1. Reconstruction
in the South

2. Republicans in the South
During Radical Reconstruction, Republicans controlled Southern state governments
White northerners
White southerners
African Americans

3. Republicans in the South
Carpetbaggers:
White northerners who moved to the South after the war
Looked down upon because they profited from Reconstruction
Motives: Power, opportunity, wealth, service

4. Republicans in the South
Scalawags:
White Southerners who “betrayed” the South by voting Republican
Scoundrel or worthless rascal
Mostly pro-Union businessmen and non-slaveholding farmers.

5. Republicans in the South
African Americans:
Largest group of Republican voters

6. African Americans in Southern Politics
During Reconstruction 600+ won election to state legislatures
16 were elected to U.S. Congress
Hiram Revels- 1st African American to be elected to U.S. Congress
African Americans could vote in South since 1867
Core voters= veterans

7. Senate & House Delegates
Colored Rule in the South?

8. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, CSA
Violence in the South
Ku Klux Klan
1865 ?
Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, CSA

9. Wanted Democrats to regain control
Violence in the South
Wanted Democrats to regain control
Terrorized African Americans and Republicans
White Republicans (derided as “carpetbaggers” and “scalawags”) and black institutions such as schools and churches—symbols of black autonomy—were also targets for Klan attacks.

10. White Republicans (derided as “carpetbaggers” and “scalawags”) and black institutions such as schools and churches—symbols of black autonomy—were also targets for Klan attacks.

11. Violence in the South Little was done to stop the KKK until…
Congress passed the Enforcement Acts of 1870 & 1871
Klan violence declined

12. Education
1870s  Reconstruction Governments in the South created public schools
Academies or colleges were opened
50% white children and 40% African American children now attended schools

13. Sharecropping
Sharecropping- System of agriculture in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crops produced on the land.

14. Kept farmers poor & in debt
Sharecropping
Furnishing Merchant
Tenant Farmer
Landowner
Loan tools and seed up to 60% interest to tenant farmer to plant spring crop.
Farmer also secures food, clothing, and other necessities on credit from merchant until the harvest.
Merchant holds “lien” {mortgage} on part of tenant’s future crops as repayment of debt.
Plants crop, harvests in autumn.
Turns over up to ½ of crop to land owner as payment of rent.
Tenant gives remainder of crop to merchant in payment of debt.
Rents land to tenant in exchange for ¼ to ½ of tenant farmer’s future crop.
Kept farmers poor & in debt
Landowners chose the crops- many wanted cash crops while farmers wanted to grow food crops
No way to ever save up money to buy your own land- cycle of debt and poverty