1. Reconstruction
Unit 4, Lesson 5

2. Essential Idea
Reconstruction was a time of political, economic, and social changes for both the North and the South.

3. Initial Post-Civil War Issues
What will happen to the South?
Ex-Confederates/CSA states
Southern economy
Southern freedmen
*The post-Civil wars years left many lingering questions
Ex-Confederates/CSA states- would the confederate citizens be punished? Would CSA states be treated as states that have never left (Lincoln felt that legally they have never left the Union) or as conquered territory subject to military occupation?
Southern economy- what would be done with the South, whose economy had been destroyed? How would it be rebuilt? What would the government’s role be in rebuilding?
Southern freedmen- what would be the role of 4 million newly freed blacks? Would they receive rights? Would the government enforce these rights?

4. Lincoln’s Reconstruction Plan
Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction/“10% Plan” (1863)
Wade-Davis Bill (1864)
Lincoln’s assassination
Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction/”10% plan”- Lincoln’s plan emphasized reconciliation and union with the South. In this plan, pardons would be given to virtually all southerners (minus CSA leaders) who took an oath of allegiance to the Union and the U.S. Constitution AND accepted the emancipation of slaves
This plan meant that state governments would be reestablished and accepted by the U.S. once 10 percent of the voters took the loyalty oath.
This meant that southern states would have to rewrite their constitutions to eliminate slavery.
Wade-Davis Bill- many Congressmen felt this plan was too lenient and would reestablish the white planter aristocracy and maybe even bring back slavery.
Congress pushed through the Wade-Davis Bill, which would require 50% of voters to pledge loyalty, allowing only NON-confederates to vote.
Lincoln refused to sign this bill and pocket vetoed it.
Any problems developing? (increasing tension between the executive and legislative branches on how to deal with Reconstruction)
Lincoln’s assassination- three days before being shot, Lincoln made a statement that indicated his wish for some southern blacks to be granted suffrage.
This indicated that he may have become more liberal on Reconstruction (like the Radical Republicans in Congress) had he lived.
Lincoln was replaced by Andrew Johnson, a Democrat who had been loyal to the Union and who would be less likely to want to “punish” the South as the Radical Republicans were.

5. Davis was jailed immediately after the war but was eventually released on bail.
He was indicted for treason but the prosecution dropped the case in 1869.
Davis went on to lead a quieter live. He was critical of reconstruction as oppression by blacks and northerners.

6. Freedmen 13th Amendment (ratified 1865) Black Reactions
White Reactions
13th Amendment- this amendment made slavery in the United States illegal (in ALL states)
Black reactions- many blacks actually resisted the Union due to loyalty to their masters. Some met the news with suspicion and uncertainty. However, most blacks used the chance to free themselves, sometimes getting revenge on their former masters as Union soldiers.
White Reactions- at first, during the initial confusion following emancipation, many blacks found themselves freed and re-enslaved multiple times. “Runaways” were sometimes lynched by whites.
However, as time went on, whites had to accept the new reality—slavery was gone.

7. Freedmen Freedmen’s Bureau Carpetbaggers Scalawags
Freedmen’s Bureau- established by Congress in March of 1865, this agency provided food, shelter, and medical aid to both ex-slaves and poor whites.
It also provided schooling and funding for black colleges.
It promised land to freedmen and would obtain it from Confederate leaders who had been arrested.
However, when Andrew Johnson became president, he pardoned the leaders and the blacks never got their land. Johnson fought against the Freedmen’s Bureau, and it eventually expired in 1872.
Carpetbaggers- many former abolitionists went to the South to help blacks adjust to freedom. Others wanted to help modernize the South. Many other northerners saw economic opportunity: they could buy up cheap property in a decimated land and gain economic and political power.
Whether or not their intentions were good, the South resented their influence.
Scalawags- this was the name given by southerners (white southern Democrats) to other southerners who helped the carpetbaggers. They were largely seen as traitors.

