Reconstruction (1865-1876)

Essential Questions How did Reconstruction attempt to resolve problems left from the Civil War? What were the successes and failures in SC Related to Reconstruction ? How did Reconstruction affect people in South Carolina? What political events occurred in SC that were related to the Constitution of 1868 ?

What the Civil War Decided Secession is illegal. States’ Rights can exist but the federal government is sovereign. Slavery is ended.

Problems left from the war Land, homes, public buildings destroyed. Charleston in ruins from shelling. Columbia in ruins from fire. Wealth consumed by war and worthless Confederate bills. 35% of white male population is dead.

What is Reconstruction? The Twelve year (1865-1877) process of rebuilding the South following the Civil War. The federal government was more concerned with rebuilding the South politically and socially, and expected the South to rebuild itself physically and economically.

What needed to be rebuilt? PHYSICALLY: How can SC afford to rebuild homes, buildings, railroads, when they have no money? POLITICALLY: Who will run the Government now? SOCIALLY: How will former Slaves be helped? How will whites deal With a new social class? ECONOMICALLY: What will planters do without slave labor? What jobs will former slaves find?

Presidential Reconstruction

President Lincoln’s Plan Replace high level Confederate officials with “loyal rule” in the South. Did not consult Congress regarding Reconstruction. Pardon to all but the highest ranking military and civilian Confederate officers. When 10% of the voting population in the 1860 election had taken an oath of loyalty and established a government, it would be recognized.

President Lincoln’s Plan Slavery must be prohibited in the new governments. Lincoln’s plan was easy on the Confederacy. He did not believe they had ever left the Union and did not want harsh feelings after the war was over.

Lincoln's Assassination Lincoln’s plan was not finished before he was assassinated. April 14, 1865: He was shot in Ford’s Theatre by John Wilkes Booth. Booth was a southern sympathizer who thought he was helping the south by killing Lincoln.

John Wilkes Booth Southern sympathizer who had spied for the South during the war. Actor who lived in Washington, D.C. Part of a large conspiracy to kill top Union officials

PUNISHMENT John Wilkes Booth escaped but was shot to death later by federal troops. Others were arrested and convicted of conspiracy. Four others were hanged for their involvement. Others received prison sentences.

President Andrew Johnson Became President when Lincoln died. Democrat. Anti-Aristocrat. White Supremacist. Agreed with Lincoln that states had never legally left the Union.

Johnson’s Plan Similar to Lincoln’s. Appointed provisional governors for each state. Benjamin Perry (of Greenville) became SC provisional governor. Pardoned many ex-Confederates. Said each state had to approve the 13th amendment.

13th Amendment Ratified in December, 1865. Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States or any place subject to their jurisdiction. Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

Freedmen’s Bureau (1865) Created by federal gov’t to help former slaves. Provided food, clothing, and medical supplies Established schools Helped freedmen find jobs

Freedmen’s Bureau School

The Freedmen’s Bureau fell short Promised “forty acres and a mule” to freed blacks, but could not deliver this. Did not provide money to teach new professions to freed blacks. Did not have enough funds to provide for all.

SC Constitution of 1865 Adopted a new state constitution in 1865. Many delegates were old leaders of the Confederacy. Some changes helped women and poor whites Owning land no longer necessary to hold office Women allowed to own property

SC Constitution of 1865 Passed a series of laws intended to restrict freedoms of blacks. BLACK CODES Voting limited to whites Blacks could not own weapons Banned marriages between blacks and whites Limited types of jobs blacks could have

Growing Northern Alarm! Many Southern state constitutions recreated governments just like pre-Civil War times. President Johnson granted 13,500 special pardons. Revival of southern defiance. BLACK CODES

Slavery is Dead?

Black Codes Purpose: Guarantee stable labor supply now that blacks were emancipated. Restore social system of slavery days. Forced many blacks to become sharecroppers [tenant farmers].

Congress Breaks with the President Congress does not allow Southern Congressional delegates into Congress. Committee on Reconstruction created. President Johnson vetoes everything! Congress passed bills over Johnson’s vetoes

President Johnson’s Impeachment President Johnson continued to fight Congress and appointed people to positions without Congressional approval. The House impeached Johnson by a vote of 126 – 47 but did not vote to remove him from office.

Radical (Congressional) Reconstruction

14th Amendment Ratified in July, 1868. Provided rights of citizenship to all freed African Americans. Promised African Americans equal rights under the law. Southern states would be punished for denying the right to vote to black citizens!

