Social Reconstruction

Radical Republicans Take Over In 1867 The Radicals and Moderate Republicans joined forces and took of Reconstruction. Under the Reconstruction Act of 1867 Congress refused to acknowledge the Southern States reformed under Lincoln and Johnson They took the 10 remaining confederate states and formed them into 5 military districts each headed by a Union General. In order to become part of the Union the different states had to write a State Constitution that protected African American Rights. Johnson tried to veto the plan. Congress became angry with the President and sought terms to impeach him on. In 1867 they passed the Tenure of Office act which protected cabinet members from being removed without the approval of the Senate. Johnson tested the act by firing his Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. The House of Representatives brought 11 charges of impeachment against him. In a vote of Johnson was found not guilty. One vote shy of what was needed. In 1868 Grant was elected president and Congress passed the 15th amendment.

Reconstructing Society Reconstruction did not end in 1870 when all the Confederate states were readmitted. Sherman alone destroyed 100 million dollars worth of property in his march to the sea. The South had fallen into a deep depression. The average annual earnings dropped from $20,000 a year to $5,000 a year in just ten years. 1 in 5 white males were dead. 2/3’s of the budget for the state of Mississippi had to go to pay for prosthetic limbs In-order to rebuild state Governments put heavy taxes on the region causing the recovery to slow even further.

Scalawags and Carpetbaggers A Scalawag was a Southerner who joined the Republican Party. They were seen as traitors and were often the attacked by whites opposed to Congressional reconstruction. Carpetbaggers were people from the North who move to the South in- order to gain land for cheap prices.

African Americans African Americans made up the largest group of Republicans in the South Under the 15th amendment African Americans exercised their right to vote often. More African Americans voted during the time period of Reconstruction then in the next 20 years combined. African Americans had gained the right to Education with whites, the right to travel unrestricted, the right to hold public office, and the right to meet in public places. Many African Americans used these rights to reunite with their families. During Reconstruction many politicians took steps to desegregate schools and churches

Education In 1870 over 80% of African Americans were illiterate Whites didn’t like the idea of African Americans being educated and responded with violence. By 1877 over 600,000 African Americans were enrolled in school

Southern Economy Changes Many African Americans could not support themselves after the Civil War. Sherman had promised African Americans who fought in the war 40 acres and a mule. This proved difficult to provide. Congress was unwilling to confiscate private property and redistribute to African Americans. Without a cheap supply of labor the Plantation system collapsed The Plantation system was replaced with even older forms of farming called sharecropping and tenant farming. The most devastating blow to the Southern economy was when cotton prices dropped to rock bottom prices. Europe replaced the much needed American cotton with Egyptian and Indian cotton

Reconstruction Fails Frustrated with the economic conditions and lack of support from Republicans in Congress whites began to use violence to get their ways Groups like the KKK used terrorism to keep African Americans from voting. The federal government was able to little to stop it. Republicans began to lose their power When the amnesty act was passed in ,000 Democrats were now aloud to vote Continued scandal in the Republican caused the them to lose even more power. In 1873 the United States was rocked with a economic panic causing more distrust for the Republican Party By 1875 the Democrats recaptured most of the Southern State Governments. By 1877 the South had achieved Home Rule and Reconstruction came to an official end. With the end of Reconstruction African Americans were striped of most of the rights they were granted during Reconstruction.