“Carpetbaggers” and “Scalawags” Reconstruction in The American South

What is Reconstruction? 1)Bringing the South back into the Union after secession? 2)Rebuilding the destroyed Southern economy? 3) Changing everyone’s views of the slavery issue? 4) Forcing the South to accept the reality of the war they lost? 5) Paying off the staggering Union war debt ($3 billion)? 6)Putting aside the anger from the assassination of Lincoln?

To deal with these issues… 1)Lincoln’s 10% Plan With malice toward none, with charity for all,...let us strive on to finish the work we are in,...to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations. Abraham Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address, Mar. 4, 1865Abraham Lincoln 2)Johnson’s Reconstruction Clashed with Congress, was impeached but not convicted. 3) Radical Republican Reconstruction Armed intervention & forced integration. 4)Southern Democratic Reconstruction (“Jim Crow” Era) Trusted in the Southern States to solve their own problems, which did not really work…

Lincoln’s 10% Plan 1)10 % of the states voters would declare an oath of fealty 2)Each state could draw up a new Constitution, free from slavery, and rejoin the Union. “To bind up the nation’s wounds…” 3) Lincoln’s goals was a quick and merciful end to the Civil War. But would it have worked?

Johnson’s Plan 1)Johnson was a pro-Union Southerner who stayed loyal to the United States. 2)He wanted to follow Lincoln’s policies. 3)Without Lincoln’s prestige, soon others advanced their own ideas about Reconstruction. 4)Facing Congressional opposition, Johnson was impeached, but not convicted.

The Radical Republicans

The Radical Republicans Led by firebrands like Charles Sumner (right) and Thaddeus Stevens (left), the Radical Republicans rewrote Lincoln’s 10% to punish the South:  Ex-Confederates could not be elected to Congress.  Set up societies to help blacks.  Passed 14 th and 15 th Amendments.  Backed up these demands with martial law (soldiers).

Southerners resisted by: 1)Labeling those who helped the slaves as “carpetbaggers” (northerners who came South to make a profit) and “scalawags” (Southerners who helped the soldiers). 2)Setting up secret societies like the Ku Klux Klan to intimidate and kill “uppity” whites and blacks. 3)Refusing to vote, or refusing to cooperate with the new black-inclusive governments. 4)Creating “black codes” that allowed the vote if you...  Could pass a “reading test”  Could pay a “poll tax”  Had a grandparent who voted 5)Finally, the North got sick of the Reconstruction, and the South ended it with the Hayes-Tilden deal.

And the South sank into 100 years of “Jim Crow” laws…

10% PlanJohnson’s PlanRadical RepublicansStates Plans Bringing the Southern states back into the Union? Rebuilding the destroyed Southern economy? Changing the views on black Americans? Forcing the South to accept losing the war? Paying off the war debt? Putting aside anger?