Changes in the South Chapter 11, Section 1

Industries in the South After the Civil War, instead of shipping goods to the North for manufacturing, northern capital backed southern production of goods. Farming also became diversified with additional crops such as grain, tobacco and fruits. In order to transport goods from the South, railways were added and built by prison labor to keep costs down. However, the South’s economy was still hampered by a lack of workers and a lack of capital following the Civil War.

Southern Farmers Face Hard Times Even with the introduction of new crops, cotton still remained the dominant cash crop of the South. After the war, a combination of lack of buyers and a boll weevil infestation severely hurt farmers’ profits. To combat the loss of profits, farmers began lobbying for lower prices on supplies. The local organizations of farmers gathered together to form the Farmer’s Alliance. They lobbied the government to lower freight prices from railroads and the interest rates charged by banks.

Black Southerners Face Gains and Losses Able to vote in elections and serve in the military; Open businesses Buy farmland ACCESS TO EDUCATION Losses: Restrictions locally re: access to public accommodation Faced intimidation and violence

Segregation and Social Tensions Chapter 12, Section 1

African Americans Lose Freedoms State governments limited the voting rights of African Americans in the ways: Poll tax required voters to pay a tax Literacy tests required voters to take a test of “understanding” before voting Grandfather clause individuals could vote if their grandfathers could vote prior to 1866. Jim Crow laws also kept whites and blacks segregated. In 1896, the court case Plessy v. Ferguson maintained the constitutionality of these Jim Crow laws, establishing the “separate but equal” doctrine.

Working Against Mistreatment African Americans disagreed on how best to secure and maintain their new freedoms. Booker T. Washington build economic resources and establish a reputation. Encouraged blacks to “pull themselves up by their bootstraps.” W.E.B. Du Bois wanted blacks to demand full and immediate equality. Ida B. Wells focused on eliminating lynching and raising awareness of the issue outside of the South.

Gains for Women Women did make successes in the years following the Civil War. Women started by improving their education and becoming more organized in their efforts. They formed groups such as the Women’s Christian Temperance Union and the National Woman Suffrage Association. Their biggest goal, suffrage, was still unattainable, though.

Political and Economic Challenges Chapter 12, Section 2

Corruption Plagues National Politics The presidencies of Hayes, Harrison, Garfield and Arthur were plagued by corruption, so distrust in government continued to grow. Once again, the spoils system was a problem. These slights in government were showcased to the public by political cartoonists such as Joseph Keppler and Thomas Nast. Nast targeted NYC politician William ‘Boss’ Tweed to expose his illegal activities.

Corruption Plagues National Politics The disdain for political corruption pushed many officials to support civil service reform, focusing on the federal jobs within the executive branch. Reform began when Chester Arthur signed the Pendleton Civil Service Act in 1883. This act set up a commission to write a civil service exam. Individuals who wanted to work for the government had to take the exam. Jobs were then given on one’s performance on the exam.

Corruption Plagues National Politics While Democrats and Republicans disagreed over the tariff issue (whether they should be high or low), independent parties gained support over their dislike for the gold standard. Gold standard= gold is used as the basis for the nation’s currency. The Coinage Act of 1873 stopped the acceptance of silver as value for coins. Those that supported the use of silver for money (known as bi-metalism) hoped to cause inflation so prices would rise and increase their incomes. These were generally farmers.

Farmers and Populism Chapter 12, Section 3

Farmers Face Problems Farmers were hurt by the following: High railroad rates for the transport of their crops; Low crop prices at market; High interest rates charged by banks. Farmers blamed big businesses for the hardships they faced.

The Populist Party Grows As different Farmer’s Alliances from across the country joined together, they formed one large political party known as the Populist Party. Goals of the Populist Party: End political corruption Increase the money supply (bi-metalism) Government ownership of railroads In the 1896 election, the Populists supported William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic candidate.

The Election of 1896 The Republicans chose William McKinley as their candidate. McKinley was supported by the big business leaders and raised 30x the amount of funding as Bryan. While Bryan toured the nation gaining support, McKinley let others do the campaigning for him. The Republicans cast Bryan and the Populists as a threat to the U.S.