Reconstruction

Reconstruction Refers to the post-Civil War policies of the U.S. government toward the former Confederate states of the South.

Two Phases of Reconstruction Presidential Reconstruction: Lincoln and Johnson tried to reunite the North and South in a lenient manner. 2. Congressional Reconstruction: Congress takes power and overrides vetoes to make sure that the former Confederates are punished and rights are given to former slaves.

13th Amendment Amendment to the Constitution that abolished slavery.(1865) Pushed through the Congress with the help of the many republicans who favored this bill

Slavery was abolished in all states and territories in the United States

Assassination of Abraham Lincoln President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated in Washington, D.C. only five days after Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered his troops at Appomattox Court House, Virginia.

Assassination of Lincoln John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre Booth was killed as he fled. His conspirators were tried and hanged for the assassination.

President Andrew Johnson Being Lincoln’s Vice President, Andrew Johnson becomes President of the United States after Lincoln dies

Reconstruction Time period following the Civil War which lasted from 1865-1877. Radical Republicans –representatives in congress that wanted to destroy the political power of former slaveholders. They wanted to give African Americans the citizenship and right to vote.

Leader of the Radical Republicans Thaddeus Stevens Leader of the Radical Republicans

Johnson’s Reconstruction View Changed from Lincoln’s policy of letting the succeeded states vote to see if they would voluntarily rejoin the Union after the war. If 10% would agree, they could join again. 4 of the 11 states had done this under Lincoln. The remaining 7 states could join under Johnson’s conditions.

Johnson’s Reconstruction View Johnson’s Conditions: Each state had to declare that its secession was illegal Each state had to swear allegiance to the Union Each state had to ratify the thirteenth Amendment

Radical Republicans React Johnson’s policies did not punish the former Southern Confederates enough to satisfy the Radical Republicans. Radical Republicans passed legislation to strengthen the “Freedman’s Bureau”, which gave former slaves and poor whites (of the former confederacy) food, clothing, hospitals, and schools.

Black Codes Restrictive laws that Southern states adopted after the Civil War to regulate the freedom and movement of former slaves.

Civil Rights Act of 1866 Passed by Congress on 9th April 1866 over the veto of President Andrew Johnson. The act declared that all persons born in the United States were now citizens, without regard to race, color, or previous condition. This set the groundwork, and eventual ratification, of the 14th Amendment.

14th Amendment “all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. are citizens of the country.” This amendment did not specify that African Americans could vote Not all Southern States ratified this.

Reconstruction Act of 1867 Divided all succeeded states (but Tennessee) into 5 Military Districts Each military district was headed by a Union General Each state had to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment Each state had to draw up new constitutions with the addition of allowing African Americans the right to vote.

Impeached To charge, or impeach, and convict the president, the vice president, or any other civil officers of misconduct in office.

Johnson Impeached Congress adopted the Tenure of Office Act of 1867, which denied the president authority to fire key members of his administration without Senate approval. Johnson tested that act when he attempted to replace Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, a Radical Republican holdover from Lincoln's administration.

Impeachment The House of Representatives to adopt 11 impeachment charges against him, most of which focused on the firing of Stanton

Johnson cleared of charges Senate fell one vote shy of the two-thirds majority needed for conviction

U.S. Grant Elected President, 1868 Democrats did not nominate Johnson for the next presidency. They put in Horatio Seymour as their candidate. Radical Republicans put in war hero U.S. Grant.

Ratified by the states in 1870. Fifteenth Amendment No one can be kept from voting because of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude” Ratified by the states in 1870.

Amendment Review 13th Amendment 14th Amendment 15th Amendment Freedom Citizenship 15th Amendment Vote

Reconstruction Society

Blacks in Reconstruction

Hiram Revels From 1865 to 1877 African Americans were involved in politics at all levels. Revels, was the first African American Senator. (Mississippi)

Carpetbagger Men from the North who traveled to the South after the Civil War to take advantage of the new political, social, and economic conditions in the former states of the defeated Confederacy.

Scalawag Term that Southerners applied to fellow Southerners who joined the Republican Party or associated with carpetbaggers during Reconstruction. Rhett Butler from the movie Gone with the Wind was considered a Scalawag by Some.

Sharecropping Landowners divide their land and gave each worker a few acres along with seed and tools. When crops are harvested each workers gave a share of his crop to the landowner. This is what the majority of poor whites and blacks did

Tenant Farming Rent land for cash Had their own tools and equipment Eventually moved up the ladder and became owners of land

The Collapse of Reconstruction Ku Klux Klan- began in December 1865, when a group of former Confederate soldiers in Tennessee joined together in an effort to keep newly freed and enfranchised African Americans from voting.

Ku Klux Klan Vigilante group that whipped, tortured, and murdered former slaves in an attempt to restore white supremacy.

Scandals In U.S. Grant’s Second Term Several Fraud and Bribery Scandals and a economic Panic in 1873 negatively effected Grant’s second term in office. This also weakened the Republican Party’s hold on Congress

Democrats “Redeem” the South Democrats gain control of the South as a result of the changes in Government.

Election of 1876 Rutherford B. Hayes runs as Republican candidate for President and wins in 1876 by a slim margin. Hayes made a compromise with Democrats in the Senate that he would remove Federal Troops from the south and build new railroads for sections of the South. Ultimately ending Reconstruction.

The ability to run state governments without federal intervention. Home Rule The ability to run state governments without federal intervention.

Morehouse College http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tumNO_lXovs

Brother Where Art Thou http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLvcrsbliOo

Black Codes of Thomas County http://freedmensbureau.com/georgia/gaoutragespt2.htm