The End of Reconstruction

Overview of Principal Reconstruction Proposals and Plans 1864-1865: Lincoln’s 10% plan 1865: 13th amendment 1865-1866: Johnson’s version of Lincoln’s proposal 1866-1867: Congressional Plan – 10% plan with 14th amendment 1867-1877: Military Reconstruction (Congress) – 14th amendment plus black suffrage later established nationwide by the 15th amendment. Compromise of 1876: ends Reconstruction

The Meaning of Freedom African-Americans: First steps in finding freedom Assistance to freed persons African-Americans: get their freedom during a period of extreme economic hardship in the South First steps in finding freedom Find family members, marriage Decide where to live -- rural areas or cities Make a living purchase their own farm work as farm laborers tenant farm sharecrop Assistance to freed persons a. Army -- only brief time following the war b. Freedman's Bureau food and clothing legal help with contracts medical care education c. Northern missionary societies d. African-American churches begin as southern blacks decide to create their own places to worship provide a key leadership role in African-American community--both in politics and in helping the newly freed people become educated

Southern whites respond to emancipation White leaders want: Black Codes: Former Confederate Leaders: White leaders want: to maintain control of the labor of the African-Americans “Black codes" laws designed to reestablish the planters' control over black workers the backbone of all these codes were laws forbidding vagrancy--being unemployed. restricted freedom of movement for African Americans some codes forbade owning or renting land some codes limited jobs (only farm laborers or domestic servants) many codes made it a crime for blacks to break a contract, assemble in large numbers, or act in an insulting manner toward a white (defined very broadly) Many former Confederate leaders were put back into politics even though federal law forbids them from doing so. President Andrew Johnson's policy toward the South was to leave things as they were. Vagrancy: If person found to be a vagrant, then would face a fine or imprisonment. Person paying fine could get labor of prisoner

Attacks against Reconstruction Political Attacks Violence Congressional Response By 1872: Political attacks Conservatives appeal to whites on basis of money on basis of race gradually gained support among whites during late 1860s Violence Vigilante groups: KKK formed as social club in Pulaski, Tennessee in 1866 (costumes, secret passwords, etc.) when black suffrage and white disenfranchisement became a reality in 1868, Klan turned to violence Klan targets included black voters white Republicans Union League leaders Freedmen's Bureau agents Congressional response Enforcement acts (1870-71), included the KKK Act outlawed Klan violence allowed use of federal troops and courts to arrest and prosecute Klan members suspended writ of habeas corpus supervised elections in the South By 1872, Klan activity had come to an end in the South Reason: whites had regained political control

The End of Reconstruction Northern interest wanes Original Radical Republicans had died out Corruption scandals in President Grant’s administration Recession of 1873 Idealism of creating a nation where whites and blacks are treated equally (at least in politics and law) hard to keep going Compromise of 1877 Results: Northern interests lessens They had died or were no longer in government Historians argue that Grant’s administration was the most corrupt, “era of good stealings” The recession caused northerners to focus on economic interests and political and social issues Compromise of 1877 was the event that “officially” ended Reconstruction. As a result of both: Northern troops were removed, allowing whites in Southern states to regain control of Southern governments. Many Reconstruction-style reforms were no longer enforced and/or overturned Blacks were reduced to the status of second-class citizens Southern hatred of Reconstruction-era Republican policies would make the South solidly Democratic; white Southern support of Democratic policy were last for nearly 100 years Whites who returned to power in state legislatures in the South in 1878 were called the “redeemers”