8. Andrew Johnson Johnson’s background “10% plus”
Southern governments by 1865
Black codes
Johnson’s Leniency
Johnson’s background- Johnson had the poorest background of any president in history. From North Carolina, he was orphaned at a young age and never went to school.
He apprenticed under a tailor and taught himself to read and write (a self-made man).
He grew up despising the rich white elite of the South, which showed when he started to enter politics.
He rose through the ranks, and when he was in Congress, he was the only Southern Congressmen to refuse to secede with his state.
Johnson was put on the president ticket with Lincoln in 1864 as a compromise candidate to draw southern support.
***When Johnson became president, he was in a tough spot: he didn’t understand or get along with the North (he was also a white supremacist) and he didn’t get along with the South (some saw him as a traitor, plus he hated the southern white elites)
“10% plus”- Johnson’s plan was even more lenient than Lincoln’s. It was very similar, with one major addition: Confederate leaders could request a pardon (two-fold purpose: gives power back to southerners, but they had to grovel to Johnson, who hated them (they were the elite), in order to get the pardon)
Southern governments by as a result of Johnson’s policy, all 11 ex-Confederate states qualified to be readmitted to the Union. In addition, ex-Confederates were readmitted to Congress, which would get a bad reaction from the Republicans (Johnson did this while Congress was in recess)
Black codes- as soon as the South returned to the Union, southern state legislatures started passing black codes that restricted the rights of blacks.
Blacks could not rent land or borrow money to rent land, forced “vagrant” blacks into “apprenticeships” (blacks without jobs were punished by become virtual slaves again), and blacks could not testify against whites in court. Blacks could not vote anywhere in the South.
Purpose of the codes? (oppress blacks, make conditions as much like the Old South as possible)

9. Analyze.

10. Johnson vs. Congress Radical Republicans Southern Congressmen barred
Civil Rights Act of 1866
Johnson’s veto
Congress overrides veto
Tension in Congress
Joint Committee Report on Reconstruction
Radical Republicans- these northern Republicans were outraged by Johnson’s actions and the rift between the President and the Congress began. These Republicans wondered aloud “who won the war?” and began to work against Johnson.
Southern Congressmen barred- many Republicans disliked the idea of giving up the advantage they had gained during the Civil War (passing a lot of Northern-backed legislation), especially to Democrats who were essentially restoring slavery in the South with the black codes.
The South was also gaining political power because the 3/5 compromise had been “replaced” with 5/5 thanks to emancipation.
When the “new” Congress took their seats in December of 1865, the clerk of the House refused to announce the names of the the Southern delegates when reading roll call and were sent out.
Civil Rights Act of this law was meant to undo some of the damage of the black codes. It proclaimed that all blacks were U.S. citizens (repudiating the Dred Scott case) and struck at the black codes.
Johnson’s veto- Johnson, a white supremacist who wanted to preserve the Union but not help blacks, vetoed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 (and another bill that extended the Freedmen’s Bureau)
Congress overrides veto- for the first time in history, Congress overrode the veto, established the country’s first Civil Rights bill. This would be the first time of many that Congress would override the president
Joint Committee Report on Reconstruction- later in 1866, Congress issued a report from a joint committee on reconstruction.
In this report, the House and Senate recommended that the states of the old CSA were not entitled to representation in Congress and therefore should not take their seats.
In addition, this report said that Congress, not the president, had the authority to determine the conditions for allowing states to rejoin the Union.
At this point, Johnson’s plan for reconstruction was formally rejected, and the country braced for the Radical Republican reconstruction plan.

11. The 14th Amendment 14th Amendment (ratified 1868) Terms 14th Amendment
14th Amendment- fearing that the Civil Rights Act of 1866 would be repealed if the Democrats ever regained control, the Congress proposed the 14th Amendment, which was eventually ratified in 1868.
Terms-
declared ALL persons born or naturalized in the United States to be citizens
Obligated the states to respect the rights of U.S. citizens and provided them with “equal protection under the law” and “due process under the law”—major future implications.

