RECONSTRUCTION

Reconstruction The South is in ruins. Sherman’s march to the sea Slaves are gone Railroads destroyed, bridges gone RECONSTRUCTION is the process of reuniting the nation and rebuilding the southern states without slavery. ( )

HOW DO YOU REUNITE THE BLUE & GRAY? Lincolns wants to offer AMNESTY to southerners. AMNESTY: an official pardon for any illegal acts. To receive it Southerners had to Swear an oath of loyalty Accept a ban on slavery TEN PERCENT PLAN: If 10% of a states government agrees to make these pledges they can form a new gov’t. (Louisiana quickly does this.)

Wade Davis Bill Congress had the power to admit new states. Some Republicans weren’t happy with Lincoln’s 10% plan. Benjamin Wade and Henry Davis Wade David Bill: State has to meet 2 conditions. 1-ban slavery 2-majority of male adults in the state have to take loyalty oath. (only southerners who swear they never supported Confederacy may vote or hold office in new state.) Lincoln doesn’t sign the bill- believes it will be too hard for Southern states to return this way.

13 th Amendment Made slavery illegal in United States. How did it change things? Legalized marriages & traveled Originally Sherman tries to set aside land for slaves to farm their own land- but gov’t. gives it back to former owners. Where will they live? What kind of work? What rights do they have?

Freedman’s Bureau Established by congress in Provide relief for all POOR (black and white) in south. Distributed food Supervised labor contracts Promoted education in the South Established schools provided books and teachers. Colleges for African Americans (Howard University in DC & Fisk University in Nashville)

A sad night April 14 th, 1865 President Abraham Lincoln is assassinated at Fords Theater by John Wilkes Booth.

Andrew Johnson

Black Codes New state legislatures began passing laws to deny African Americans civil rights. Nearly every Southern state passed Black codes: laws that greatly limited the freedom of African Americans. Under the Black Codes… African Americans had to sign work contracts If an African American couldn’t prove they had a job they could be arrested. Punishment is 1 year of labor with NO pay. Not allowed to own guns Not allowed to rent property in cities.

Radical Republicans South is returning to its old ways! Believe Black Codes to be cruel and unjust. Radical Republicans: Want the Southern states to change much more than they have before they can return to the Union. Thaddeus Stevens and Charles Sumner Civil Rights Act of 1866: provided African Americans with same legal rights as whites. Johnson vetoes. Congress overrides his veto!

14 th Amendment 1- defined all people born or naturalized within the US (except Native Americans) as U.S. citizens. Guarantees citizens equal protection under the laws. Cannot be deprived of life, liberty or pursuit of happiness. Bans many former Confederate officials from holding federal or state offices Makes state law to review federal courts Gives Congress power to pass any laws needed to enforce any part of the amendment. President Johnson & Democrats opposed. Riots broke out- 2 peaceful protests by former Union soldiers- at the first one 46 African Americans killed, the second 3 months later 34 and 3 white Republicans killed. CONGRESS TAKES OVER. Reconstruction Acts- dividing the south into 5 districts with a US military commander in each district. To rejoin Union states had to rewrite state constitutions supporting 14 th amendment. President Johnson – opposes. Congress begins passing laws to limit his power. He goes against them and the Impeachment process begins. By a single vote he was NOT impeached.

Ulysses S. Grant

15 th Amendment Gives African American Men the right to VOTE! Not as well received as you’d think… the right to vote to ALL Americans- women? Native Americans?

More reconstruction terms… Carpetbaggers: Northern born Republicans who moved South after war… Help former slaves? Make money from the reconstruction efforts? Scalawags: “mean fellows” White Southern Republicans. Believed to have betrayed the south by voting for Republicans. Sharecropping: on plantations- former slaves would “share the crop” with landowner if they worked the land. System that was easy to abuse and usually ended up putting sharecroppers into debt.

Ku Klux Klan In 1866 a group of white southerners formed the Ku Klux Klan A secret society opposed to civil rights, particularly suffrage, for African Americans. Use violence and terror, white Republican voters and public officials. Hugely popular and had a large membership throughout the South. In response Congress passed laws that made it a federal crime to interfere with elections or to deny citizens equal protection under the law. Civil Rights Act of 1875: guaranteed African Americans equal rights in public places.

Jim Crow and Plessey & Ferguson Poll tax: in an effort to deny the vote to African Americans there was a special “tax” voters had to pay before they could vote. Some states even required a literacy test. Segregation: forced separation of whites and African Americans in public places. Jim Crow Laws: laws that required segregation. Must stay in different hotels, ride different rail cars, sit in different places in theaters etc. African Americans were assigned to the most “uncomfortable, unsanitary and unsafe places.” Surprising turn of events the US Supreme Court determines the the Civil Rights Act of 1875 is unconstitutional. Restricted the powers of the 14 th Amendment. Plessey V. Ferguson: “separate but equal” is introduced. In fact these other places are separate and unequal!