Reconstruction of the South

The Civil War War between the North (Union) and South (Confederacy) The South wanted:  To preserve their way of life including slavery  Leave the Union (United States) and form their own country The North wanted:  Higher tariffs or taxes  To end slavery  To preserve the Union (keep the country whole)

The Civil War The Southern states won early battles Later the tide of the war turned to favor the North:  The Battle of Gettysburg (Pennsylvania)  The Union stopped General Lee’s advancement to the North  He and his troops went back to Virginia  The Battle of Vicksburg (Virginia)  General Grant won the Battle of Vicksburg, cutting the South in two.  General Lee surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia on April9, 1865.

Reconstruction Reconstruction means to build something again. After the war, the South needed to be rebuilt. There were two plans for Reconstruction:  President Lincoln’s plan  Congress’ plan

Lincoln’s Plan President Lincoln’s plan:  Ended slavery throughout the country by passing the 13 th amendment to the Constitution  Allowed Southern states to reenter the Union if  They formed new state governments  They promised to treat former slaves fairly President Lincoln was assassinated before Reconstruction began so President Johnson had to enact his plan.

Reconstruction under Congress Congress passed the first Reconstruction Acts in They divided the South into military zones. They required that Southern states rewrite their state constitutions to allow African American men the right to vote. They prevented former Confederate leaders and military officers from holding public office.

Problems with Johnson’s plan Under this plan, Southern states were free to pass laws called Black Codes. Black codes  Denied African American men the right to vote  Limited jobs  Denied the right to own land or guns  The result was that life for African Americans was much the same as it was under slavery. Black codes angered Congress and they came up with their own plan for Reconstruction.

Reconstruction Under Congress The Freedmen’s Bureau was formed  Helped the 4 million slaves freed by the war  Built hospitals and schools for blacks Resistance to Reconstruction  Southern whites resented the new state governments  They had a hard time paying new taxes as they tried to rebuild their businesses and farms  They resented new rights given to African Americans  Some formed the Ku Klux Klan that burned African American schools and homes and attacked blacks for trying to vote.

Reconstruction Under Congress Carpetbaggers: Northerners who went down South to start businesses Scalawags:  Southerners who supported Reconstruction

Reconstruction Under Congress In order to be readmitted to the Union, Southern states had to accept two new amendments. The 14 th Amendment:  Gave citizenship to African Americans  Stated that they could not be denied equal rights under the law. The 15 th Amendment:  Granted the right to vote to all male citizens

Reconstruction Ends By 1870, all former Confederate states met the requirements of Reconstruction. After Reconstruction, white Southern Democrats quickly regained power in state governments. New laws were passed that again restricted the rights of former slaves.  Tried to prevent African Americans from voting  Moved voting booths without notice  Imposed poll taxes many blacks could not pay  Grandfather clause that said they could only vote if their father or grandfather had voted before 1867.

Reconstruction Ends Jim Crow Laws were also passed.  Enforces segregation or separation of blacks and whites  Blacks could not sit with whites on trains or stay in certain hotels.  They could not eat in certain restaurants or attend certain theaters, schools or parks.

Reconstruction Ends Many former slaves were forced to return to plantations because they could not find jobs. Sharecropping became a way of life for blacks and poor whites.  They rented land from landowners  Paid their rent with crops  Used the money from the rest of their crops to pay for clothes and food  Usually didn’t make enough money

After War and Reconstruction Slavery was over. The federal government had established its power over the states. The 14 th and 15 th amendments provided for equal rights although it would be a very long time before these rights were recognized.