After The American Civil War Reconstruction After The American Civil War

Let’s Review! With a neighbor, discuss how the effects of the Civil War caused chaos, change, and opportunities.

Georgia Performance Standards SS5H2 The student will analyze the effects of Reconstruction on American life. a. Describe the purpose of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. b. Explain the work of the Freedmen’s Bureau. c. Explain how slavery was replaced by sharecropping and how African-Americans were prevented from exercising their newly won rights; include a discussion of Jim Crow laws and customs.

Reconstruction construct What is the root (base) word in reconstruction? construct What is the prefix? What is the suffix? What does the word mean? Partner Talk: Why do you think this time period (era) is called reconstruction?

State of the South

What was the Reconstruction period? Lesson 1 The period of time when the South was trying to rebuild and rejoin the Union. Why did they have to rejoin the Union?

President Lincoln wanted to rebuild the South He wanted the Union to be strong and include the states that had seceded. What happened to him after Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Courthouse? Vice President Andrew Johnson became President after Lincoln died.

Flashback: Read the following paragraph, and ponder this in your groups… How would the nation benefit economically by bringing the southern states back into the union? The South's economy, how they made their living, was based on farming or agriculture. Large farms, called plantations, harvested abundant amounts of crops to sell. These were called cash crops and included such things as tobacco, cotton, and rice. Most of their goods were bought from foreign countries. In the South, it was believed that "Cotton was King" because it was sold in such large amounts.

Reconstruction Plans There were many reasons that the North wanted to reunite with the South. Most importantly, they wanted to make the United States whole again. To accomplish the reunion, plans for Reconstruction were created. They helped to establish the guidelines for the Southern states to reenter and to provide liberties to the freedmen. What are liberties?

Andrew Johnson He wanted to make it easy for the South to rejoin the Union. Why? Discuss. Did everyone want them to rejoin? A group of Congressmen known as the Radical Republicans wanted to force the South to accept strict conditions. Sounds like they wanted to punish them…WHY? They also wanted to protect the rights of newly freed African Americans in the southern states.

Reconstructing the South- Watch “Reconstruction- Challenges and Progress” on P-drive.

What had to happen before healing could take place? Andrew Johnson wanted to carry out President Lincoln’s plan for reconstruction. He knew slavery had to be abolished (had to be ended). He passed the 13th Amendment to abolish (or end) slavery as of December 18, 1865. Southern states could be readmitted to the Union after declaring secession illegal and passing the 13th Amendment. They had to agree to obey ALL federal (national) laws and treat the newly freed slaves fairly. Does this sound difficult? Discuss the effects this may have on the north and south.

Reaction from the South How do you think the south felt about this? What was their reaction to all of these laws and restrictions being placed on them???

Reaction from the South Although slavery was over, most white southerners were not ready to accept African Americans as equals Newly freed men did not own land or have much money. So…white landowners took advantage of freed men’s poverty to keep them serving whites. Before the Radical Republicans gained control of reconstruction, many southern states put laws in place that limited the rights of African Americans. Why? What right are the states exercising (which amendment)? They passed harsh laws called Black Codes.

Black Codes The Black Codes said that African Americans were not allowed to vote, serve on a jury (which amendment is this?), own guns, or work at certain jobs. How did this affect these newly freed African Americans? They also allowed whites to arrest African Americans who were not working. Once arrested, African Americans could be forced to work for white landowners. Black Codes kept African Americans living like slaves by keeping them on the plantations. Weren’t they just freed by the 13th amendment which declared slavery illegal? These codes were later outlawed under Radical Reconstruction.

Black Codes (on P-drive)

Radical Reconstruction What does radical mean? Many members of Congress were upset about the way African Americans had been treated and were STILL being treated in the south. Believed that the South should be punished for its actions during the war. Called RADICAL REPUBLICANS! So…they passed the Reconstruction Acts- which said that southern states must write new state constitutions giving African American men the right to vote. It also said that former Confederate leaders and officers could not vote or hold political office…so... who ended up holding offices in the southern states? Discuss. Opinion: Do you agree with the Radical Republicans? Do you feel they were justified in these requirements? Too harsh? Not harsh enough? Discuss with a neighbor.

Another Reaction from the South… Many southerners were very angry about Reconstruction! They felt the new state governments were forced on them. They were also having to pay high taxes to rebuild roads, railroads, and schools. Review: Why were they having to rebuild??? The Radical Republicans abolished the Black Codes. Some southerners hated them and wanted to join together to form their own organization called the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). The KKK did horrible things to African Americans- including burning their homes and schools, attacking them for trying to vote, beating them, and killing them for no reason at all.

Lesson 2: Key Constitutional Amendments REVIEW: In 1865, Congress and the states ratified the 13th Amendment. It made slavery illegal throughout the United States. Eventually, the Radical Republicans won control of reconstruction and passed two other key amendments. The 14th Amendment made African Americans citizens. The 15th Amendment guaranteed men (including African American men) the right to vote (women still could not vote, no matter their race.)

Let’s take a closer look at the Reconstruction Amendments (Slavery Amendments)-13th, 14th, and 15th

Thirteenth Amendment How can we remember them? Made slavery illegal throughout the United States. M is for Martin Luther King, Jr. because he stands for freedom.