The Balance of Power in Congress State White Citizens Freedmen SC 291,000 411,000 MS 353,000 436,000 LA 357,000 350,000 GA 591,000 465,000 AL 596,000 437,000 VA 719,000 533,000 NC 631,000 331,000

Radical Plan for Reconstruction Military occupation of each state. Divided into 5 districts. SC and NC were Second District. Daniel Sickles- commander Required new state constitutions, including ratification of the 13th and 14th Amendments and right to vote for blacks. This new plan went into effect in March of 1867.

END OF LESSON 1

Social "Adjustment" in South Carolina

Plantation Owners Lost their labor force Lost most of their wealth Felt betrayed by former slaves who left Entered into sharecropping relationships with former slaves Used Black Codes to try to hold on to slave-like conditions Engaged in violence and intimidation against African Americans

Yeomen Farmers Not devastated economically by war Felt threatened by presence of freedmen (competition) Some joined KKK to intimidate African Americans Some cooperated with Republicans in hopes of gaining status. Called “scalawags”.

Freedmen Liberated and displaced by Reconstruction While some left after the war, many came back looking for jobs Freedmen’s Bureau helped them establish communities Left white churches and formed their own Many became sharecroppers, still economically dependent on planters

Sharecropping

Tenancy & the Crop Lien System Furnishing Merchant Tenant Farmer Landowner Loan tools and seed up to 60% interest to tenant farmer to plant spring crop. Farmer also secures food, clothing, and other necessities on credit from merchant until the harvest. Merchant holds “lien” {mortgage} on part of tenant’s future crops as repayment of debt. Plants crop, harvests in autumn. Turns over up to ½ of crop to land owner as payment of rent. Tenant gives remainder of crop to merchant in payment of debt. Rents land to tenant in exchange for ¼ to ½ of tenant farmer’s future crop.

Women Elite white women had to take on household chores once performed by slaves Many women had to face loss of husband from war and had to take on non-traditional roles Gained some rights during Reconstruction, including right to own property and file for divorce.

Came to SC as teachers, missionaries, businessmen or Union soldiers Northern Immigrants Came to SC as teachers, missionaries, businessmen or Union soldiers Found political and economic opportunity Resented by southern whites, who called them “carpetbaggers.”

Northern immigrants were resented by southern whites and called carpetbaggers.

Northern Immigrants Provided help to African Americans that the Freedmen’s Bureau could not. Northern Aid Society established the Penn School in Beaufort Northern churches established African American colleges like Benedict and Allen in Columbia.

Establishment of Historically Black Colleges in the South

END of LESSON 2

South Carolina Constitution of 1868

Restructuring of SC Government The Constitution of 1868 was written by 70 black and 54 white delegates. Most democratic constitution in SC so far Provided universal manhood suffrage (all males- black and white- can vote) Representation based on population, not possession of property. Public education established!

Blacks in Southern Politics Core voters were black veterans. Blacks were politically unprepared. Blacks could register and vote in states since 1867. The 15th Amendment guaranteed federal voting.

15th Amendment Ratified in 1870. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation. Women were not granted the vote!

END OF LESSON 3

Successes and Failures of Reconstruction

Progress for African Americans Republican party offered full participation Land Commission gave land to a few Fourteenth and fifteenth amendments granted citizenship and voting rights Freedmen’s Bureau helped with immediate relief Public schools were established

WHITE BACKLASH The Ku Klux Klan was organized shortly after the war. Created to intimidate blacks and keep them from voting. Also targeted carpetbaggers and scalawags. The Klan used intimidation, violence, and fear to preserve the power of Southern whites.

The “Invisible Empire of the South”

The Failure of Federal Enforcement Southern whites relived the war by calling it “The Lost Cause.” Redeemers (prewar Democrats and Union Whigs) came into political power.

The Abandonment of Reconstruction

Northern Support Wanes President Grant has an administration full of corruption. Congress is concerned about a 6 year depression. Concern over westward expansion and Indian wars.

Election of 1876 Democrats nominated Wade Hampton III to run for governor. Republicans nominated Daniel Chamberlain to run for governor. Both parties used terror tactics to get people to vote for them.

Chamberlain & Hampton

Democrats formed RIFLE CLUBS, called RED SHIRTS, who rode the countryside crying “Hurrah for Hampton!” Hampton promised blacks equality under the law. Both parties claimed a victory at the polls. The General Assembly had to determine who won.

Disputes over who was fairly elected kept the General Assembly from deciding. Two governments were established: a white Democrat one (Hampton) and a Radical Republican one (Chamberlain).

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF 1876 Rutherford B. Hayes promised to remove federal troops from South if elected. White southerners voted for Hayes and he won. Federal troops left in April 1877. Chamberlain left also. Wade Hampton undisputed governor. Reconstruction officially ended!

1876 Presidential Election

Hayes Prevails