RECONSTRUCTION & CIVIL RIGHTS After a little more than a decade, Reconstruction ended shortly after the election of 1876. After Reconstruction the South tried to build a new economy, but many problems remained. REPUBLICAN RULE & THE END OF RECONSTRUCTION

IMPACT TODAY The Reconstruction era has permanently affected America 13th, 14th, & 15th Amendments provide constitutional protections for all Americans Radical Republicans’ rule antagonized South so much that the region remained solidly Democratic for nearly a century

REPUBLICAN RULE IN THE SOUTH By 1870 all former Confederate states had rejoined the Union During Reconstruction, many Northerners moved to South. Many were elected/appointed to positions in state. gov. Southerners angrily referred to these Northerners as carpetbaggers because some brought suitcases made of carpet fabric. Many Southerners viewed the Northerners as intruders who wanted to profit from the South’s postwar troubles. Southerners disliked scalawags–white Southerners who worked with the Republicans & supported Reconstruction. **** PG 401: SEE DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS (HAVE CLASS DO AS ACTIVITY)

REPUBLICANS IN POWER Republican Party became powerful in the S. & started many major reforms Repealing the black codes, making many more state offices elective, & establishing a system of public schools To pay for Republican reforms, many S. state govs borrowed money & imposed high property taxes (unpopular) Af. Ams. took on an active role in politics –1000s of formerly enslaved people took part in governing the S. Delegates to state conventions, local officials, & state/federal legislators They were delegates to state conventions, local officials, & state and federal legislators. Joseph Rainey became 1st Af Am elected to the House of Representatives. Hiram Revels became 1st Af Am U.S. Senate Some Republicans in the South were corrupt.  Graft, or getting money illegally through politics, was common in both the South and the North. ***What kinds of reforms did the Republican Party institute in the South? The reforms included repealing the black codes; making many more state offices elective; establishing state hospitals and institutions; rebuilding roads, railways, and bridges; providing funds for the construction of new railroads and industries in the South; and establishing a system of public schools.

African American Communities Desire to learn  attending school, growth of Af Am colleges/universities Churches established  became center of community & social organizations Many formerly enslaved African Americans attended schools in the South during Reconstruction. An important network of African American colleges and universities began to grow in the South.

Southern Resistance & the KKK Many Southern whites had intense resentment towards Af Am & the “Black Republican” govs Ku Klux Klan: large secret society with goal of driving out Union troops/carpetbaggers & regaining control of the South for the Democratic Party The Enforcement Acts: (1870) Passed by Congress to combat violence in South 1. Made it a federal crime to interfere with citizens’ right to vote 2. Put federal elections under supervision of federal Marshalls 3. Ku Klux Klan Act = outlawed Klan activities ******Over 3000 klan members throughout south arrested, but tried by southern juries….only about 600 convicted and fewer yet actually served any prison time Many Southern whites resented African Americans and the “Black Republican” governments. ---felt thrust upon them by vindictive Northerners Some Southerners organized secret societies such as the Ku Klux Klan.  The Klan’s goal was to drive out the Union troops and carpetbaggers and regain control of the South for the Democratic Party. -hooded white robed members broke up Republican meetings, drove Freedman Bureau officials out of communities, burned Af Am homes/schools/churches, kept Af Am & white Republicans from voting -(Af Am/White Rep formed own militia groups to fight back -> violence) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO8kaemKlF0&feature=relmfu (history of the KKK) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVzJ2RIlUwE (KKK lynching Republicans)

THE GRANT ADMINISTRATION Very little political experience so allowed Congress develop policy  President seen as weak/ineffective & undermined public support for Reconstruction Economic policies split Republicans: Kept in place sin taxes–taxes on alcohol & tobacco. Some Liberal Republicans agreed with the Democrats that this benefitted wealthy at the expense of the poor & left the Republican party & nominated Horace Greeley as their 1872 candidate As commander of the Union forces, Ulysses S. Grant had led the North to victory in the Civil War. He had little political experience, however. He believed his only role as president was to carry out the laws. He let Congress develop policy.  This left the president weak and ineffective. Democrats attacked these Republican economic policies as benefiting the wealthy at the expense of the poor It also helped divide the Republican Party and undermined public support for Reconstruction. During Grant’s first term in office, the Republican-controlled Congress continued to enforce Reconstruction At the same time, it worked to expand programs to promote commerce and industry. It kept tariffs high, tightened banking regulations, and increased federal spending on railroads, port facilities, and the postal system.  It also kept in place the sin taxes–taxes on alcohol and tobacco. –helped gov pay off bonds that had been issued to pay for the civil war ---poor used alcohol and tobacco/paid most of sin tax Liberal republicans split when grant nominated for 2nd term, Horace was a very influential newspaper publisher ***Democrats nominated Greely to try and defeat grant (who still one despite split), Greely promised pardon former confederates and remove union troops from south

