Reconstruction Unit 4 Section 2 1865 - 1889

Terms The Constitutional Convention of 1865 Black Codes Congressional Reconstruction The constitutional Convention of 1867 African Americans in politics Ku Klux Klan The Georgia Act Reconstruction Ends in Georgia Economic Reconstruction Sharecropping and Tenant Farming Business, Industry, Railroads, and Shipping

New Governor President Johnson appointed James Johnson, an attorney from Columbus, as provisional (temporary) governor of Georgia. Six months after Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, the president ordered Governor Johnson to hold a constitutional convention in Milledgeville, Georgia’s capital

The Constitutional Convention of 1865 During this convention the delegates wrote a new constitution that was similar to the constitution of 1861, but the president accepted this one. In November the state elected Charles Jenkins as governor. The Thirteenth Amendment was ratified soon after. In December the president removed Johnson (the provisional governor) and Jenkins was inaugurated. The Georgia General Assembly met in January 1866 and elected two U.S. senators – Alexander Stephens, (former VP of the Confederacy, and Herschel Johnson. The General Assembly also voted to extend civil rights to the freedmen.

Black Codes Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery however it did not abolish discrimination (unfair treatment of a person or group because of prejudice). Black Codes were introduced to restrict the rights of the freedmen. These codes: Controlled the types of jobs the freedmen could have. Permitted whipping as punishment Established labor periods from sunrise to sunset, six days a week. Permitted the imprisonment of jobless blacks Wages were recommended of $144 a year, plus food and shelter, but most workers were paid between $50 and $100 per year. Freedman were not allowed to vote, to serve on juries, or to testify in courts against whites. Also declared marriage between the races illegal.

Congressional Reconstruction Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 that extended citizenship to African American, and gave the federal government the right and responsibility to intervene any time civil rights were taken away form the freedmen and women. The ensure this Congress passed the Fourteenth Amendment, which granted citizenship the freedmen and forbad any state from denying anyone the “equal protection of the law.” That year the radical Republicans gained control of both houses. They felt the South had not been punished enough.

Congressional Reconstruction All the southern states except Tennessee refused to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment so Congress acted quickly to re-establish military rule in march 1867. Until the states required their citizens to ratify the new constitutions and the Fourteenth Amendment, the south remained under military supervision.

The Constitutional Convention of 1867 Fall of 1867, the first time the African American males could vote. 169 delegates were elected. 12 were conservative whites, and nine were carpetbaggers (northerners who moved south after the war.) 36 of the delegates were African-American Most of the delegates were scalawags, a term used to describe southerners who supported the Republicans.

The Constitutional Convention of 1867 As delegates gathered in Milledgeville, African-Americans were refused rooms. Because of this General Pope ordered the convention to be moved to Atlanta, which then became the permanent capital. The convention proved successful as the delegates wrote a new constitution that gave civil rights to all of the state's citizens, approved free public education for all children, and allowed married women to control their own property (the first state to do so). For a second time Georgia met the requirements and was re-admitted to the Union and the federal troops left the state.

African-Americans in Politics In 1868 they helped elect a Republican governor. They also helped elect 29 African American to the Georgia house of representatives and three African Americans to the Georgia senate. Tunis G. Campbell, Jr. McNeal Turner Aaron A Bradley

African-Americans in Politics These men had their offices taken from them since the constitution gave them the right to vote, not to own an office. Hiram Revels and Blanche Bruce of Mississippi were the first African American to serve as U.S. senators.

Ku Klux Klan Secret organization that tried to keep freedmen from exercising their new civil rights. Began in Pulaski, Tennessee as a social club for returning soldiers. Terrorized and intimidated the African-Americans and by doing so, returned control of the state to the Democrats. All new the price for suffrage (voting rights) could mean death.

The Georgia Act It was evident that because of fear many African-Americans did not vote in the 1868 presidential election. Governor Bullock appealed to the federal government for help. Congress responded by passing the Georgia Act. This law returned Georgia to military control for the third time. General Alfred Terry became GA’s new military commander, and Bullock became the provisional governor. Earlier the Fifteenth Amendment was passed giving all male citizens the right to vote. Georgia had to ratify the Fifteenth Amendment before they could return to the Union.

Reconstruction Ends in Georgia The Georgia supreme court ruled that blacks were eligible to hold office. The General Assembly met in January 1870 and reseated the African-American representatives who had been previously expelled. July 1870, Georgia was readmitted to the Union as they approved the Fourteenth Amendment and ratified the Fifteenth. Senators Joshua Hill and H.V. M. Miller were elected in 1868 in Congress. The General Assembly became Democratic when they regained control of the house. Governor Bullock, a Republican, new he would be impeached. Instead of being impeached, he resigned. He secretly swore in Benjamin Conley who served only two months before the General Assembly ordered a special election and voted Democrat James M. Smith as governor.

Economic Reconstruction End of large plantation farming Sharecropping and tenant farming became the new way. Workers that had nothing but their labor resorted to sharecropping. Under this system, landowners provided land, a house, farming tools and animals, seed, and fertilizer. The workers agreed to give the owner a share of the harvest. Until the workers sold their crop, the owners often let them have food, medicine, clothing and other supplies on credit. Credit allowed them to have the necessary items now and pay later or over a period of time. This form of life style ruined many. After selling the crop and paying the bills, there wasn’t usually any cash left. They were easily cheated out of their money, since most of them couldn’t read or count.

Economic Reconstruction Tenant farming was similar to sharecropping. The main difference was that tenants usually owned some agricultural equipment and farm animals, such as mules. They also bought their own seed and fertilizer. At the end of the year, tenant farmers paid the landowner a certain amount of cash that they had agreed upon. They usually made a small profit. It would appear that the landowner would make a profit off both the sharecropper and the tenant farmer however they didn’t usually have the money for the things they needed and went into debt. They could borrow against the crops and the interest would be more than the crops were worth. The soil eventually became ruined from over use. At the end of construction, cotton again became the most important crop.

Business, Industry, Railroads, and Shipping Increasing cotton production brought industry to some parts of Georgia. Northern investors put money into building mills. Banks began to reopen and loan money. Dry goods stores, ships and hotels were back in business Atlanta rebuilt Railroads expanded laying 840 miles of tracking Georgia Savannah again became the major port for exporting cotton Brunswick was a close second “We’re eating the long corn now!” was an expression used meaning that the family was financially well off.