1. Ch. 18 Notes

2. Reconstruction – the rebuilding of the South
Lincoln’s Plan was called the Ten Percent Plan – 1863
1. a southern state could form a new government 10
percent of it’s voters swore an oath of loyalty to the
United States
2. The new government had to abolish slavery. Voters
could then once again elect member of Congress
3. The Plan offered amnesty, or a government pardon, to
Confederates who swore loyalty to the Union. Former
Confederate leaders could not be given amnesty, and
would not be allowed to vote or hold office.
4. republicans in office felt it was too generous to the
South

3. Wade-Davis Bill – a rival Republican Plan – 1864
1. A majority of white men in each southern state had to
swear loyalty to the union.
2. Anyone who had volunteered to fight for the
confederacy was denied the right to vote or hold office.
3. Lincoln refused to sign the bill, because he felt it was
too harsh
Lincoln’s assassination and Johnson’s inauguration lead to conflict
1. President Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865.
John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln while he as attending
the theater. Vice President Andrew Johnson be came
president.
2. Johnson proposed his own reconstruction plan

4. reconstruction plan – 1864
1. a majority of voters in each southern state had to
pledge loyalty to the union
2. Each state had to ratify the 13th amendment,
which banned slavery throughout the nation
3. Could vote and hold office even if you fought for the
Confederacy.
4. Southern states quickly met Johnson’s conditions and the
president approved their new state governments.
5. Southern voters elected representatives to both the House
and the Senate
6. Republicans in congress were outraged that many of those
elected had once held an office in the Confederacy. They
were also upset that none of the African Americans had
been allowed to vote in the south
7. Congress refused to let Southern representatives take their
seats, instead set up a Joint Committee on Reconstruction
to form a new plan

5. Congress Reacts to Black Codes
Black codes – laws passed by southern states that severely limited the rights of freeman (former slaves)
Examples:
African Americans could not:
gain political or economic power
vote, own gun or serve on jury
only work as a servant or
laborers (some states)
marry legally-could
own property- Could
1. Republicans in Congress react to the black codes.
They felt that it was Johnson’s fault for having such a
lenient reconstruction plan. Republicans were also
angered by southern white violence against the
freedmen

6. Radical Republicans react by taking control
Reconstruction Act – 1867
1. Must disband state governments
2. must write new constitutions
3. must ratify the 14th amendment
4. African Americans must be allowed to vote

7. Impeachment and a new president
1. Johnson tried to limit the reconstruction act and had charges
of impeachment brought against him by the House of
Representatives, but the senate refused to vote for a
Conviction
2. Next election republicans nominate war hero Ulysses S.
Grant for president. African Americans in the south finally
got to vote and Grant easily won the election.
3. Fifteenth amendment was passed - forbade any state to deny
any citizen the right to right to vote because of “race, color,
or previous condition of servitude.”

8. New Forces in Southern Politics
1. White Southern Republicans – most were those who did not
want secession in1860, they now just wanted to forget about
the war and move on in rebuilding the south. Other
Southerners referred to them as traitor and called them
scalawags.
2. Northerners – came south not only to make money
rebuilding the south (carpetbaggers), but many had fallen in
love with the south during the war.
3. African Americans – finally had a voice in politics

9. Conservatives Resist
1. Conservatives -- Those that had power before the war and
resisted reconstruction
2. they allowed African Americans to vote and hold offices,
but still believed the power should remain in the hands of the
whites
3. Ku Klux Klan (KKK) – used threats or violence to keep
African Americans and white republicans out of office
The challenges Reconstruction governments faced
1. Despite their problems, Reconstruction governments tried to
rebuild the south, build schools, railroads, gave women the
right to own property are just a few.
2. Problems faced
a. How to pay
1. Raised taxes – upset many southerners
b. corrupt officials

10. The end of reconstruction
1. Reconstruction ends with the decline in radical republicans.
2. Democrats regain control of the South, but a republicans win the Presidency.
3. President Hayes ends reconstruction of the south.
Restricted rights
1. Many states found new ways to keep African Americans
Exercising their rights
a. poll tax
b. literacy test
c. grandfather clause (white who couldn’t read)
d. Segrecation
1. Plessy Vs. Ferguson – segregation was legal as
long as facilities were equal