RECONSTRUCTION

Reconstruction centered around three central questions: 1. On what terms should the defeated Confederacy be reunited with the Union? 2. Who should establish these terms, Congress or the President? 3. What should be the place of the former slaves in the political life of the South?

supported lenient plans for Reconstruction 10% Plan provided for a generous amnesty supported the 13th Amendment

Congress’ response to Lincoln – States could be readmitted if: Majority male population took loyalty oath Adopt new Constitution abolishing slavery Adopted by convention of those who never born arms against the U.S. Lincoln pocket vetoed the bill

Spoke out against planter society Loyal to union when Tennessee seceded Thought everyone should have slaves– not just the wealthy minority

State must repeal law by which state withdrew from Union Abolish slavery and ratify 13 th amendment U.S. would not pay Confederate war debt Allowed former rebels to regain control in the south by 1865

Created to deal with former slaves Distributed food Established schools Help former slaves find jobs Help former slaves obtain land

Black School in the south set up by Freedmen’s Bureau

South’s Response to Freeman’s Bureau

Limited rights of blacks Prohibited from entering cities without permission, regulated legal rights including marriage Equivalent to slavery Restricted the right to hold and sell property Dictated hours of labor, duties and behavior Type of work regulated

Radical leaders, Charles Sumner and Thaddeus Stevens Wanted to keep South out of the Union and change its economy Radical Reconstructionists

Passed Civil Rights Act Authorized federal government to use force to enforce laws 14 th amendment 15 th amendment

States must ratify 14 th amendment South divided into 5 military districts – only people voting black men and white men who had never participated in the rebellion Constitution guaranteeing blacks the right to vote

President vetoed Republican bills & did not approve the use of army to support reconstruction President removed civil servants who were too helpful to Congress Led to impeachment trial – violation of the Tenure of Office Act Impeachment failed by 1 vote

Grant rewarded friends with offices – many corrupt or incompetent Tenure of Office Act – could not remove Credit Mobilier scam- bank took bribes from railroad companies and funneled them to Congress

Women Suffrage advocates upset over 13 th, 14 th, and 15 th amendments Stanton and Anthony campaigned against the amendments

Panic of 1873 Paper currency issued during Civil War caused inflation Specie Resumption Act 1879 Put country back on gold standard

Blacks served in the state legislature Blacks at one time held the majority in legislature in South Carolina Some well educated while others were field hands with no education

Play a key role in southern government Often “men of bad character" who came from the North to work in the South, to "manipulate and exploit" the black vote and political office and economic privilege

Farms rented to blacks Supplies sold on credit at inflated prices When crop came in, went towards debt Crop never covered debt which increased each year Kept blacks poor

Organization that scared blacks against voting, seeking jobs Resorted to violence and terror Group undermined abolitionist’s work

Election of 1876 Votes in four southern states disputes House created special electoral commission – 8 out of 15 Republicans Republicans agreed to end Reconstruction – Hayes wins election “His Fraudulency”

Segregation Poll taxes Grandfather clauses Literacy tests Supreme Court upheld “Jim Crow” laws