12. Radical Republicans Gain More Power
Midterm Election of 1866
Johnson’s “swing around the circle”
Radical Republicans
Thaddeus Stevens
Charles Sumner
Midterm Election of this election was one of the most important midterm elections in history. It would determine what would happen to the South during Reconstruction. If the Democrats won seats, Johnson would get his way. If the Republicans won seats, the Radicals would get their way.
The results of the election would determine the direction of reconstruction and whether or not the 14th Amendment or the black codes would succeed.
Johnson’s “Swing around the Circle”- Johnson went on a speaking tour to try to get votes for Democrats. His speeches appealed to racist whites as he argued that black equality would “Africanize” the country.
Republicans countered by calling him a drunkard and by reminding Northerners of the sacrifices they had made in the Civil War (“waving the bloody shirt”)
Radical Republicans- the election was a major victory for the Republicans. They (moderate and radical) gained a 3 to 1 majority in both houses and were thus “veto proof.”
Also, Republicans gained control of every northern state.
**At this point, the Republicans could make good on the “threat” of the joint committee report by controlling reconstruction and pushing the 14th Amendment through.
Thaddeus Stevens- in the House of Representatives, Thaddeus Stevens was the most powerful Radical Republican. He had long defended blacks under the Fugitive Slave Law and had been a leader in the joint committee report.
Charles Sumner- Sumner was the major leader in the Senate for the Radical Republicans, having long since recovered from his caning in the 1850s.

13. Radical Republican Actions in 1867
Military Reconstruction Act
Command of Army Act
Tenure of Office Act
Military Reconstruction Act- this “restarted” Reconstruction for all of the states that had refused to ratify the 14th Amendments (all ex-CSA states but Tennessee).
These 10 states would be divided into five militarily controlled districts, each under the control of the Union army.
In order to win readmission into the Union, the state would have to ratify the 14th Amendment and place guarantees in its constitution for granting suffrage to males of all races.
However, Republicans also began to push for an amendment (15th) for black suffrage in case southern states amending their constitutions to deny black suffrage once they were readmitted to the Union
Command of Army Act- this law said that the President much issue all Reconstruction orders through the commander of the military (thus keeping Johnson from circumventing the military districts)
Tenure of Office Act- this law said that the president could not remove any official (especially cabinet officials) without the Senate’s consent (thus protecting radical members of the government for Johnson and again limiting the president’s power to stop them)
This law was probably unconstitutional
*All of these laws were passed over Johnson’s veto
How might Johnson respond? (challenge the power of the Radicals head-on!)

14. Andrew Johnson’s Impeachment
Edwin Stanton fired
Johnson impeached
Johnson’s Impeachment
Significance of verdict
Edwin Stanton fired- Johnson, believing the Tenure of Office Act to be unconstitutional, fired his Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton. He also replaced generals in the field who were “more sympathetic” to Radical Republicans.
Johnson impeached- John was impeached by a vote in the House. The trial went on for three months in the Senate, but he was acquitted by one vote (35-19, one short of the 2/3 majority required)
Significance of verdict- had the Radicals won, the power of the Congress would have been over the president, thus upsetting the checks and balances system.
A guilty verdict would set the precedent that Congress could get rid of any president they disagreed with, and the presidency would thus lose all its power.
A president cannot be moved for political reasons!

15. Election of 1868 Ulysses S. Grant “Waving the bloody shirt”
Impact of Freedmen
Results
Ulysses S. Grant- Grant had no political experience but was a war hero from the Civil War (his lack of experience would cost him dearly in terms of scandals)
(The Democrats, after Johnson declined to run again, were divided and put up a weak candidate, Horatio Seymour)
“Waving the bloody shirt”- Republicans gathered support for Grant by reviving the emotions of the Civil War, saying “Vote as you shot!”
Impact of Freedmen- despite the moving campaign, Grant only won 300,000 more popular votes than Seymour (though he dominated the electoral vote).
About 500,000 freedmen had voted for Grant, which may well have won him the election (he would not have won as many states, and probably would have not won ANY southern states, had freedmen not been able to vote)
Results- Grant won the election, and now the Republicans had an executive they could cooperate with

