1. THE RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD 1865 - 1877

2. Political Cartoons

3. Reconstruction Debate The war had left the South with enormous problems. Most fighting had taken place in the South. As a result towns, cities, roads, railroads, plantations, and bridges had been destroyed. More than 258,000 Confederate soldiers had died. Many more were wounded and sick. Southern families faced the task of rebuilding their lives, and in many cases without the help of adult males. People agreed the South’s economy and society needed to be rebuilt. They disagreed, however, on how to accomplish this. This time period is known as RECONSTRUCTION.

4. Plans for Reconstruction Lincoln’s Plan known as the 10% plan when 10% of the voters of a state took an oath of loyalty to the Union, the state could form a new government and adopt a new constitution that banned slavery wanted Southerners that supported the Union to take charge he believed that punishing the South served no purpose offered amnesty to all white Southerners except Confederate leaders he wanted African Americans to have the right to vote

5. Plans for Reconstruction Congress felt they should control Reconstruction Radical Republicans in Congress voted to create their own plan which would be much stricter than Lincoln’s plan Congress passes Wade-Davis Bill which stated that 50% of white males needed to accept oath of loyalty, new state governments could only be occupied by those who had not fought the Union, former Confederates were denied public office, and adopt a state constitution that abolished slavery Lincoln refused to sign the Wade-Davis Bill and the two sides knew they would have to compromise

6. The Freedman’s Bureau designed to help former enslaved persons distributed food, clothing, and medical services established schools helped freed people acquire land offered transportation to where labor was needed helped white Southerners that had supported the Union

8. Andrew Johnson’s Plan he preferred to call his plan “Restoration” Southerners would be granted amnesty once they swore an oath to the Union (high ranking Confederate soldiers and wealthy landowners had to apply directly to the president) he would appoint governors for each state only whites that had pledged oath could vote a state needed to ratify the 13th amendment form new state government

9. Lincoln’s Assassination 5 days after Lee surrendered. Mary Todd Lincoln and President went to see a play at Ford’s Theater in Washington, DC During the play John Wilkes Booth, a Confederate sympathizer snuck into the private box where Lincoln and his wife were and shot Lincoln in the back of the head. Lincoln was taken to a nearby home where he died a few hours later. He never regained his consciousness Booth was part of a larger conspiracy One conspirator attacked the Secretary of State, badly injuring him Another was chosen to attack Andrew Johnson (VP at the time) but failed to follow through There were 8 conspirators total; 4 were hanged, the other 4 were imprisoned for life.

10. The Thirteenth Amendment Passed by Congress in January of 1865 This amendment abolished slavery in all parts of the United States. By the end of 1865 the former Confederate states had ratified the 13th amendment under their new state governments.

11. African Americans’ Rights 1865 and 66 Southern states began passing a series of laws known as the Black Codes aimed to control freed men and women and enabled plantation owners to exploit African American workers examples include- allow local officials to arrest and fine unemployed African Americans and make them work for white employers to pay off fine, allowed whites to take orphaned African Americans as unpaid apprentices the Black Codes reestablished slavery

12. The Fourteenth Amendment granted full citizenship to all individuals born in the United States also stated that no state could take away a citizen’s life, liberty, and property without due process of law and that every citizen was entitled to equal protection of the laws it did not include voting rights for African Americans barred prominent Confederates from holding national or state offices

13. Radical Reconstruction March 2, 1867 Congress passed the First Reconstruction Act called for new state governments, divided states into military districts, placed military commander in control, guaranteed African American males the right to vote, and prevented former confederate leaders from holding political office a Second Reconstruction Act required the military commanders to begin registering voters Many whites refused to take part and as a result Republicans took control of all state government

14. August 1867 Johnson suspends Secretary of War Edwin Stanton without the Senate’s approval. When the Senate mets and refuses to approve the suspension Johnson then removes Stanton from office. Radicals then impeach Johnson During impeachment trial Johnson is one vote short of a guilty verdict and he is allowed to stay in office until the end of his term During the Election of 1868 the Republicans support Ulysses S. Grant and he easily wins

15. The Fifteenth Amendment February 1869, Congress passed the 15th Amendment. It prohibited the state and federal governments from denying any male citizen the right to vote because of race, color, or previous condition of servitude ratified and became law in February 1870

16. The South During Reconstruction Republican party dominates Southern politics Some African Americans hold offices during this time (16 served in the House and 2 as senators during the 1870s) Southern whites that supported Republican policies were known as scalawags Northern whites that moved to the South and served as Republican leaders were called carpetbaggers

17. Resistance to Reconstruction most white southerners opposed efforts to expand African American rights some whites tried to make life difficult for African Americans. Example- refusing to give credit, provide work, not allowed to rent land some resort to violence- most notably was the rise of the Ku Klux Klan KKK created in 1866. Wearing white sheets and hoods, members launched “midnight rides” against African Americans by burning their homes, churches, and schools. They also killed.

18. Improvements Most important change brought about by the Reconstruction was in the field of education. Many schools created and by 1870 approximately 200,000 kids were in school. By the end of the reconstruction period almost half of all black and white kids were attending school. In the area of agriculture, many African- Americans were sharecroppers. In this system they split crops with the landowner but usually made enough to just barely feed their families.

19. Reconstruction Declines As time goes, Northerners lose interest in Reconstruction and think the South needs to take care of its own problems. Corruption in the Grant administration, along with intimidation used by such groups as the Klan allowed the democrats to retake control of the South When Rutherford B. Hayes takes office in 1877 he states that the South needed self- government and he intended to let the Southern states handle racial issues.

20. Review Questions 1.When the Civil War ended, most people agreed that the South’s _________ and __________ needed to be rebuilt. 2.Why do you think Lincoln did not want to punish the South? 3.What were the major goals of the Freedman’s Bureau? 4.Politically, why do you think Andrew Johnson did not want to give citizenship or voting rights to the newly freed African-Americans? 5.The 13th amendment ______________ slavery. 6.What was the purpose of the Black Codes? 7.The 14th amendment granted ________________ to those born in the U.S. 8.The First and Second Reconstruction Acts allowed Congress to do what?

21. Review Questions 9. Who replaces Andrew Johnson as president of the United States? 10. What did the 15th amendment prevent state and federal governments from doing? 11.Which political party dominated during the Reconstruction? 12. Who were scalawags and carpetbaggers? 13.What did the KKK represent and what was the intention of this group? 14.Which president brought an end to the Reconstruction period?