1. Reconstruction

2. The War is Over
April 1865 Union forces surrounded Lee’s army near the town of Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia
General Lee surrendered to General Grant on April 9, 1865 – this officially ended the Civil War.

3. The War is Over
On April 15, 1865 – six days after Lee’s surrender – President Abraham Lincoln is assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C.

4. The War is Over
“There lies the most perfect ruler of men the world has ever seen. Now he belongs to the ages.” -Edwin M. Stanton

5. Consequences of the War
About 620,000 Americans lost their lives in the Civil War, making it the deadliest conflict in U.S. history. (North – 370,000 and South – 250,000)
Some 90,000 Texans served, thousands were wounded or killed during the Civil War.
“I came home in May 1865, not scrappy as I started but, well versed
in hardships, privations, dangers and the art of war. All I wanted in
this life was some old clothes and something to eat.”
The cotton trade collapsed in Texas and the State Government ran to Mexico and no one knew who was in charge.

6. Consequences of the War

7. Consequences of the War
Left: Atlanta after Civil War;
Above: Ruins of Richmond

8. Emancipation
After the end of the Civil War slaves in Texas didn’t know about the Emancipation Proclamation
Union General Gordon Granger landed in Galveston in June 19, 1865 and read the Proclamation
This let all the slaves in Texas know they were free – it is now celebrated each year as Juneteenth

9. General Gordon Granger
Emancipation
“We were working one day when somebody came by and told us we were free, and we stopped working. The boss man came up, and he said he was going to knock us off the fence if we didn’t go back to work. He called for his carriage, and said he was going to town to see what the government was going to do. Next day he came back and said, “Well you’re just as free as I am.”
General Gordon Granger

10. Freedpeople
Many former slaves now Freedpeople left the plantations for the first time and traveled the roads of Texas.
Many went to the court house to get their marriage legalized.
Others searched for family members who had be separated/sold away from them
Some gathered at military post hoping for jobs and protection.

11. Freedmen’s Bureau
The U.S. government wanted to help freedpeople and bring the southern states back into the Union. This was known as Reconstruction and lasted from
The 13th Amendment abolished slavery.
The U.S. Government tired to help freed slaves find jobs and homes and legal aid.
The Freedmen’s Bureau was created to help freed slaves out.

12. Freedmen’s Bureau
Because they had no jobs freedpeople went back to the plantations to get work.
The Freedmen's Bureau help make contracts between the owners and the workers.
Helped start schools
By 1870 more than 9,000 African Americans were enrolled in 150 schools.

13. Freedmen’s Bureau

14. Andrew Johnson’s Plan Became President after Lincoln was assassinated
Voters had to take an oath of loyalty to the U.S.
High-ranking Confederate officials and wealthy people had to apply for a presidential pardon.
Before a state could come back into the union they had to make a new state constitution.
Then the states had to ratify, or pass, the 13th Amendment.
This is known as Presidential Reconstruction

15. 17th President of the United States
Andrew Johnson’s Plan
Andrew Johnson
17th President of the United States

16. Black Codes Many southern legislatures passed Black Codes
These laws denied African Americans their Civil Rights
Individual rights guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution

17. Radical Reconstruction
Radical Republicans
Believed the U.S Congress should take a greater role in the Reconstruction of the South
Civil Rights Act 1866
Gave citizenship to African Americans and guaranteed them basic rights
President Johnson veto this act
Congress overrode Johnson veto

18. Radical Reconstruction
14th Amendment
Granted citizenship and equal rights to African Americans
However, most of the South refused to ratify it
Reconstruction Acts – March 1867
Marked the beginning of Congress taking control of Reconstruction – this is known as Congressional Reconstruction

19. Reconstruction Acts
Congress divided the South into 5 military districts
States had to write a new constitution giving black men suffrage, or the right to vote and ratify the 14th Amendment
President Andrew Johnson tried to block Congress Reconstruction and they impeached him
Impeach means to bring charges of wrongdoing against a public official

20. Reconstruction Acts

21. Constitution of 1869
In Texas convened a Constitutional Convention – it was largely controlled by the Radical Republicans.
Gave equal rights to African Americans and the right to vote
15th Amendment – gave the right to vote to African Americans
Term of governor was moved for 2 to 4 years.
Attendance at school was required by law.

22. Constitution of 1869
In 1870 President Ulysses S. Grant signed an act to restore Texas to the Union.

23. Opposition to Reconstruction
Southerners had nicknames for people after the Civil War:
Scalawags were Southerners who supported the Republicans
Carpetbaggers were Northerners who came to the South after the war to make money. Their bags were made out of carpet.
Obnoxious Acts
The laws passed by the Republicans
Obnoxious means very unpleasant.

24. Opposition to Reconstruction
Cartoons depicting Carpetbaggers in the South

25. Opposition to Reconstruction
On December 24, 1865 six middle-class Confederate veterans from Tennessee created the Ku Klux Klan.
Southerners seemed to take out on blacks all their anger at the Federal government. They casually attacked and killed blacks whose bodies were left on the roads. This kept freedmen from expressing their political views.

26. Opposition to Reconstruction

27. Opposition to Reconstruction

28. Opposition to Reconstruction
A political cartoon depicting the KKK and the Democratic Party as continuations of the Confederacy.

29. End of Reconstruction
Reconstruction started to end when Democrats started to be elected to public offices
Richard Coke was elected Governor of Texas in 1873
January 19, 1873 marked the end of Reconstruction in Texas
Richard Coke

30. Texas Constitution of 1876
Once the Democrats got power back they wanted a new Constitution.
They undid basically everything that the Constitution of 1869 did – weakened power of the governor.
Governor Coke’s marked a 100 year period of Democratic rule in Texas.

31. Segregation and Jim Crow Laws
Redeemers
Southern Democrats who wanted to restore the South to the way it was before the war
Segregation
The Forced separation of people of different races in public
Jim Crow Laws
The laws that the Democrats passes that enforced segregation

32. Segregation and Jim Crow Laws

33. Segregation and Jim Crow Laws

34. Segregation and Jim Crow Laws

35. Segregation and Jim Crow Laws

36. New Forms of Slavery Tenant Farmer Sharecroppers
People who couldn’t afford land would rent land to grow crops
Often had to give part of the crops they raised to pay rent
Sharecroppers
Farmers who lacked land, and supplies to farm had to share land and materials
Had to grow the most valuable crop—cotton to pay off debt

37. New Forms of Slavery