16. The 15th Amendment Fifteenth Amendment (ratified 1870)
Black political participation
Hiram Revels
White reaction
Fifteenth Amendment- in order to PERMANENTLY secure voting rights for blacks, the Congress moved quickly to propose the 15th Amendment in 1869 (ratified a year later). This would keep southern states, once fully readmitted to the Union, from legally being able to change their state constitutions to again deny votes to blacks.
However, the future enforcement of the amendment would continue to be a struggle until the 1960s.
Black political participation- at this point, blacks could not only vote, but they could even elect black members to government. Most of these black legislators were educated and held property (would Zinn call them “black elite”?)
Hiram Revels- Revels was one of the blacks that served as a Congressmen to represent southern state. Many blacks had gone from slavery to being a Congressman in Washington in just a decade.
Revels, an ex-slave occupied the Senate seat that was once held by Jefferson Davis!
White reaction- this created a major backlash among whites, who now felt that their former “property” had come to rule over them. The centuries old social structure of white over black was turned on its head.
Whites would retaliate with intimidation and violence.
Cartoon- do blacks rule the South?

17. Blacks voting.

18. Southern Reaction to Black Equality
Ku Klux Klan
“Invisible Empire”
Redeemers
The KKK
The “KKK Act” (Force Acts of 1870/1871)
Grant vs. the Klan
Ku Klux Klan- in response to Republican and black rule in the South, white supremacists in the South began to form secret societies to intimidate blacks and white reformers.
The most prominent of these was the Ku Klux Klan, founded in 1867 by ex-Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest.
“Invisible empire”- through terrorist tactics, the KKK was able to rule the South behind the scenes. They would intimidate, threaten, or even kill blacks and Republicans.
Often made up of high ranking legal officials, policemen, and politicians, the KKK did this with little threat of punishment.
The KKK was able to keep many blacks and Republicans away from the polls, threatening the status of republican reconstruction.
Redeemers- many white southerners were working toward “home rule” in the South. In other words, they wanted to get the federal government and military out and “redeem” the old South.
This would happen in 1877, though not because of the KKK, and the South would indeed go back to its “old ways” of oppressing blacks and retaining white supremacy.
The KKK/Force/Enforcement Acts- outraged by the KKK’s effects, Congress passed these laws. They gave the federal troops power to stamp out much of the activities of the Klan. However, the threat of intimidation had already taken effect.
Grant’s efforts to stop the Klan would make him popular and contribute to his reelection in 1872.

19. What was Behind the Masks?
The real reason KKK wore costumes—to hide their true identities!

20. Civil Rights Limited Civil Rights Act of 1875
The Civil Rights Cases (1883)
Civil Rights Act of this was the last of the many civil rights reforms enacted by Congress in the Reconstruction era.
This law promised equal accomodations in public places (hotels, railroads, theaters, etc.) and prohibited blacks from being excluded from juries.
However, by this point, Republicans were struggling to maintain reform in an unwilling South (the end of Reconstruction was only two years away), and therefore the law was poorly enforced.
The Civil Rights Cases- eventually, the Supreme Court would rule much of this act to be unconstitutional.
In addition, this set of cases would limit the 14th amendment by specifying that it only covered GOVERNMENTAL violation of civil rights, not INDIVIDUAL denial of civil rights.
*Cartoon of black man showing St. Peter that he is allowed through the pearly gates to heaven too.

21. What about Women? Women before and during Civil War
Woman’s Loyal League
Reaction to 14th and 15th Amendments
Women before and during Civil War- before the Civil War, women had played a prominent role in the abolitionist movement (along with women’s rights).
During the Civil War, major leaders such as Elizabeth Stanton and Susan B. Anthony had temporarily suspended their demand for rights and focused on the cause of black emancipation and equality.
Woman’s Loyal League- this group had gathered about 400,000 signatures on petition asking Congress to pass the 13th Amendment.
Reaction to 14th and 15th Amendment- women, expecting that the time for equality had come, were shocked when the 14th Amendment and 15th Amendment were worded to only include men.
Though the reformers fought hard to have women included in these amendments, they failed, and the movements would have to wait until 1920 to succeed.

