1. Analyze the political, economic, and social impact of Reconstruction on the nation and identify the reasons why
Reconstruction came to an end
Week 3 Day 4 [first]

2. Macro Concepts Micro Concepts
Conflict-Issues/problems that can lead to fighting without compromise.
Reform-The ability to change something for the better.
Power-Authority to control usually by law.
Change-Transformation of something.
Citizenship-The status, protection and privilege connected to the native of a nation.
Nationalism-An extreme sense of pride, patriotism and loyalty to a nation.
Sectionalism-Connection and loyalty to certain region of a nation [ex. South and North]

3. Reconstruction Plans
Lincoln’s Plan of Reconstruction-In order to reconcile with the South Lincoln suggested the 10 percent plan which allowed Confederate states back into the Union if 10 % of the voters swore allegiance to the Union. All Southerners were granted amnesty except high ranking members of the Confederacy.
Thaddeus Stevens’ Congressional Plan of Reconstruction-Called a Radical Republican because he and his supporters wanted to prevent former Confederates from regaining power. His plan forced Southern states to accept black voting rights by passing the 14th and 15th Amendments .
Johnson’s Plan of Reconstruction-Built on Lincoln’s Plan and required [A] loyalty oath [B] excluded high ranking Confederates [C] Southern states had to ratify 13th Amendment

4. Four Corners
Southern states and their residents should have been forced to swear loyalty to the Union.
In order to reconstruct the Union granting amnesty to confederates was a good idea.
The assassination of President Lincoln was a tragedy for the nation.
General Lee should never have agreed to surrender at Appomattox Court House.

5. Freedmen’s Bureau
The Freedmen’s Bureau was created immediately after the end of the Civil War. It was a federal government agency funded by tax money.
The mission of the agency was to create homes and places for displaced slaves to live.
Freed slaves were given land abandoned by former slave holders.
Schools were created for freed slaves, job training and education was made available for the newly freed slaves.

6. President Johnson’s Impeachment
Tenure of Office Act-A law passed by Congress in 1866 to prevent the President of the United States from having the power to fire government official without the approval of the U.S. Senate.
The law was passed despite Johnson’s veto.
Johnson fired his Secretary of War against the Tenure of Office Act [the firing was not approved].
The Senate voted not to remove the president by one vote.

7. Black Codes
As a measure of retaliation and in response to the Union’s strict reconstruction requirements Southern states passed racist, anti-black laws.
Freed blacks had restrictions placed on them in the work place, job training and in schools.

8. Sharecroppers and Tenant Farmers
Freed slaves usually had very few job skills because they had mostly been farm hands.
Because many free blacks did not own land they were forced to become sharecroppers or tenant farmers. These jobs kept free blacks in poverty.
Sharecroppers-farm an owners land and gave a large share [percentage] of crops as payment.
Tenant farmers-same as above but the farmer lives on the landlord’s land.

9. Jim Crow Laws
In order to preserve the worst elements of Southern culture racist laws were passed to segregate [separate] blacks and whites in public places.
Blacks using public facilities such as water fountains, buses and schools could be fined, arrested or lynched.

10. The Grandfather Clause
In general an exception that allows an old rule to apply in certain circumstances.
In the South during the late 1800s even though the 15th Amendment gave voting rights to all blacks certain states passed racist voting laws.
Some laws stated that if your grandfather could not vote neither could you.

11. Carpetbaggers, Scalawags and the Ku Klux Klan
Carpetbaggers were Northerners who came South to take advantage of economic opportunities. The term was considered negative because they were hated by Southerners who felt exploited.
Scalawags were Southerners who complied with Union rules and were considered traitors to fellow Southerners because they supported Reconstruction.
As a reaction to Union pressure to give equal rights and freedoms to blacks a terror group called the Ku Klux Klan formed to threaten and reverse gains made by freed blacks.

12. The Whiskey Ring
Many Southerners were very suspicious of the U.S. Government and its Republican Party leaders.
In 1875 a scandal was exposed proving that government officials were corrupt and stealing tax money collecting from Whiskey taxes.
After this scandal President Grant was no longer trusted or as well respected.

13. Election of 1876 and the Compromise of 1877
U.S. citizens were mostly fed up with the ineptitude of President Grant and the depressed economy.
The alleged corruption and suspected scandals committed by Grant’s administration had soured American voters.
New York Governor Samuel E. Tilden the democratic candidate opposed former General and Southerner Rutherford B. Hayes.
Tilden actually won the popular vote but due to Southern violence and pressure from railroad companies a deal was struck to give the presidency to Hayes in exchange for White House patronage [jobs]. Hayes lasted one term

14. Solid South/Southern Democrats
Because of hatred toward Lincoln and Grant voters in the South rejected Republican candidates.
Democrats could count on Southern votes in state and national elections.
Every presidential election from 1876 to 1948 went solidly Democratic.
An extremely negative feature of the Solid South was segregation and Jim Crow laws.

15. Image Sources