and charity to Confederate states and get the Union moving forward

oWanted Southern states to ratify the 13th Amendment to abolish slavery

Congressional Reconstruction

• Wanted African Americans to have rights

• Northern voters sympathized with the Radicals

• Radical Republicans believed Presidential Reconstruction was a threat to Congressional authorityoJohnson vetoed 29 bills passed by

CongressoCongress overrode 15 of his vetoes

Advancing Democracy Ideals & Institutions

• 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments part of program to ensure civil rights for African Americans

• Freedom, Citizenship and Voting for African Americans advance American ideals of democracy

• Women also fought for voting rights during Reconstruction but were still unsuccessful.

Political Parties• Lincoln was a Republican and

Johnson was a Democrat, but chosen as running mate (vice-president) because he was a Union sympathizer

• Johnson favored a government controlled by white citizens and was very prejudice against African AmericansoOften refused to compromiseoDid not believe in civil rights for African

Americans

Political Parties in Congress

• Most Republicans in Congress were moderateso Wanted to restore Southern states to the Uniono Keep former Confederates out of governmento Give southern African Americans some civil

equalities but not the vote (which many Northerners agreed with)

• Race riots in Memphis and New Orleans pulled congressional republicans together

• 1866 elections saw many Northerners voting in “radical” republicans

• Knew strong enforcement was required to make Reconstruction a success and knew Johnson would not cooperate

Tenure of Office Act• Congress passed act to protect

Reconstruction policies and Republican office holders

• Required Senate approval of a replacement before the President could remove an appointed official

• Johnson believed it unconstitutional and put it to the test by removing Secretary of War Edwin Stanton (an ally of Radicals) from office

• House of Representatives voted to impeach Johnson because he violated the act, making “scandalous” speeches and bringing Congress “into disgrace”

Impeachment• To impeach a President, House of Reps

bring charges and Senate hold hearings• Congress brought 11 charges against

Johnson, none with any substance• Real Congressional grievances against

Johnson:o 1) Johnson was unfairo 2) Johnson governed poorlyo 3) Johnson tried to halt Congress’s plan for

Reconstruction

• Trial lasted 8 weeks and Johnson was acquitted in the Senate by 1 vote short of 2/3 majority needed to convict and remove from office

Southern Reconstruction Governments

• Carpetbaggers-Northern Republicans (white and African American) moved to the South to participate in state conventions

• Scalawags-southern whites who supported the Union cause

• Reconstruction supporters in the South formed a Republican alliance-a party of progress and civilizationo Used political leverage to draft new state

constitutions• Southern governments tried to improve

economic conditions by building railroads and businesses

Political Parties in Reconstructed South• Republican party became strong in the

South because millions of Southern African American men began voting for the first time thanks to the 14th Amendment

• Southern Democrats appealed to the small farmers because they pointed out that higher taxes were going to have to be paid to re/build roads and schools

Re-admittance to the Union• Once Congress approved the new state

constitutions, state legislatorsoRaised taxes to finance new roads,

bridges and railroads---rebuild infrastructure

oGiving all men the right to vote found many African Americans voting for the first time and holding government office positions for the first time

Election of 1868• Radical Republicans nominated Ulysses S.

Grant for presidento Lacked political experience but was a war hero

• Democrats nominated Horatio Seymour with running mate Francis Preston Blair who pursued a campaign strategy based on white supremacyo Diminishing democratic win

• Southern Democrats relied on economic threats to keep African Americans from voting

• Close race but Grant won because of African Americans voting