Violence, Race, and Redemption FRAGILITY OF DEMOCRACY AFTER THE CIVIL WAR

Quick Write in your notebook: 1. What makes democracy fragile? 2. What can be done to protect and strengthen democracy?

Redemption: synonyms: the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, or clearing a debt. Redemption: the action of regaining or gaining possession of something in exchange for payment, or clearing a debt. synonyms: retrieval, recovery, reclamation, repossession, return

Was Reconstruction “done”? 1870 and 15th Amendment passed (1865 13th abolished slavery; 1868 14th granted citizenship; 15th guaranteed the vote) 1872 federal government intervened to protect freedpeople from KKK Didn’t think about how to sustain freedom and equality

Reasons for the Northern shift away from support for Reconstruction 1. fading of “war fever” 2. increase in corruption in politics 3.Panic of 1873 & economic depression 4. Racism

1. End of “War Fever” Passion to reshape the South to reaffirm the North’s victory Faded with time Focused on other things

2. Corruption Beginning of Gilded Age Mass wealth Mass amounts of corruption & patronage (politicians “working” for business) Carpetbaggers Northerners traveling south to take advantage of the unrest Fear of “black rule” over white Americans (especially in the South) fueled racism Blame black voters

3. Panic of 1873 Spring 1873 economic collapse Depression Labor issues, violence, and strikes Price of wheat dropped hurting farmers Wages dropped 50% in 1 ½ years Unemployment Huge debt for Southern states Result of corruption Blamed African Americans

4. Racism Northerners and Southerners Saw African Americans as inferior Blacks blamed for economic problems of South Used as a reason to not support land redistribution Seen as getting too much power Not worth the cost of federal intervention

Challenges of Reconstruction Challenges: violent backlashes in South Northerners turned against federal policies that protected freedpeople Results in a new era (1873-1876) Increased violence Defeat of Republicans in government (typically anti-slave, northern, pro-Reconstruction policies) Southern Democrats rise in power Use religious sentiment Goal of “redeeming” the South from the “evil” of being controlled by Northerners, Republicans and Blacks

Re-establishing “home-rule” in the South Use violence and intimidation Social divisions creating vulnerable groups (perpetuates the intimidation) Difficulties of the federal government to intervene

Rise of the Southern Democrats Anti-Republican history of the South Immigrants were voting for Democrats Manipulation of the 15th Amendment (right to vote) Poll taxes Literacy tests Regained control of the US House of Representatives Could undo Reconstruction policies

“Redemption” Violence President Grant – Used military to enforce Reconstruction Policies Less support because of Congress (Democrats controlled) Violence spread unchecked Characteristics of the violence Planned and continued by paramilitary groups with the Democratic Party Declared that their mission was to restore the South Violence and intimidation affected elections Targeted African American Republican voters and candidates Singled out White Republicans and intimidated Used racism to divide allies from enemies Democrats as the “white party” Republicans as the “black party” White Republicans called “traitors to their race” Not masked, out in the open (unlike the KKK)

The White Line & the Red Shirts Paramilitary arm of the Democratic Party Mississippi & Louisiana April 1873 in Louisiana Murdered 100 freedmen Biggest loss of life in from racial incident in U.S. history 1874 Ambushed and killed white Republican leaders and African American witnesses Pattern Provoked a public racial incident Cause a riot White men would search the area for blacks to beat up and kill

Red Shirt’s official battle plan, which called for Democratic clubs armed with rifles and pistols, stated in part: Every Democrat must feel honor bound to control the vote of at least one Negro, by intimidation, purchase, keeping him away. We must attend every Radical meeting. Democrats must go in as large numbers as they can, and well armed, behave at first with great courtesy and as soon as their speakers begin tell them that they are liars and are only trying to mislead the ignorant Negroes. In speeches to Negroes you must remember that they can only be influenced by their fears, superstitions and cupidity. Treat them so as to show them you are the superior race and that their natural position is that of subordination to the white man. Never threaten a man individually. If he deserves to be threatened, the necessities of the times require that he should die. A dead Radical is very harmless—a threatened Radical is often troublesome, sometimes dangerous, and always vindictive. Every club must be uniformed in a red shirt and they must be sure and wear it upon all public meetings and particularly on the day of election.

White Line & Red Shirts continued Mostly in South Carolina and North Carolina Murdered and threatened African Americans during political campaigns Disrupted Republican rallies Killed black state militia members “a dead radical is harmless – a threatened Radical is often troublesome…” Goals of Both Intimidate African Americans from voting Encourage more white Southerners to vote

Did it work? Yes, the Democrats did gain seats in Congress No Election numbers show a rise in African Americans voters But was successful in driving more white Southerners to the polls

Federal Invention Called for to control violence Federal government’s hands were tied Ruled that the federal government only had the right to stop STATES from denying rights to citizens. INDIVIDUALS who denied individuals from their rights could only be prosecuted by the state, not the federal government.

Ending Quick Write Title, date, publication What OBJECTS and people do you see? What do they mean? What WORDS do see? What do they mean? What ACTIONS do you see? What is the artist’s message? What does this mean? Who was the audience?