Reconstruction America in the 1870s

The Reconstruction policies were harsh and created problems in the South. The 13 th, 14 th, and 15 th Amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America address the issues of slavery and guarantee equal protection under the law for all citizens. Reconstruction attempted to give meaning to the freedom that the former enslaved African Americans had achieved.

Basic Provisions of the Amendments ► 13 th Amendment: Bans slavery in the United States and any of its territories. ► 14 th Amendment: Grants citizenship to all persons born in the United States and guarantees equal protection under the law. ► 15 th Amendment: Ensures all citizens the right to vote regardless of race or color or previous condition of servitude ► These three amendments guarantee equal protection under the law for all citizens

Reconstruction Policies ► Southern military leaders could not hold office ► African Americans could hold public office ► African Americans gained equal rights as a result of the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which authorized the use of federal troops for its enforcement ► Northern soldiers supervised the South ► Freedman’s Bureau established to aid former enslaved African Americans in the South ► Southerners resented northern “carpetbaggers” who took advantage of the South during Reconstruction.

Important People The actions of Abraham Lincoln, Robert E. Lee, and Frederick Douglass created lasting impacts on American life as a result of Reconstruction.

Abraham Lincoln ► His Reconstruction plan called for reconciliation (ending the conflict with a friendly relationship) “With malice toward none” ► Preservation of the Union was more important than punishing the South

Robert E. Lee ► Urged Southerners to reconcile at the end of the war and reunite as Americans when some wanted to continue to fight ► Became president of Washington College which is now known as Washington and Lee University

Frederick Douglass ► Fought for the adoption of constitutional amendments that guaranteed voting rights ► Powerful voice for human rights and civil liberties for all

Reconstruction Ends ► Reconstruction ended with election of Rutherford Hayes is President ► Federal troops were removed from the South ► Rights that African Americans gained were lost through black codes

Effects of Reconstruction ► Racial segregation – separation based on race ► Directed primarily against African Americans, but other groups also were kept segregated ► Discrimination against African Americans continued after Reconstruction

Discrimination ► Poll tax – a fee people had to pay before voting (no money means no vote) ► Literacy test – required voters to read and explain difficult documents like the Constitution ► Ku Klux Klan – most terrifying secret society organized to prevent African Americans from voting

Jim Crow Laws ► “Jim Crow” laws institutionalized a system of legal segregation ► These laws were passed to discriminate against African Americans ► Whites and blacks were segregated as much as possible in public places ► African Americans did not have true freedom that they were promised ► Some spoke out against discrimination, others moved west to start over

Americans on the Move ► Many Americans headed west of the Mississippi River (Great Plains) ► A new beginning for Freedmen (former slaves) ► Opportunities for land ownership ► Technological advances, including the Transcontinental Railroad ► Possibility of wealth created by the discovery of gold and silver ► Adventure

Transcontinental Railroad ► Transcontinental – across the continent ► Connected the east coast to the west coast

New opportunities and technological advances led to westward migration following the Civil War