The End of Slavery Chapter 2 Lesson 4

A New President Lincoln died in the early morning of April 15, John Wilkes Booth, a 26-year old actor who supported the Confederacy, shot and killed Lincoln. Vice President, Andrew Johnson became the new President. Johnson intended to carry out Lincoln’s plan for Reconstruction.

A New President

First step toward reconstruction was ending slavery throughout the nation. The Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States, took effect on December 18, Johnson also had a plan to readmit the former Confederate states into the Union.

The Problem Under Johnson’s plan, southern states were free to pass laws called “black codes.” These laws denied African Americans the right to vote, act as jurors in a trial, own weapons, take certain jobs, or own land. The laws had the effect of making African American life much the same as it had been under slavery.

The Problem Many in Congress were angered by the black codes. Congress thought Johnson was being too easy on Southern states. So Congress passes their own Reconstruction act, and bring Johnson up on charges of Impeachment!

Question What effect did black codes have on African Americans?

Reconstruction Under Congress First Reconstruction Act in 1867 (by Congress) breaks the Southern states into five military districts, and stations 20,000 federal troops in the South. No former Confederate leaders or military officers are allowed to vote or hold political office.

Reconstruction Under Congress Freedmen’s Bureau is established to help the 4 million freedmen, or former slaves after the war. Freedmen’s Bureau established schools, hospitals, and helped former slaves find jobs.

Freedmen’s Bureau

Reconstruction Under Congress Newly elected leaders in the South (which were mainly Northerners that had moved into the South) raised taxes, on the destroyed Southern states, to rebuild roads, railways, and establish a free education system. These taxes hurt, already poor, Southerners. (How were they going to make any money to pay these taxes when everything had been destroyed in the war?) 1.

Question What is Reconstruction? What changes did Congress bring about in the South during Reconstruction?

New Amendments Page 109 Thirteenth Amendment (Slavery illegal) Fourteenth Amendment (Citizenship and equality for all, protected by law!) Fifteenth Amendment (All men are guaranteed the right to vote) Notice Women are left out!

Trouble As Congress passed these new Amendments and Reconstruction Acts, President Johnson opposed a number of these. President Johnson believed a number of these were unlawful because they were passed without the representation of Southern states. (Remember the Revolutionary War: Taxation without Representation!!!)

Trouble Angry about Johnson’s actions, Republicans in Congress try to remove the President from office. IMPEACH Congress tries to impeach the President. Johnson avoided being removed from office by one vote!

Question Why did Congress want to impeach President Johnson?

Reconstruction Ends By 1870 all former Confederate states had met the requirements of Reconstruction and are again part of the United States. After Reconstruction, white Southern Democrats regained their power in state government and immediately passed new laws that restricted the rights of African Americans.

Reconstruction Ends Attempts to restrict African American included – Moving voting booths far from African American communities. – Change voting locations without informing the African American public – Charge a Poll Tax before a voter could vote. – Require a Reading Test before being allowed to vote. – Grandfather Clause: If your Grandfather had not been able to vote, then neither can you

Segregation

Reconstruction Ends Jim Crow Laws are passed. These laws enforce segregation of blacks and whites. Under Jim Crow laws, blacks could not sit with whites, could not eat in certain restaurants or attend certain theaters, schools or parks. Many African Americans had no choice but to return to plantations where they had worked as slaves.

Reconstruction Ends Sharecropping: The poor would rent land from a landowner, borrow material to farm the land, and pay for the use of land and materials by providing part of their crop to the owner. Usually the cost of sharecropping was higher than the income received, so sharecroppers always stayed in debt! Many African Americans were right back where they started in slavery.

Sharecropping