Grant Administration – 2nd term scandals & economic panic Grant’s 2nd term of office was badly hurt by a series of scandals. Secretary of War, William Belknap, accepted bribes from merchants operating at army posts & “Whiskey Ring” = group of gov officials & distillers in St. Louis cheated the gov out of millions $ by filing false tax reports Series of bad railroad investments forced powerful banking firm of Jay Cooke and Company to declare bankruptcy  wave of fear known as the Panic of 1873 spread & caused many small banks to close & the stock market to fall  unemployment & closed businesses Depression hurt the Republicans politically & 1874 Democrats won control of the House & made gains in the Senate  enforcing Reconstruction policies became more difficult Despite the split in his own party, Ulysses S. Grant, the Republican candidate, won the election of 1872 Secretary of war, William Belknap, accepted bribes from merchants operating at army posts (impeached) Thousands of businesses shut down & tens of thousands of Americans were thrown out of work *one powerful bank made bad investments and lost money, so when big bank bankrupt/has no money, it causes panic among people and other banks -> worried other banks would close (small banks close because people aren’t trusting banks with their money any more!, banks closed means they can’t give loans/$ out to businesses so then those close…)

RECONSTRUCTION ENDS During 1870s, Democrats worked to “redeem” the South & regain control of state/local govs from Republicans. Formed militia groups that intimidated Af Ams & white Republican voters Southern Dem. appealed to white racism & defined elections as a struggle between whites & Af Ams  by 1876 Democrats controlled almost all Southern state legislatures Hayes is elected in Compromise of 1877 1876 election Republicans nominate Rutherford B. Hayes & Democrats nominate Samuel Tilden. Electoral votes disputed  Congress apts commission to select president & several S. Dem. joined w/ Rep. & voted to accept commission’s findings that Hayes beat Tilden 185-184. Had a deal been made? Hayes pulls out troops from South  ended Rep. gov. & Reconstruction in the South *”redeem” = save! The south from black republican rule Some Democrats were involved in election fraud. (all except louisiana, fl and sc where union troops protected af am voters who kept republicans in power Republicans nominate Rutherford B. Hayes = former gov of Ohio who was seen as uncorrupt & wanted to end Radical Reconstruction Democrats nominate Samuel Tilden = former gov of NY, wealthy corporate lawyer who fought against corruption Election fraud prevalent on both sides -> 20 electoral votes left in dispute Tilden 184 (1 short of a majority) Hayes 165 Congress appoints commission of 15 (5 from House, 5 from Senate, 5 from Supreme Ct) 8 Republicans & 7 Democrats – vote along party lines and award electoral votes to Hayes (had to be approved by both houses) The commissions findings were not binding if both houses of congress rejected them Dem controlled congress. Historians are not sure if a deal really took place or what its exact terms were. The compromise reportedly included a promise by republicans to pull fed troops out fo the south if hayes elected -> after elected Hayes did pull federal troops out of the South and the Southern democrats “redeemed” the south -> reconstruction over (without troop support the last rep gov in south fell) -19 of 20 disputed votes were in louisiana, sc and fl (where rep still in control)

Hayes’ Inaugural Address “Let me assure my countrymen of the Southern States that it is my earnest desire to regard and promote their truest interests—the interests of white people and colored people both equally—and to put forth my best efforts in behalf of a civil policy which will forever wipe out…the distinction between North and South…that we may have not merely a united North or a united South, but a united country.” ***During his inaugural speech in March 1877, President Hayes expressed his desire to move the country beyond Reconstruction & end the nation’s regional differences. HAYES ELECTED  RECONSTRUCTION IS OVER

A “New South” Arises Many S. leaders realized the South could never return to the pre-Civil War agricultural eco. dominated by the planter elite. These Southerners wanted a “New South” with a strong industrial eco. Alliance between powerful white Southerners & Northerner financiers brought great eco. changes to parts of the South. Capital from Northerners built railroads Iron & steel industries developed along with tobacco processing & cotton mills By 1890 almost 40,000 miles of railroad track crisscrossed the South, nearly four times the amount that existed in 1860. Southern industry also grew Iron and steel industries, tobacco processing, and cotton mills developed in parts of the South.  Many parts of the South still based their economies on agriculture, however.

Sharecropping Collapse of Reconstruction  end of Af Am hopes of being granted their own land in the South  many returned to plantations owned by whites, where worked for low wages or became tenant farmers = paying rent for the land they farmed Tenant farmers often became sharecroppers = who did not pay their rent in cash, but rather paid a share of crops (often as much as ½-2/3) to cover their rent & cost of seed/fertilizer/tools needed Sharecroppers who needed more seed/supplies than their landlords could provide went to local suppliers known as furnishing merchants, who provided them with supplies on credit with interest rates often as high as 40% To make sure sharecroppers paid debts, laws allowed merchants to put liens on their crops. Crop liens = merchants could take some of the crops to cover the debts ******Despite and increase in industry, agriculture still remained important & Af Am were forced to labor under difficult & unfair conditions

Sharecropping  Economic Slavery Debt peonage = financial situation that arose from high interest rates and crop lien system that trapped sharecroppers on the land because they could not make enough money to pay off their debts and leave Failure to pay off debts  imprisonment or forced labor