22. The North During Reconstruction
Political corruption
Spoils system
Democratic political machines
Boss Tweed vs. Thomas Nast
Political corruption- during Reconstruction, in the North, much of the idealism of the Republicans started to give way to political corruption.
Spoils system- as the reformers (Stevens and Sumner) passed away in the early 1870s, new politicians came in who were masters of patronage (giving jobs and government favors to their supporters)
Democratic political machines- political machines are political organizations that use unethical means to obtain and maintain power
In many of the cities, northern Democrats took advantage of the new, post-Civil war immigrants that were moving to the cities.
In exchange for votes, the “party bosses” of the political machines would grant immigrants police protection and other special treatment.
Democratic political machines- The most famous of the northern Democrat political machines was Tammany Hall, run by party boss William “Boss” Tweed
Boss Tweed vs. Thomas Nast- Thomas Nast, a political cartoonist, exposed Tweed’s corruption, despite Tweed offering him a bribe to stop. Tweed ended up behind bars and his political machine in ruins.
*However, the political strength of the Democratic Party in the North was steadily growing and, when paired with the southern Democratic Party, would become an influential force in politics. (The Compromise of 1877, which ended Reconstruction, resulted from the initial tie in electoral votes between the Democrats and Republicans)
*Also, political corruption of the Republicans would prove to be much more damaging, as their scandals took place on the federal, not state, level.

23. Corruption in the Grant Administration
Jay Gould and James Fisk
Credit Mobilier scandal (1872)
Whiskey Ring scandal ( )
Indian Ring scandal (1876)
Corruptible?
Jay Gould and James Fisk- essentially committed insider trading on the gold market in They bought up gold (“cornering the gold market”) and then used their close connections with Grant to keep the U.S. Treasury from selling gold. This drove the price of gold up and helped them make huge profits.
When the Treasury released gold finally on “Black Friday,” gold prices fell, but not before Gould and Fisk made their money. Grant, upon investigation, was found innocent but was seen as acting stupidly.
Credit Mobilier scandal- Credit Mobilier was a railroad company who overcharged on government contracts to build railroads, robbing the government of millions of dollars.
Creit Mobilier gave Congressmen stock in the railroad and split high profits with them in order to prevent any government investigation.
Several Congressmen were implicated, along with Grant’s vice president.
Whiskey Ring scandal- during Grant’s second term, the Whiskey Ring robbed the Treasury of millions of dollars in whiskey excise tax revenue. Grants personal secretary was implicated
Indian Ring scandal- Grant’s Secretary of War William Belknap resigned after getting caught taking bribes from suppliers to the Indian reservations
*Grant was never found guilty in these scandals, and was likely a relatively honest president. However, his lack of “political brains” got him tangled in these scandals.

24. Election of 1872 Liberal Republicans Horace Greeley
“Waving the bloody shirt” again
Results
Liberal Republicans- even before all of Grant’s scandals were exposed, many people were sick of the corruption. Reform-minded Republicans formed the Liberal Republican Party with the goal of “purifying” the executive branch.
Horace Greeley- the Liberal Republicans nominated a weak candidate, Horace Greeley, who the Democrats felt forced to throw their support behind (Greeley would end military reconstruction and was thus the “less of two evils” in the eyes of the Democrats)
“Waving the bloody shirt” again- again, the Grant campaign waved the bloody shirt, garnering enough support to win reelection
Results- Grant won, but the effect of the Liberal Republicans could be felt as the Republicans started to enact some (mild) civil service reform to reduce (insufficiently) corruption.

25. Panic of 1873 Causes Create inflation? Hard-money Republicans
Causes- overspeculation in railroads, mines, factories, and farms. Investors had gotten loans to finance these projects, and when the projects proved unprofitable, they were foreclosed on and the banks lost money, starting the recession.
Create inflation?- among the hardest hit were debtors, especially farmers. They pushed the government to start issuing Greenbacks again. This would cause inflation and help the debtors (it’s easier to pay back, say, a $1000 dollar loan if the dollars are suddenly worth less—the value of the amount you have to pay back is less), though it would hurt the creditors (those who had loaned the money)
Hard-money Republicans- advocates for “hard money” (gold backed only) won when Grant vetoed the bill to print more Greenbacks. The creditors, not the debtors, had won.
*Cartoon- a street sweeper “sweeping up the filth of wall street”

