Reconstruction

Civil War as revolutionary It freed 3 to 4 million slaves. It killed 1/4 of the South's adult white male population. It led to former slaves achieving political and civil rights. It led to the military occupation of the South, with virtually every governor of the states being Northerners.

“Black Codes” Written proof of employment Required all African Americans to sign employment contracts that required them to labor sun up to sun down; Made it a crime for Blacks to leave plantations, own a weapon. Barred African Americans from owning property

Reconstruction Lincoln’s 10% Plan Counter-proposal – Wade-Davis Bill 10 percent of all 1860 voters swear allegiance to US Agree to emancipation. After these conditions are met, the state is readmitted. Counter-proposal – Wade-Davis Bill 50%, not 10% Adopt new state constitutions that forbid slavery as a condition for “re-admittance.”

Freedman’s Bureau the first government effort at social welfare. Provided food Provided shelter Created schools Helped reunite separated families Handled contract disputes between plantation owners and Johnson vetoed it, congress overrode the veto.

More Showdowns Land – 40 Acres and a Mule? Northern generals began to give away all land to former slaves. Field Order 15 Presidential executive order, General Order 145. Violence against African Americans 3000 were murdered in Texas Johnson did nothing.

Radical Reconstruction Divides the South into 5 military districts, and sends in the army to protect citizens. Passed two Constitutional amendments 14th Amendment - 15th Amendment

14th Amendment anyone born in the US is a citizen, and that all rights of citizenship apply equally to all. Problems? 3/5 compromise no longer applies – African Americans count 100% BUT cannot vote – so South is more powerful than ever. So…

15th Amendment the right to vote cannot be denied on the basis of race or previous condition of servitude

Tenure of Office Act required the president to get congressional approval to remove any appointee who is appointed with congress's consent. Johnson fired secretary of war House impeached him Senate trial acquitted him.

A disputed presidential election. Samuel J. Tilden – Gov. of NY. Rutherford B. Hayes – Gov. of Ohio Popular Vote Tilden: 4,288,546 Hayes: 4,034,311 Electoral Vote Tilden – 204 Hayes – 165 BUT

Congress appoints a committee Republicans challenge the results in South Carolina, Louisiana, Oregon, and Florida. Congress appoints a committee 7 Democrats 7 Republicans 1 Independent, a Supreme Court Justice The justice ended up resigning and a Republican named to replace him. The committee voted 8-7 to give Hayes the disputed votes, and Hayes appeared to win.

Compromise of 1877 Election of Hayes is certified. Hayes must appoint a Democrat to his cabinet. Hayes will support federal aid for railroad construction in the South. All federal troops, who are enforcing the rights of African Americans, are to be removed from the South.

Historical Significance The parties essentially agreed that Southerners would handle their own racial affairs without interference, while the North would dominate the nation’s economy. Created a new political coalition – Southern Democrats and Northern Republicans – that would last into the 1980s.

The South in the 1880s “The south was crushed, wretched, and licking its wounds.” Public Health Crises. Yellow fever killed 1100 in Vicksburg, TN; 3900 in New Orleans. Railroads traveled at 10-15 mph. Average income of Southerners was 27% of that of Northerners.

How to Get Rich Quick in the South. Northerners bought all resources they could 1 congressman bought 186,000 acres in LA. 41 Northerners owned 1.37 million acres of LA. States even gave away their land TX gave away 32 million acres. By 1890, 12 men own ½ of all the railroad track mileage in the South. Within five years one man, JP Morgan, bought all of them out.

Control of Natural Resources The South is rapidly becoming an economic colony 1907 – Morgan bought all of the coal and iron resources for $35 million. Mellon family purchased steel producing resources, valued at $1 billion. Results: Morgan increased shipping rates: South of Washington DC pays 35% extra. West of the Mississippi pays 75% extra. Mellon introduced “Pittsburgh Plus” pricing for steel: a base point for steel produced in Pittsburgh, plus whatever the shipping costs would be.

Oil – the best example of Northern economic domination Oil boom begins in 1901 at Spindletop (TX). Large wells produced 3-4 barrels/day. Spindletop – 100,000 in 9 days. In 2nd year it produced 17 million barrels. Texans did NOT get rich though.

Making money in oil Requires transportation and refining. Could pay whatever they wanted for the oil – and what they wanted to pay was 1¢/barrel

So what is left for the South The industries left to the South were so-called extractive – low wage and low value. Cigarettes Bourbon Profits are not large (in 1870s-80s) so no reinvestment and industrialization. Average wealth in North is $1100; in South it is $500.

How People Dealt with these conditions Options for farmers (especially Southern) dwindled. Average size of farm 1861 – 350 acres Average size 1870 – 150 acres. 1880 – ½ of all Southern land owned by Northerners. Southerners are forced into crop-lien and sharecropping systems.

Sharecropping – how it develops Farmers need money – for seed, equipment, household goods. They have no collateral – they don’t own their land Banks? In US generally, 1 bank per 16,000 people. In the South, 1 bank per 80,000. Most counties in the South had no banks period.

Sharecropping Landowners provide loans in exchange for a pledge of the crop – usually 50%. Crop lien: If the farmers needs more, no problem. The lender will place a lien on the remainder of the crop – typically at a rate of 30-70%. The result is debt peonage – the farmers owe more than they could ever possibly pay back.

1860 farmers made far more money than 1885 farmers. Southern Agriculture The mindset of farmers makes it worse. All are growing the same thing – cotton. Result is dropping prices. Solution? Grow MORE. Result? Prices drop even more. 1860 – farmers grew cotton on 9 million acres 1885 – farmers grew cotton on 25 million acres. 1860 farmers made far more money than 1885 farmers.