ISSUES OF RECONSTRUCTION THE ECONOMY DRIVES IT ALL

Economics of Reconstruction Economics – the way people make and spend money

THE SOUTH The Southern Economy is AGRICULTURAL Farming is the basis of all money making (Cash Crops – cotton, tobacco) All “luxury” items are imported from the North

Agricultural Societies Need  Cheap labor  Transportation to ship goods  Accommodating Climate  Rich Soil THE SOUTH HAD ALL OF THIS (Slavery was very cheap)

The North The Northern Economy is very INDUSTRIAL Business is the basis for all money making The North is self sufficient with some farms supplying food and industry providing luxury items

INDUSTRIAL CENTER NEEDS  Cheap labor  Transportation for shipping goods  Capital (money to invest) The North had all of this but did not rely on Slavery as much as South

WITHOUT SLAVERY The South loses CHEAP, FREE labor The North gains the advantage – they are used to PAYING cheap labor

Where are the Industrial cities?  New York  Chicago  Cleveland  Pittsburg  Detroit  Others??? Do you see a pattern here?

Where are the Agricultural cities?  ?????? Harder to pinpoint – but what region of the country comes to mind??? THE SOUTH

ECONOMICS DRIVES POLITICS “It’s the economy stupid”

The NORTH  Tended to be Republican  NOT farmers  Raised with “business sense”  Grew up in a racist culture, but had more exposure to difference in city life

THE SOUTH  Tended to be Democrat  Were farmers who needed to protect their crops  Grew up in a racist culture that was essential to their way of life

**REMEMBER** Women were not allowed to vote when speaking of RECONSTRUCTION they were still fighting for their own rights (voting, owning property etc…)

Panic of 1873  Economy slips (“It’s the economy, stupid”)  Northerners and Southerners lose money and they blame the party in office (REPUBLICANS)  Republicans lose support – Southern states see rush of Democrats elected to state government

ECONOMY AND SOCIETY The South is occupied by the North  Army is rebuilding (“reconstruction”)  Southerners are angry and poor

Republicans won the war and the election SO: Republicans make the rules (but remember the economy slips and they are losing support)

FEDERAL LAWS US Congress suggests, US President enforces, US Supreme Court interprets A state cannot pass a law that infringes upon a federal law

Federal Laws passed during Reconstruction 13 th Amendment – Adds a section to the Constitution that says slavery is illegal 14 th Amendment - Adds a section to the Constitution that says former slaves are citizens (extends rights ensured by the Constitution to ex-slaves) 15 th Amendment - Adds a section to the Constitution that says African Americans can vote

REDEEMERS  Remember how the Republicans were losing power???  State elections were electing REDEEMERS – Southern Democrats who wanted to return the Southern society to how it used to be

BLACK CODES  State and local laws passed by Redeemers that returned working conditions to slave – like situations  If you were African American and were employed by a White person – you were referred to as SERVANT and your white employer was to be called MASTER

BLACK CODES  Poll Tax  Literacy Test  Segregation  Funding Cuts (Freedmen’s Bureau)

Plessy v. Ferguson  Homer Plessy looks white  He is 1/8 African American living in Lousiana  He boards a train and sits in the White Car  He sues claiming that the state segregation law limits his right to pursue life, liberty and happiness (rights from the Constitution)

THE FIGHT FOR PLESSY State and Local courts cannot decide who is right

SUPREME COURT DECISION Does segregation violate the rights granted by the US Constitution???

RULING in Plessy v Ferguson NO – as long as segregation is Separate but Equal

Only 1 of the Justices Dissents (disagrees) John Marshall Harlan says: “In the eye of the law, there is in this country no superior, dominant, ruling class of citizens… Our Constitution is color – blind, and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens. In respect of civil rights all citizens are equal before the law.”

WHAT DOES HARLAN MEAN? The law is not to be MORALIZED

SIMILARITIES TO TODAY How does the Plessy v. Ferguson debate seem similar to the current debate on a Gay Marriage Ban Amendment?

Plessy v Ferguson is overturned by Brown v Board