Fourteenth Amendment Passed in 1848 Made African Americans citizens. It also states that ALL states must honor and protect their (African Americans) rights as citizens. How are we going to remember this??? N is for nation, you are a citizen of the nation you live in.

Fifteenth Amendment Passed in 1870 Gave all male citizens age 21 and over- INCLUDING AFRICAN AMERICANS- the right to vote O is for overalls, all men wear overalls.

Key Constitutional Amendments- 13th, 14th, 15th The Radical Republicans forced southern states to ratify (accept) these amendments. How did they do this? They placed military rule over southern states until they complied (or followed) with all the conditions of reconstruction. They had a curfew and were monitored to make sure that they followed the new amendments and laws placed on them. How do you think the southern states reacted to this?

Freedmen’s Bureau What did the newly freed slaves do with their freedom? How do you think they felt? Discuss with a neighbor. Many African Americans left the Southern plantations where they had worked, but most no longer had a way to earn money. Congress created the Freedmen’s Bureau to help poor whites and newly freed slaves.

Freedmen’s Bureau- What is a bureau? What are some ways it helped? The bureau built and set up schools all over the south and gave out medical care, food, and clothing. It provided shelter in refugee camps. The bureau also helped reunite formerly enslaved families that had been separated. Before the war, it was illegal to teach slaves. Most African Americans in the south could not read or write. Most importantly…the Freedmen’s Bureau established schools and even colleges in the south. They put teachers who were from the north into the schools. Why did they have to get most of them from the north? Mainly, it helped many former slaves start a new life.

Freedmen’s Bureau Former slaves now got paid to work. Discuss with a neighbor. What effects do you think the Freedmen’s Bureau had on the north and south? African Americans crowded schools for the opportunity to learn. Southern white people often tried to close the schools by using violence. Why? The Freedmen’s Bureau created a new economy based on employers and employees, or on free labor. African Americans could leave a job if they did not like it. It created contracts, which are written, legal agreements between two parties. Former slaves now got paid to work.

Freedmen’s Bureau (on P-drive)

Freedmen’s Bureau The bureau wanted to do more but closed in 1872 due to lack of support. However, during its brief time, it helped many freed African Americans throughout the South.

Lesson 3: Sharecropping Another system that oppressed (held them back) blacks was sharecropping. Freed slaves could own land after the war, but… Most African Americans knew how to farm but could not afford to by land. Plantation owners had a lot of land but not the money to pay people to work on it. This situation led to a system of farming known as sharecropping.

Sharecropping African Americans sharecroppers farmed land owned by white landowners. In exchange, they were given a place to live and part of the crop. He also lent him or her seeds, farm equipment, and other tools needed in farming. When the crop was harvested and sold, the landowner gave a part of the profit to the sharecropper. (Profit is the return on a business undertaking after expenses have been met.) However…

Sharecropping Dishonest landlords often cheated them and treated them like slaves. The owner took money out of the sharecropper’s money to repay the loan of seed, shelter, and farm equipment. Often the sharecropper had little to no money left over. Unable to pay their debts, sharecroppers remained forced to provide labor for white landowners. Over time, some freedmen were able to buy their own land. Most, however, could not. So…what does all this mean??? Discuss in your groups.

Sharecropping

Jim Crow Laws The presidential election of 1876 resulted in a political compromise known as the Compromise of 1877. Democrats agreed to allow the Republican, Rutherford Hayes, to become president. In exchange, the Republicans agreed to end reconstruction. This allowed southern states to have more self-rule. Southern states soon passed Jim Crow Laws.

Jim Crow Laws The name Jim Crow came from a character who was an African American singer and dancer, and not a real person. The Jim Crow laws segregated, or separated, the lives of African American and white people. They could not go to the same schools or be in public together. They had separate drinking fountains, telephone booths, restrooms, hospitals, hotels, and parks. Are their constitutional rights being violated???

Jim Crow Laws Since the Constitution guaranteed African Americans the right to vote under the Fifteenth Amendment, southern lawmakers thought of creative ways to disenfranchise blacks. ( Disenfranchise means to keep from voting.) They established poll taxes. Poll taxes required people to pay to vote. Since most African American were poor, many of them could not afford to pay the tax.

Jim Crow Laws Some southern states also used literacy test. Voters had to prove they could read and write. African Americans were often uneducated and had a hard time passing these tests. In South Carolina, one law said that African Americans could only work on farms or as servants. African Americans had to buy a special license if they wanted to do something else. Judges would make the cost of the license more that an African American person could afford. Discuss how their constitutional rights are being violated now that they are considered citizens.

Jim Crow Laws Finally, southern states often passed grandfather clauses. Grandfather clauses stated that men whose ancestors had voted before or served in the Confederate military could vote without having to pass a literacy test or pay a poll tax. Since it was usually only whites who met these conditions, grandfather clauses allowed poor, illiterate whites to vote while still keeping most blacks from voting. African Americans who tried to vote or challenged these laws often became victims of violence. Who do you think committed a lot of these crimes against them?

Jim Crow Laws

Let’s Summarize! With a partner, discuss the ways that African Americans were still being treated unfairly. SHARE.