Chapter 12 Reconstruction 1865-1877

Chapter 12 - Reconstruction When was Reconstruction? 1865 – 1877 South is economically devastated Agricultural lands laid waste Industry destroyed Railroads have been torn apart 2/3 of assessed Southern wealth vanished 1/5 white southern men of military age are dead

Chapter 12 - Reconstruction Racial attitudes Southerners moved from being ashamed of slavery to claiming it is good for slaves as well as masters Belief that freedmen are inferior, and certainly not ready for political life

Chapter 12 - Reconstruction Lincoln’s Death Changes character of Reconstruction Lincoln may have been able to rein in radical Republicans Was a more skillful politician than Andrew Johnson

Lincoln’s Plan Moderate policy Reconcile with Southerners Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction December, 1863 Amnesty to all Southerners who: took an oath of loyalty to the United States Accepted Union’s proclamations concerning slavery States could organize a new state government when 10% of a state’s 1860 voters took the oath

Radical Republican Plan Led by Thaddeus Stevens and Charles Sumner “revolutionize Southern institutions, habits, and manners” Thaddeus Stevens Charles Sumner

Radical Republican Plan Three main goals Prevent leaders of the Confederacy from returning to power Make Republican Party a powerful institution in the South Use the federal government to guarantee African-Americans the right to vote in the South How would the old Three-Fifths Clause of the Constitution be affected by the end of slavery?

Wade-Davis Bill Required a majority of white men in the South to take an oath of allegiance to the Union When that happened, state could hold a constitutional convention to create a new state government New state constitution had to: Abolish slavery Reject all debts acquired by state as part of the Confederacy Deprive all former Confederate government officials and military officers of the rights to: Vote Hold public office Wade-Davis bill was passed by Congress Lincoln blocked it with a pocket veto Pocket veto - President allows session of Congress to expire without passing bill

Freed Slave Crisis Freed slaves usually fled to Union lines during the Civil War To assist them in starting a new life, General Sherman reserved abandoned plantation lands for 30 miles in from the coast All the way from Charleston, South Carolina to Jacksonville, Florida 40,000 families settled on over half a million acres

Freedmen’s Bureau Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands Established by Congress Created to feed and clothe war refugees in the South Helped prevent mass starvation Assisted former slaves in finding work Negotiated labor contracts with planters Established special courts

Freedmen’s Bureau Crucial role in education Worked with Northern charities Provided housing Paid teachers Established colleges

Land Confiscation? Why should traitors keep their property? Seize Confederate land Give it to former slaves 40 acres and a mule? Idea was ultimately rejected by Congress Widespread belief that violation of property rights was too far