Focus on One Group: Freedmen’s Life During Reconstruction, cont.

Freedmen’s Bureau (1865) Agency (of the Federal Gov’t) developed to help former slaves Provided food, schools, legal help, etc.

Students standing outside a freedmen’s school known as James’ Plantation School (North Carolina)

Freedmen’s Bureau (1865) Agency (of the Federal Gov’t) developed to help former slaves Provided food, schools, legal help, etc. Unpopular with many White Southerners

Due to the unpopularity of the Freedmen’s Bureau, it... Could not overcome Southern hostility, Lacked political support of North and South, and Ended in 1872

Imagine you are a White Southerner... Wouldn’t you be angry that the Freedmen are getting all this help? What might you do? You might become defiant! You might feel that you have lost power!

Limits to Freedmen’s Rights Disenfranchisement (means to prevent from voting) Black Codes/Jim Crow Laws Hate Groups

Disenfranchisement To prevent from voting (14 th /15 th Amendments were to prevent this) Used various methods that included 1. poll taxes (to be paid when vote) 2. literacy tests 3. threats

Sometimes the threat is deadly.

Black Codes/Jim Crow Laws Limits rights and opportunities Limits jobs to only farm work and unskilled labor Set curfews Set punishments for vagrancy (not working)

Black Code Sample and Jim Crow Reading

Rise of KKK – violent response to Radical Reconstruction

Ku Klux Klan Started in 1866 by 6 former Confederate soldiers Members wore robes and masks to look like the ghosts of dead Confederate soldiers who returned for revenge against enemies of the South.

Nathan Bedford Forrest First National Leader of the KKK and Former Confederate Leader

Their Goal: deny African-Americans their rights and keep them in the role of submissive laborers. It also included other groups such as the White League

KKK Rally in Delmar, DE (1920)

Ku Klux Klan Gathering in Newark, DE (1965) Photo: Delaware Historical Society

A cartoon threatening that the KKK would lynch carpetbaggers, Tuscaloosa, AL, Independent Monitor (1868)

Carpetbaggers Northern Republicans who moved South to work in gov’t or make money.

Scalawags a Southern white who joined the Republican Party in the ex- Confederate South during Reconstruction

Reintegrating the South Problem #1 Determine the role of the freedmen

Problem #2 Define the role and acceptable power of former Confederates within their states and within the nation

Problem #3 Determine which branch of government would be responsible for overseeing reconstruction

3 Plans for Reconstruction Lincoln’s Plan (10%) Johnson’s Plan Congress’ Plan (Congressional Reconstruction or Radical Reconstruction)

Two Plans for Reconstruction Lincoln’s Plan …..Also called the 10% plan!

Lincoln’s Plan 1. Required 10% of white men to swear allegiance (loyalty) to the constitution and the Union. 2. Plan included the emancipation of slaves

Lincoln’s Plan, cont. 3. Former Confederates can run local governments 4. 10% agreement allowed full participation in the Union

Lincoln Plan problems… Republicans in Congress felt this plan was way too kind! HE DID NOT PUNISH THE REBELS! FELT LINCOLN WAS TOO EASY ON SOUTH

Lincoln’s Plan - PROBLEMS No role for freed men identified No guarantee of rights or future rights

Lincoln’s Plan is never implemented! April Lincoln assassinated 13 th amendment officially ends slavery in all of the United States

Andrew Johnson, (southern democrat, former slave owner) administered his own new policy

The Johnson Plan 1. Granted amnesty (forgiveness) to former Confederates who signed loyalty oath 2. Restored all property, except slaves and confiscated lands

Johnson’s Plan 3. Voided secession laws and ratify the 13 th amendment 4. Cancelled war debts 5. Vetoed est. of Freedmen’s Bureau

Johnson’s Plan - PROBLEMS More generous to the south! 1. Amnesty awarded to “certain” southerners 2. Flawed election process (blacks excluded from voting)

Johnson’s Presidency He lacked Mandate to govern Support of Congress Also was anti- civil rights Would not support 13 th Amendment

Consider This... Who are not considered in the two plans? What will the freedmen do? How did the freedmen’s lives change?

Descriptions of Plans Radical = extreme in their beliefs Moderates = mainstream views of the political party, not extreme at all We had moderate plans for reconstruction (Lincoln & Johnson), but now they change to the RADICAL version called...

Radical Reconstruction Congress bypasses President Johnson and enacts the Reconstruction Act of passed by radical republicans -state governments declared illegal 1. south divided into 5 military districts

Radical Reconstruction cont… To rejoin the Union: 2. Adopt a constitution guaranteeing all male citizens the right to vote 3. Elect a new government 4. Ratify the 14 th amendment (no white southern who served as conf. soldier/official could vote on new constitution)

Radical Republicans in Congress see Black Codes as a way for White Southerners to get around the efforts of Congress.

Impeachment! - Congressional power growing - Johnson fires Sec. of War -The House votes to “impeach” Johnson (to accuse of wrongdoing and bring to trial) -President escapes removal by only 1 vote

Civil War Amendments 13 th Amendment Unlike the Emancipation Proclamation, this change to the Constitution ends ALL slavery in the United States

Declared former slaves CITIZENS Provides equal rights for ALL CITIZENS Counted and represented as CITIZENS Prevents former Confederates from holding office

15 th Amendment Election of 1870 – many angry white southerners refused to (or couldn’t) vote More than 600 African Americans were elected to southern legislatures and 16 black men were elected to Congress

The End of Reconstruction Why did Reconstruction efforts finally end? Heavy taxes Corruption Lack of northern support for racial equality The Solid South – Southern Democrats reversed many of the reforms

The Compromise of 1877 Samuel Tilden wins popular vote; a dispute over electoral votes The Democrats agree to give Rutherford B. Hayes the presidency in return for the removal of all federal troops from the Southern States Hayes’ removal of troops from the south is regarded as the end of reconstruction!

How successful was Reconstruction?