The Reconstruction Era

Goals of Reconstruction 1. Reunite the former Confederate states with the Union 2. Redefine the rights and status of blacks 3. Literally rebuild the South’s economy

Lincoln’s Plan Lenient 10% Plan – 10 % of 1860 voting pop. agreed Don’t punish entire state for actions of a few leaders Pardon high rank Confed. Form a new state gov. and constitution

President Andrew Johnson Southern Democrat Former slave Owner Pro – South Anti civil rights Empty promises Why was he Lincoln’s V.P.?

Johnson’s Plan Abolish slavery 13th Amendment Declare secession illegal Swear allegiance to Union Pardon all southerners Punish Confed. leaders Confed. leaders could hold office New state gov’t & const.

Congressional Plan Requirements 50% of state voters agree Passed by Radical Republicans Requirements 50% of state voters agree Divide South into Military districts Ratify 14th & 15th amend. Disenfranchisement for Confed. leaders Freedmen’s Bureau New state gov. & constitution More Punishment for the South

Amendments: 13th - official abolished slavery > made emancipation legal 14th - declared that all native born or naturalized persons were citizens and had the same rights as citizens > nullified the Supreme Courts decision on the Dred Scott case 15th - no one could be denied the right to vote based on race, color, or previous servitude

“New” South Treatment & Progress for Blacks Black codes passed in the South around 1865 > laws intended to stop the movement of equality for blacks > codes restored restrictions of slavery

Black Code Examples Could not testify against whites Could not rent or lease farmland Could not testify against whites Could not start their own business Could not carry a weapon Could not serve on a jury Could not marry a white Precursor to Jim Crow Laws - literacy test - poll tax - grandfather clause

Freedmen’s Bureau Act 1865 Established by Congress Assisted former slaves and poor whites in South Distribute clothes, food set up hospitals, schools, and teacher-training centers * Greatest contribution - education

Sharecropping Advantages Drawbacks Endless Cycle w/out paying workers - planters had land worked w/out paying workers - workers had a place to live Drawbacks - No income until harvest - had to buy goods on credit - had to work out of poverty Endless Cycle

Civil Rights Act of 1866 Forbid black codes tried to strengthen the Freedmen's Bureau President Johnson vetoed the bill > drove a wedge between himself and Congress Congress overrode President Johnson's veto > 1st time Congress had done this

Johnson's Impeachment 1867: - to charge Federal official with a crime Radicals felt Johnson was always working against reconstruction & not carrying out constitutional duties. i.e. - removed military leaders who helped blacks - vetoed Freedmen Act & Civil Rights Act - violated the Tenure of Office Act

The Veto

Election of Grant 1868: Southerners were very against 15th amendment passed ~ due to fear of restrictions being placed on blacks for voting for Grant KKK organized in reaction - southern democrats

African American Gains in Education 80% over age 20 were illiterate Public and private organizations set up education facilities Hampton Institute (VA) - college for blacks By 1877 - 600,000 enrolled in elementary schools

African American Gains in Politics Held offices in local, state and federal positions Many office holders were ministers and teachers South had few blacks in office

End of Reconstruction: Reconstruction ended after a close presidential race in 1876 > Democrat - Sam Tilden > Rep. - Rutherford Hayes Close race was decided by 3 states > SC, LA, and FL - all still had military reconstruction gov'ts

Election Map, 1876

Compromise of 1877: Southern Democrats would cast Republican electoral votes for Hayes IF…. Hayes would remove the last federal troops out of the South Hayes agreed and removed military troops when he became President. Officially ended Reconstruction

Jim Crow Laws Enacted between 1876 and 1965 State and local laws Made segregation official New generation in south more racist Laws prevented equality for blacks i.e. Segregation in public places

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896): “Separate but Equal” 30 yr old, Plessy (1/8th black jailed for sitting on a whites only railway car) - he sued claiming unconstitutional Supreme Court ruled that segregation was legal as long as both races had access to equal facilities.

African American Response to Jim Crow Booker T. Washington Believed that African Americans should focus on economic independence He believed that protesting against discrimination would just cause more hostilities Founded Tuskegee Institute in 1861

Ida B. Wells Focused on stopping lynching's Used editorials to convince African Americans to move out of the South W. E. B. DuBois - Believed that African Americans should fight against discrimination He strongly protested the Jim Crow laws National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) – founded in 1909 by DuBois, Wells and other leaders