Reconstruction

What is the Reconstruction? -Two definitions: 1. The period of time after the Civil War, from The transformation of the Southern United States after the Civil War. -- the federal government “reconstructed” the Southern states and Southern society --

Purposes of the Reconstruction -To decide how the Southern States will participate in national politics -To decide what to do with former leaders and supporters of the Confederacy -To determine the legal status of freed slaves

“Reconstruction must revolutionize Southern institutions, habits, and manners... The foundations of their institutions … must be broken up and relaid, or all our blood and treasure have been spent in vain.” -Thaddeus Stevens, member of Congress, 1865

1. Southern States and Politics

Constitutional Amendments -13th Amendment abolished slavery -14th Amendment declared that all people born in the United States were US citizens, regardless of skin color -15th Amendment said that the right to vote cannot be denied based on race or skin color

Problems with Politics Who should be in charge of the state governments? -Former politicians in the South were also Confederate leaders; they couldn’t keep their political power or they would secede again and continue to rebel Solution: -The Southern States were controlled by the Union military until the national government decided what to do. -Former Confederate supporters lost the right to vote.

More Problems with Politics Can freed slaves vote? -Black people voting in the South would increase the South’s power in the national government, which could be bad. But if black people are not allowed to vote, then nobody will represent them in Congress. Solution: -Black men were allowed to vote, but not for long...

2. The South and Economy

Economic Issues -11 major Southern cities were destroyed during the war (Atlanta, Richmond, Charleston, etc) -Up to 40% of farms were destroyed, and the farms that were left had nobody to work on them -A quarter of the Southern white workforce died in the war -The railroad system was destroyed entirely, so transportation was nearly impossible -The Confederate dollar was worthless, so people had to barter for goods

3. The South and Society

Societal Changes -No more slavery, so no more plantations -Plantations were divided into smaller farms, run by tenant farmers -Many freed slaves moved to cities to look for work. These moves caused a lot of sickness and death.

New Members of Society -Freedmen: Former slaves who were now able to vote, work, and own land -Scalawags: Southerners who supported the Union -Carpetbaggers: Northerners who moved to the South during the Reconstruction to work as missionaries, teachers, and politicians -Ku Klux Klan (KKK): Secret terrorist organization dedicated to white supremacy and overthrowing the new government

4. Freedmen in the South

Problems Continued... -No more slavery, but many had to continue working on farms, and most lived in poverty -70% of black people were illiterate -Violence against black people was high, and black women were especially vulnerable

Jim Crow Laws -Enacted by Southern Democrats after they regained control of their states -Began with “Black Codes”: laws meant to control black people -enforced racial segregation: “separate but equal” -institutionalized social, economic, educational, and political disadvantages for black people -Began to be overturned in 1954

Gerrymandering

-Example of institutionalized racism that still exists today -Voting districts are divided unevenly to give one side an advantage -Gerrymandering can effectively “cancel out” the black vote

5. End of the Reconstruction

End of the Reconstruction -U.S. President Hayes removed the federal troops from the South, allowing Southern Democrats to regain political control of their states -Democrats began to pass laws to “restore the South”: This meant discriminating against black people

Was Reconstruction a Success? -No! -Most historians consider the Reconstruction to be a failure -Why?: Even though the United States became one nation again, the South became impoverished, and white Southerners began to oppress black Southerners through violence and discrimination.

The End!