26. The “Crime of ’73” Bimetallism Coinage Act of 1873 “Crime of ’73”
Future implications
Bimetallism- backing money with both gold and silver. This standard had been in place since Hamilton’s financial plan had been put in place in the early 1790s.
Coinage Act of this act essentially dropped silver as a backing for money, thus (unofficially, by artificially lowering its value to a 15:1 ratio with gold) starting the “gold standard” in which all money was backed by gold (today, money is backed by…nothing)
“Crime of ’73”- the law lowered the value of silver. In addition, later in the 1870s the supply of silver increased (more silver was discovered and more silver mines were started).
These two factors caused the price of silver to plummet, which hurt people in the west (mainly western miners and farmers).
With their silver worth less, many westerners were in financial trouble because of debts owed for their investments (mines and especially farms) was harder to pay.
Future implications- westerners would continually call for the reinstatement of bimetallism. This would 1) increase the value of their silver and thus increase their wealth and 2) created inflation (more money could be printed if silver backing was allowed). Inflation helps a debtor because a devalued currency means a devalued debt.
(reinstating bimetallism was, like the greenback, a scheme to cause inflation and help debtors)
**Cartoon is after gold was OFFICIALLY made the gold standard in 1900

27. Election of 1876 Republican support wanes Panic of 1873
Corruption (“Grantism”)
Monetary issues
Democratic Party grows
Samuel Tilden (Democrat)
Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican)
Initial results
Republican support wanes- support of the Republicans declined for several reasons
Panic of the recession had made the Republicans less popular (as recessions do)
Corruption- the reputation for Grant’s administration for being scandalous had caught up to the Republicans
The men close to Grant convinced him that he could run for a third term (and break Washington’s precedence), which was laughable.
Monetary issues- the Republican’s hard-money and anti-silver stances had lost a lot of supporters, especially in the West. The Greenback Labor Party was even spawned briefly as a result.
Democratic Party grows- the Democratic Party, already a force in the South, was gaining more support in the North as a result of political machine politics and the support of urban immigrants
Samuel Tilden- Tilden had already made a name for himself for his prosecution of Boss Tweed (a little ironic, being the Democratic nominee…maybe the Democrats put him up as a candidate because he would confront the “Democratic corruption” stereotype?)
Rutherford B. Hayes- Hayes was essentially a no-name candidate nominated because he was from the swing state of Ohio
Initial results- though Hayes had one more electoral vote. However, partisan fraud was highly suspected in three southern states (Louisiana, Florida, and South Carolina).
A special committee was set up in Congress to determine which candidate would get the electoral votes from these states (and also the presidency)

28. Analyze.

29. Compromise of 1877 Compromise of 1877 Terms Impact Reconstruction Ends
Compromise of in this “corrupt bargain, part 2,” the presidency went to Republican Rutherford Hayes.
Terms- Hayes would become president on the conditions that he 1. immediately end federal support for the Republicans in the South (withdraw the federal troops) and 2. support the building of a southern transcontinental railroad (this second promise was never fulfilled)
Impact- as soon as Hayes removed the federal troops from the South, discrimination against blacks could openly return. Republicans and blacks in southern governments were removed and the “old South” was “redeemed” by white supremacy. Coupled with later Supreme Court cases that ruled against blacks (the Civil Rights Cases of 1883 and Plessy v. Ferguson), Reconstruction ended.

30. Blacks Adjust to Freedom
Black communities
Churches and Schools
Black communities- many blacks were able to reunite families, learn to read and write, and some even moved to cities (where they would be “free-er”)
Churches and Schools- Blacks used this emancipation to strive for independence from whites.
Hundreds of independent black churches were formed and attracted hundreds of thousands of black members
Blacks also formed independent schools for their children and many HBCs were formed.
*de facto segregation!

