Reconstruction Continues SWBAT:

Freedman’s Bureau President Lincoln creates the Freedman’s Bureau in March 1865 to teach freed slaves to read. Distributed food and clothing. Served as an employment agency for the newly freed black population of the South. Set up hospitals and operated schools. Lincoln intended the Freedman’s Bureau to last 1 year.

Southern View of the Freedmen’s Bureau “Plenty to eat and nothing to do.”

President Johnson Makes a Choice Waited for Congress to be in recess, then proclaimed “Amnesty", the end of Reconstruction. Republicans were outraged that planter elite were back in power in the South! Pardoned planter aristocrats brought them back to political power to control state organizations. Alienated certain leading Confederates. EFFECTS: Johnson lost the support of Southern Democrats & Northern Republicans

Angers Southerners (the Democrats) by leaving the army in the South and turning those states into military zones. (Northern control of the South).

Radical Republicans Northern congressmen who wanted to help Blacks and punish Southern whites. The Radical Republican’s said it was the job of The Federal Government to help newly freedmen Give voting rights to Blacks Create more Freedman’s Bureau Schools to teach Blacks to read.

Freedmen’s Bureau (1865)  Many former northern abolitionists came south to teach former slaves to read. Those Abolitionists were called “carpetbaggers” by white southern Democrats.  arrived in the South eager to benefit financially from Reconstruction  Scalawags: Southerners who joined the republican Party

Reconstruction Acts of 1867  Command of the Army Act * The President must issue all Reconstruction orders through the commander of the military.  Tenure of Office Act * The President could not remove any officials [esp. Cabinet members] without the Senate’s consent, if the position originally required Senate approval.  Designed to protect radical members of Lincoln’s government. Edwin Stanton

President Johnson fights with Congress.  February, 1866  President Johnson vetoed the Freedmen’s Bureau bill.  Johnson removed Stanton from office in February,  Johnson replaced generals in the field who were more sympathetic to Radical Reconstruction.  They claimed he had violated the Tenure of Office Act.  The Tenure of Office Act provided that all federal officials whose appointment required Senate confirmation could not be removed without the consent of the Senate.  Congress overrides Johnsons Veto and passed the bill over  1 st in U. S. history!!

President Johnson’s Impeachment Charged with high crimes and misdemeanors for attempting to block radical reconstruction plans  The power of Checks and BalancesThe case was then tried in the Senate The verdict fell 1 vote short of a 2/3rds majority needed to convict the President