Reconstruction and the Changing South Pg

Early Steps to Reunion Postwar Problems – The victorious North Though they won the North still had economic problems 800,000 returning soldier needed jobs Factory’s slowed production and lay off workers Boom times quickly returned The North lost more men than the South But their cities were hardly touched

The Defeated South Confederate soldiers had little chance of picking up where they left off. Houses, barns, and bridges had been destroyed (Columbia, Richmond, & Atlanta) 2/3 of the southern railroad line had been destroyed as well It wrecked the financial system, Confederate money was now worthless

People who had loaned money to the South were never repaid Banks closed and depositors lost money The war changed the southern society forever There was a new class of 4,000,000 freedmen – Men and women who had been slaves – Under slavery they were not allowed to own property or learn to read and write What would the new south look like?

Early Steps Toward Reconstruction Reconstruction is the rebuilding of the South Lincoln was worried that the rejoining of the nation would not be easy

Lincoln’s Reconstruction Plan He laid out a Ten Percent Plan – It said that a southern state could form a new government after 10% of its population of voters swore an oath to the U.S. – The new government had to abolish slavery – Only then could voters elect member to the national congress – The plan also offered amnesty to Confederates who swore loyalty – This would not apply to former leaders of the South

A Rival Proposal Many Republicans thought the plan was too nice to the south In 1864 they passed the Wade-Davis Bill – It required that a majority of white men in each state had to swear loyalty to the Union – It also denied the right to hold office or vote if you had volunteered for the confederacy – Lincoln refused to pass the bill because he felt it was too harsh

The Freedman’s Bureau They were in agreement on one thing 1 month before Lee surrendered Congress passed a bill that created the Freedmen’s Bureau – A government agency to help former slaves – It gave food and clothing to former slaves – It also tried to find jobs for them – It provided medical care for more than 1 million people – One of their most important jobs was to set up schools Most of the teachers were volunteer and mostly women

The Freedmen’s Bureau laid the framework for the South’s public school system It also created colleges for African American – Howard, Morehouse, and Fisk

Lincoln is Assassinated Lincoln hoped to persuade Congress to accept his 10% plan – But he never got the chance – On April 14 th, 1865 the President attended a play at Ford’s Theatre – Just 5 days after Lee had surrendered John Wilkes Booth was the gunman Lincoln was shot in the head and died the next morning. Booth was caught and killed in a barn outside of D.C.

The New President Vice President Andrew Johnson became President – He had been a rep from Tennessee and had remained loyal to the Union when Tennessee had seceded Johnson’s plan called for a majority of votes to pledge loyalty to the Union and each state had to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment, which had already been approved by congress.

Radical Reconstruction Chapter 18 Section 2 Black Codes Anger Congress – After the war, most southern states ratified the Thirteenth Amendment – However, some southern legislatures passed black codes These are laws that limited the rights of freedmen Until February 7, 2013, the state of Mississippi had never submitted the required documentation to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment, meaning it never officially had abolished slavery.

Rights and Restrictions Black codes did grant some rights. – African Americans could legally get married and own some kinds of property – But these codes were meant to keep freedmen from gaining political and economic power. – The codes forbade freedmen from voting, owning guns, and serving on juries – In some states African Americans could only work as servants or farm hands. – Some had to have contracts in order to work. If you did have a contract you could be arrested.

Congress Reacts Republicans said Johnson’s lenient plans had encouraged southern states to pass the black codes – Congress was also upset about reports of violence against freedmen – Riots broke out throughout the south after freedmen had met to support their right to vote

A report by the Joint Committee on reconstruction accused the South of trying to – “preserve slavery…as long as possible” – Johnson ignored the report – Members of Congress then vowed to take control of Reconstruction These men were called Radical Republicans

Rise of the Radicals These radicals were led by two men – Thaddeus Stevens (PA) in the House – Charles Sumner (MA) in the Senate These republicans had two goals – Break the power of wealthy planters – Wanted to ensure that freedmen received the right to vote

Republican Control Radical Republicans needed help from moderates in Congress They worked together to combat the black codes To do this, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act in April 1866 This act gave African Americans citizenship Johnson vetoed the bill, Congress overrode the veto

Fourteenth Amendment Republicans feared that the Supreme Court would declare the Civil Rights Act unconstitutional In 1857 (Dred Scott) the court had ruled that African Americans were not citizens To avoid this again, Republicans proposed the Fourteenth Amendment – Defining citizenship: “all persons born or naturalized in the United States…was guaranteed eqal protection of the laws”

3 The South Under Reconstruction The new government in the south were different during Radical Reconstruction The old leaders lost their influence and three groups stepped in to replace them

White Southern Republicans Some white southerners supported the Republican government Many were those business men that had opposed secession in 1860 Many other southerners thought they were traitors and nicknamed them scalawags

Northerners Southerners accused these new arrivals of wanting to get rich from southern misery They were called carpetbaggers because they had come the south in a hurry and filled a carpetbag with just enough of what they needed Not everyone wanted to profit from the war – Some worked as teachers, ministers, and reformers

African Americans Were a major new group in southern politics Before the war African Americans had no voice in southern politics During Reconstruction African Americans voted in large numbers, ran for, and were elected to public office – Sheriffs, mayors, and legislators – 16 African American were elected to Congress between 1869 and 1880

Two African Americans from Mississippi served in the Senate – Hiram Revels- became the first African American Senator in 1870 He completed the term former Confederate president Jefferson Davis – Blanche K. Bruce became the first African American to serve a full term in the Senate, starting in 1874

Conservatives Resist Most southern whites who held power before the war resisted Reconstruction – Conservatives – resented changes imposed by Congress – They tried to hold onto their power through terror They formed secret societies to try and regain their power The most dangerous of these groups was the Ku Klux Klan