31. The Old South is “Redeemed”
Black disenfranchisement
Literacy tests
Poll taxes
Grandfather clause
Black disenfranchisement- with the federal troops gone, the “redeemers” worked to take away the suffrage that blacks had gained through the 15th Amendment.
They could not legally do anything that contradicted the law, but they could add to it (basically find the loopholes)
Literacy tests- potential voters had to read/interpret a constitution in order to prove their literacy and be able to vote. Though the law did not mention race and therefore did not technically violate the 15th Amendment, it targeted blacks because they, as ex-slaves, were the least likely group to be able to vote. (It also targeted poor whites and therefore restricted suffrage to the educated/elites)
Poll taxes- required a $2 tax to vote, which again did not mention race but targeted blacks, the poorest group in the South (and poor whites again)
These first two laws could also be enforced with bias, according to the white person designated as the literacy tester or tax collector.
Grandfather clause- said that a potential voter had to have a grandfather who had voted before 1867 in order to qualify to vote (15th Amendment wasn’t ratified until 1870). Again, no mention of race, but obviously targeted blacks.
In addition, this would keep any FUTURE blacks from voting (blacks could eventually become literate or save up money, but could never undo the fact that their grandfather hadn’t voted)
The end result was that blacks lost their right to vote without ever having the 15th Amendment TECHNICALLY violated. Couple with intimidation from whites (KKK), blacks lost their political voice entirely in the South.
*How does this northern cartoon comment on southern black disenfranchisement?

32. Jim Crow is Born Segregation Jim Crow laws Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
“Separate but equal”
Plessy and the Rise of Jim Crow
Segregation- legally separating, in this case due to race
Jim Crows laws- these laws were specifically meant to enforce racial segregation in the South (black codes kept blacks down, as did these, but Jim Crow was specific in terms of enforcing segregation)
Blacks and whites were forced to use different bathrooms, water fountains, areas of public places and transporatation, etc.
Plessy v. Ferguson- Homer Plessy sued in order to be able to use a white train car. The court ruled 7-2 (not unanimous) against Plessy
“Separate but Equal”- The Supreme Court laid down the famous phrase “separate but equal,” which said that races could be kept separate as long as they were treated equally (separate water fountains as long as the fountains were the same). The court reasoned that the 14th Amendment was not violated as long as treatment was equal (the amendment never said the races had to stay together)
*interestingly, Plessy was “1/8th black,” but under the “one drop rule” in the South, any black ancestry qualified someone as totally black.

33. Homer Plessy (open to comments)

34. A New From of Servitude Sharecropping Tenant farming
“Slavery without the chains”
“Exodusters”
The Exodusters
Sharecropping- many blacks (and poor whites) were forced into this practice. Blacks were too poor or legally forbidden from buying their own land. In order to make a living, they would agree to farm someone else’s land (a richer white person) and rent out their tools. In payment, the sharecropper would give the land owner at least half of their harvest.
Tenant farming- similar to sharecropping, though in this case the payment was in money, not crops (a tenant is someone who rents)
**This system was in some respects worse than slavery. The white owners did not have to take care of the blacks, and so the blacks had to either work or starve.
If a black person did not want to work in this system, he could be arrested as a “vagrant” and forced into slave labor as punishment (which was allowed under the 13th Amendment)
In a true sense, this was “slavery without the chains”—the new chain was the dollar and unfair legal system.
“Exodusters”- Some freedmen migrated out of the South to the frontier states (where self-sufficiency and independence was a must) like Kansas.
However, some of this migrated westward was limited by southern steamboat owners who refused to transport blacks across the Mississippi River.

35. Analyze.

36. Redemption of the South
The South is “redeemed”
Status for blacks?
Reconstruction: Success or Failure?
A Failed Revolution?
The South is “redeemed”- the South, in most respects, returned to its pre-Civil War social structure.
Status for blacks?- Blacks, who were no longer property, no longer held value to whites and were often murder for the most trivial of offenses. Their status had actually gone down.
Reconstruction: Success or Failure? (open)
*Picture: “Is This a Republican Form of Government?” by Thomas Nast, Harper’s Weekly, The nation’s most prominent political cartoonist expressed his despair at the tragic way that Reconstruction had ended— with few real gains for the former slaves.