Reconstructing Society Chapter 12 Section 2

I Conditions in the Postwar South A. Physical & Economic Conditions Even after all the S states were back in the Union, Rep. did not end the process of reconstruction because they wanted tp make econ changes in S Most battles fought in S  region being destroyed & battle scarred S planters find that value of their prop. Had fallen Ppl who invested in Confed. bonds wouldn’t collect their $

B. Public Works Programs Republican gov’ts began public works program to rebuilf & provide social services Roads/bridges/canals/orphanages Dev. 1 st public school system in the south These programs made state governments bigger and spent more $ Econ probs. Made rebuilding the south dif. N investors reluctant to invest because the war damaged many of the S assets Raised $ by raising taxes (poll/property/sales/luxury) The econ. Struggle in the south slowed the regions recovery after the Civil War

II Politics in the Postwar South A. Scalawags & Carpetbaggers Another dif. Of rebuilding south was that the 3 groups w/in Rep. Party often had conflicting goals Scalawags & carpetbaggers were neg. terms given to them by Democrats (pol opponents) Scalawags=white southerners who joined the Republican Party Wanted S to industrialize quickly and thought Rep. would do it faster than Dem. While other supported Union during the war

Carpetbaggers= Northerners who moved S after the war Belief that they carried so little belongings that they carried it in a bag made of carpet fabric Some were Freedman’s Bureau workers/ other were ppl who wanted to buy land/businessmen

B. African American Voters 3 rd and largest group was African Americans Gained voting rights under 15 th Amendment Many voted for first time during reconstruction 8 out of 10 supported Republicans Nearly 90% voted

C Political Differences Diff. among Scalawags, Carpetbaggers, & African American  lack of unity in Republican Party Scalawags didn’t support civil rights & suffrage for Af Am  many return to Dem. Party Republican gov. appoint Dem. To office to persuade whites to vote Republicans Backfired because it convinced few whites and made blacks feel betrayed The new status of Af. AM. Depended on change of attitude in S Some supported Rep. recon. Because they believed it would benefit the S (Northern investment would help recovery) Many, though, still refused to accept their new status and resisted equal right

II Former Slaves Improve Their Lives A. New-Won Freedoms First decision as free men & women Af. Amer. Had to make was whether to remain where they were Moved to town and cities where they could find jobs Also traveled to track down family members who were separated due to slavery Freedman’s Bereau assisted some in finding fam. Members Were able to marry and have children w/o fear of being separated Assumed traditional roles (Man=breadwinner/Women=stopped working to raise children)

C. Education 90% of freed slaves were illiterate because they were forbidden to learn as slaves Quickly organized their own schools, colleges, & universities Teachers were first mostly northern white women but Af. American teachers quickly outnumbered white teachers Some white southerners were outraged at the idea of African American edu.  violence towards learned Af. Amer.

D. Churches & Volunteer Groups Slaves began their own “praise meetings” after attending racist white churches Praise meetings= religious gatherins that features singing, shouting, & preaching by self taught preachers After war  found their own churches usually Baptist or Methodist & hold services similar to earlier praise meetings First institution that Af. Amer. Fully controlled  preachers becoming influential in society & community politics Created their own volunteer organizations

E. Blacks in Reconstruction Not only voted but organized their own conventions to demand civil rights Held office in local, state, & fed many of whom were preachers or teachers edu in the N Although Af. Amer. Were the maj. Of pop. They were not maj. In state leg. And no S state elected Af. Amer. Gov. By 1866 may S Rep. gov. repealed the black codes & made moves to desegregate public trans. But they were not enforced

III Changes in the Southern Economy A. 40 Acres & a Mule Gen. Sherman promises Af. Am. Who join his army 40 acres per fam & a use of army mules About 40,000 freed persons settle in coastal Gerogia and S Carolina on abandoned and seized lands from confed. Kicked off land until pres. Johnson allows landowners to reclaim their land and evict former slaves Former slaves claim most of their land was gained by their work so they deserve part of it

Some radical rep. agree and come up w/ plan to seize plantations of “chief rebels” and redistribute to former slaves Failed because most rep. considered private prop. A basic Amer. Right that could not be violated EX of the rejection of this idea is the 1866 Homestead Act Set aside land for freed blacks and loyal whites but the land was swampy and unsuitable for farming

B. Restoration of Plantations Planter class wanted to restore the plantation system which focused on one cash crop such as cotton Northern merchants & textile mill owners encouraged planters for economic reasons Planters claim to make the system work they needed to have complete control of laborers Feared they couldn’t make a profit since they had to pay wages and can no longer force long workdays

Planters also faced a labor shortage Death toll of war reduced # of able bodied workers Af. Amer no longer wanted to work the fields after freed Left for better work or better treatment at another plantation Some freed Af. Amer. Tried to sustenance farm Growing just enough food for their families To stop this trend, S whites were determined to percent Af. Amer. From getting land

C. Sharecropping and Tenant Farming w/o land freed slaves could not provide for their fam  sign labor contracts w/ planters Provided w/ wages, food, & housing in return for working in fields Freedmen believed whites had too much control and whites often did not have cash to pay wages  sharecropping & Tenant Farming Sharecropping= landowners divide their land and give a few acres to each owner w/ seeds and tools Each worker then gives a art of the harvest to the owner

Those who could save enough to buy their own tools could rent land for cash in a a system called Tenant Farming Could potential earn enough to become an owner of their farm This rarely happened because farmers bought their supplies on credit High prices and a return of the workers future crops  farmers not harvesting enough to pay past debt and future supplies Rarely had enough to buy their own farms

D. Cotton no longer King Demand for cotton begins to fall during Civil War  drop in prices S planters tried to make up for loss by growing more cotton rather than diversifying  further drop in prices New industry of Tabaco manufacturing sprang up which helped but did not compare to wages in the N Banks under stress w/ confederate debt in S  failing banks Less availability of credit in S than in N White frustration w/ poor sit. In the S taken out on Af. Amer.  groups that use violence & terror to force Af. Amer. Into giving up their rights