Reconstruction The period of rebuilding the South and the United States following the Civil War

Reconstruction Questions How would the issues that caused the Civil War be resolved? What would be the legal status of the freedmen (freed slaves)? How would the defeated southern states be dealt with after the war? And how would they reenter the Union? What would happen to Confederate military and government leaders?

Presidential Reconstruction Began by Lincoln and carried out by Andrew Johnson Reflected Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address Called the Ten Percent Plan No revenge on former Confederates (Lincoln granted amnesty to them) An attempt to readmit the southern states as quickly as possible States would be admitted when 10% of the voters in 1860 took an oath of loyalty to the Union and accepted emancipation of the slaves

Radical Republicans Did not believe that the president should dictate reconstruction policies Believed that Congress should determine how the south would be readmitted Outraged by the black codes passed by the southern states after the war Wanted to keep the southern Democrats out of the nation as long as possible; to keep their power in the Congress

Reconstruction Act of 1867 Forced the southern states to reapply for admission to the U.S. Southern states could rejoin the Union when: 50% of the 1860 voters took the oath of loyalty A new state constitution was written and approved by Congress State governments were created that included African Americans The three Reconstruction Amendments were ratified to protect the rights of the freedmen

Reconstruction Amendments 13th Amendment – abolished slavery in the entire U.S. 14th Amendment – defined citizenship to include the freedmen and guaranteed all citizens due process 15th Amendment – granted the right to vote to all male U.S. citizens over the age of 21 (including African American males)

Progress Made by African Americans During Reconstruction African American children could attend schools for the first time Business and education opportunities were opened for adults as well including operating newspapers, holding a public office, or attending new colleges and universities established for them Morehouse College – founded in Atlanta in 1867 by a former slave and two ministers for the education of black men in the fields of ministry and education; originally known as the Augusta Institute

Freedmen’s Bureau Established by Congress to help freedmen make the transition to freedom Provided food, clothing, jobs, medicine, medical care, and sometimes unclaimed land to the freed slaves Largest contribution was the provision of education to many freed slaves The lack of land hurt the slaves who were expert farmers

Few Options for Freedmen Sharecroppers – people who do not own the land they farm but agree to give the land owner a portion of the crops they produce Tenant farmers – people who pay rent to a landowner to be able to farm their land Crop lien system – farmers borrow money to farm land they own and pay off their debt when their crops are harvested Because they usually worked for their former owners, these options were little different from slavery and limited the success of the freedmen.

New South Term used to describe the new economy of the south which included more industry Carpetbaggers – northerners who came to the south after the war to invest in new businesses (mostly for profit) and help the freedmen; helped the south rebuild Scalawags – southerners who worked with the carpetbaggers and freedmen following the war; considered traitors by many other southerners

Military Occupation The Reconstruction Act of 1867 also provided for the division of the south into 5 districts with a military general over each one. This military occupation of the south was to ensure that the new federal laws concerning the freedmen were being followed by southern states.

Impeachment of Andrew Johnson Johnson opposed many Radical Republican goals and vetoed many of their bills. Congress was angry when he tried to stop their harsh treatment of the southern states, so they passed laws to limit his powers. Johnson ignored their laws and Congress tried to remove him from office with an impeachment trial in which he was accused of “high crimes and misdemeanors.” After a 3 month trial in the Senate, Johnson remained in office by one vote.

Resistance to Racial Equality Secret Societies – Used murder, arson, and other threatening actions to control freed slaves and pressure them not to vote Black Codes – Laws written to control the lives of the freed slaves and restrict their voting rights; they allowed plantation owners to take advantage of African American workers as if slavery had never been abolished

The readmission of the states was difficult and corruption was evident in most Reconstruction state governments. Reconstruction ended with the Compromise of 1877 (following the Election of 1876) which removed federal troops from the southern states. African Americans in the south were now left unprotected and the southern states began to pass laws to restrict their rights and establish segregation.