Chapter 17

South’s economy shattered 4 million freed blacks Where will they go? What will they do? How will they adjust to freedom?

The Unvanquished, William Faulkner 1934 Read pages 91-92

How should the former Confederate states now be treated? (How will the Union be restored?) As states with political participation? As conquered territory subject to military occupation? Who gets to decide?

The long-standing conflicts did not end with the war. Regions Political parties Economic interests

Economy North wants to develop industrial interests and to make economic progress. South needs to work its plantations with cheap labor. Freed men and women desire independence and equal rights. Constitutional limitations: limited government, states’ rights Most people believed people have an opportunity and responsibility to provide for themselves. Not much government help…

Lincoln & Johnson

Abraham Lincoln “With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan—to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.” –Second Inaugural 1865

Lincoln Wanted to treat southern states as though they had never left the Union because he believed secession was not legal. State governments would need to be “reconstructed” with Unionists in charge rather than secessionists.

Lincoln’s Plan Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction 1863 Full presidential pardons to be granted to most southerners who 1. Took an oath of allegiance to the Union and the U.S. Constitution 2. Accepted the emancipation of slaves A state government could be re-established and accepted as legitimate by the PRESIDENT as soon as 10% of the voters had taken the loyalty oath.

Lincoln’s Plan Note this proclamation was 1863 in the middle of the war. Lincoln was thinking forward to try to end the war and to win the 1864 election.

(NOT) Lincoln’s Plan Wade-Davis Bill – Congress proposed this. Lincoln refused to sign it. Required 50% of a states’ voters to take the loyalty oath. No former Confederates could vote on the state’s new constitution. Revealed tension between the president and congress.

Lincoln’s Plan Freedmen’s Bureau – aka Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands Established in March 1865 to provide food, shelter, and medical aid for those made destitute by the war – mostly freed slaves, but intended originally also for poor whites. Give confiscated land to blacks Johnson gave back most of the land to original owners Greatest Success: Education schools and several black colleges. (funding stopped in 1870)

Andrew Johnson Democrat from Tenn. Chosen to be Lincoln’s VP in 1864 election. Despised southern aristocrats. Became president upon Lincoln’s death.

Johnson’s Plan Now the war is over. May 1865 Proclamation None of the following could vote 1. all former leaders and officeholder of the Confederacy 2. Confederates with more than $20,000 in taxable property President could grant individual pardons to “disloyal” southerners.

Johnson’s Plan Eight months after Johnson became president, all 11 Confederate states qualified under Johnson’s reconstruction plan. Southern states now had Constitutions that repudiated secession Ratified the 13 th amendment But none had given voting rights to blacks. Former Confederate leaders had been elected to Congress

Johnson’s Plan Black Codes – restricted the freedom of newly freed African Americans Could not rent land or borrow money to buy land Forced freedmen to sign work contracts Could not testify in court against whites Johnson vetoes two bills increasing power and scope of the freedmen’s Bureau and a civil rights bill nullifying the Black Codes.

Election of 1866 Congressional elections (not presidential) Johnson attacked his congressional opponents with racial rhetoric (fears of “Africanized” society) Republicans appealed to anti-southern prejudices by “waving the bloody shirt” – reminding northerners of the hardships of the war Painted all the Democrats as rebellious and treasonous. Republicans won in a landslide and controlled both houses of congress with more than 2/3 majority. (veto proof)

Congressional Plan Radical Republicans are in control of both houses of Congress with a veto proof majority. Take control of reconstruction. Leaders: Charles Sumner (MA) and Thaddeus Stevens (PA) Desire to “revolutionize” southern society through an extended period of military rule

Congressional Plan Federal government educates freed blacks. Blacks receive confiscated land. Blacks would participate in government.

Congressional Plan Civil Rights Act of 1866 Said African Americans were citizens Afraid it would be repealed if Dems take power back Fourteenth Amendment All persons born or naturalized in the U.S. are citizens. States must respect the rights of U.S. citzens and provide them with “equal protection of the laws” and “due process.” Basically it applied the Bill of Rights to the States as well as the federal government.

Congressional Plan Said southern states were not entitled to equal representation in congress. Said CONGRESS would determine the process for allowing states to REJOIN the Union. Placed the south under MILITARY OCCUPATION. Divided the Confederate States into 5 military districts under a Union general. Now states had to ratify the 14 th amendment and had to guarantee that all adult males could vote.

Impeachment of Andrew Johnson Showdown between Congress & President Congress passed the Tenure of Office Act 1867 Said president could remove a cabinet member without congressional approval. Johnson wanted to remove radical Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. Removed him. Congress impeached him from violating the Tenure of Office Act. Senate failed to convict him and remove him from office by one vote.

Congressional Plan Ulysses Grant is elected president in Passed the 15 th Amendment in 1868 – gave suffrage to African Americans Enacted the Civil Rights Act of 1875 guaranteeing equal accommodations in public places and forced courts to allow African Americans to serve on juries. (wasn’t enforced very well)

Even though Republicans controlled all the governments in the south, in all states but one, whites remained a majority in the state legislatures. Scalawag – a southerner who supported the Republican governments Carpetbaggers – northerners who came south to profit after the war

African American Legislators First African American to serve in the Senate – Hiram Revels, a minister from Mississippi First African American to serve a full term in the Senate – Blanche K. Bruce, also from Mississippi Blacks in positions of power caused southerners who were DISENFRANCHISED to bitter and resentful.

Good or Bad? Accomplishments Universal male suffrage Property rights for women Debt relief Built infrastructure Public schools Failures Wasteful spending Corruption Tax increases Increased federal power over the states Created resentment that would have consequences lasting 100 years

Effects on Blacks Build new black communities Churches Leadership Schools

Sharecropping “Slavery by a different name” Blacks and whites were sharecroppers Farmed land owned by someone else and gave them a share of the crops as rent. Was very difficult to get out of this system and to buy your own land. Became the dominant economic system of the south after the war.

Backlash Ku Klux Klan – white supremacists in secret societies who would intimidate blacks and white reformers Amnesty Act 1872 – removed restrictions on most ex- Confederates, now they can vote for Democrats to regain control of state governments

Election of 1876 Samuel L. Tilden (D) v. Rutherford B. Hayes (.) Tilden won the majority of the popular vote. Three states’ electoral votes were contested. Tilden only needed ONE of the electoral votes from those 3 states. A commission was appointed to determine who the electoral votes should go to. The commission chose (by a vote of 8-7) Rutherford B. Hayes.

Compromise of 1877 The Democrats threatened to “filibuster” the election results and not accept them. A compromise resolved the issue. Hayes would become president IF he Immediately ended federal support for the Republicans in the South Support the building of a southern transcontinental railroad. Withdrew the remaining federal troops in the south

Supreme Court Besides ending the occupation, the court also made some decisions that helped end Reconstruction by striking down some of the Reconstruction laws as unconstitutional. The Constitutional Amendments remained however.

Reconstruction Amendments Thirteen Amendment – abolished slavery Fourteenth Amendment – gave citizenship to blacks Fifteenth Amendment – universal male suffrage