Ch. 12

 Presidential Reconstruction: Pres Lincoln and Congress struggled over whether the South should be simply welcomed back into the Union or punished for the war.  Lincoln’s Plan: His primary goal was to have peace and restore the Union. Pardon all Southerners who pledged an oath of loyalty to the US when 10% of voters take oath they could be readmitted to the Union Lincoln did not lay out a plan to address the freed slaves, but thought those who could read and write should be given the right to vote.

 The Radical Republican’s Plan: Wade- Davis Bill of 1864 proposed putting the South under military rule required a majority of the states voters to take oath for readmission Lincoln killed the bill using a pocket veto

 Johnson was Lincoln’s vice president, who assumed the presidency after Lincoln was shot  Johnson’s based his ideas of reconstruction on what he thought were Lincoln’s goals. (Presidential Reconstruction) He was uncompromising and did not have a strong following. While Congress was in recess he started his reconstruction plan. States were to abolish slavery and repeal its order of secession

By Dec., when Congress returned, all states except TX fulfilled the requirements and had asked to return to the Union. Congress became alarmed because the new states looked too much like the olds ones.  Confederate officials were still in power  state legislatures passed “black codes” limiting the rights of African Americans ensuring their subordinate status  African Americans were not allowed to vote, testify against Caucasians, have firearms or serve on juries.  In some states (Miss.) if African Americans did not have proof of employment or they were put on a plantation and forced to work there.

 Congress was outrages by the black codes and followed the lead of Radicals in passing laws to prevent this from happening. The Civil Rights Bill of 1866 granted citizenship to African Americans and gave the federal government the power to protect them from discriminatory state laws. President Johnson vetoed this bill & The Freeman’s Bureau Act b/c he thought Congress was acting outside its Constitutional powers Congress overrode the vetoes.

 By vetoing these bills it seemed as if Johnson was supporting southerners  (He was a southerner from Tennessee).  Although they overrode the vetoes, Congress also passed the Fourteenth Amendment, which defined citizens of the U.S. as any person born or naturalized in the U.S.  Passed the Military Reconstruction act of 1867

 Did not recognize state governments readmitted under Lincoln& Johnson’s plan  Divided the ten former Confederate states into 5 military districts  To be readmitted these states had to ratify the 14 th Amendment and guarantee African American males the right to vote

 Johnson continued to try to impede the Radical Reconstruction. In an effort to weaken the President, Congress passed the Tenure of Office Act – which required Senate approval to remove anyone in office who had been nominated or approved by that administration Johnson fired Secretary of War Edwin Stanton to challenge the Act House impeaches him – Senate puts the president on trial, falling one vote short of finding him guilty.

 1868 Election: Radical Republicans chose General Grant.  Democrats nominate Horatio Seymour  Grant wins the election handily in the electoral college and by a slim majority in the popular vote

Southern hardships  After Slavery  After the end of the war the South was a wreck economically, politically, and socially.  I. New Ways of Life:  The Plight of the Landowners: The landowners had lost everything, slaves, crops, investments. His land was worth nothing because no one had the money to buy it.  The Plight of Workers: Many African Americans and poor Caucasians were unable to buy land so they became tenant farmers or sharecroppers. Was not a good solution:  1. Grew mostly cotton and tobacco = highest return – depleted the soil  2. Tenants bought supplies on credit at high interest – unable to pay back – still tied to the land  From Slavery to Freedom:  Freed slaves tried to find family previously separated from.  Some only having first names had to choose a last name.

The Freedmen’s Bureau  The Freedmen’s Bureau: Was set up by Congress to help freed slaves.  Education: Many teachers went south to help educate the African Americans. Adults and children were eager to learn.  Jobs: Helped African Americans with labor contracts ensuring they weren’t cheated.  Land: Congress distributed some of the land seized from plantation owners. But when Pres. Johnson pardoned the Confederates he restored their property rights and took the land back.  The continuing legacy  *Even today we still live with the legacy of slavery. What are some of the evidence we still see today of slavery.

 The Ku Klux Klan organized as a secret resistance society to northern carpetbagger govt’s  terrorizing southern African Americans.  The Democrats started gaining power and by 1876 most states were controlled by them.

 The election of 1876 resulted in Tilden (Dem.) one vote short of the necessary majority of electoral votes. Hayes (Rep.) needed 20.  Electoral Commission: Republicans stated Democrats had stopped African Americans from voting Democrats accused Republicans using federal troops to increase the votes totals. Congress appointed a commission who select edHayes.

Reaching an Agreement: Democrats were outraged – negotiations  Democrats agreed to accept the results  Republicans agreed to withdraw the federal troops from the South.  brought an end to the reconstruction

 After Reconstruction: (a return to the old)  Segregation: Jim Crow laws – legally segregated African Americans from Caucasians Congress passed a Civil Rights Act in Supreme Court ruled the act unconstitutional

 There was more cooperation between the North and South in financing its economic growth. Growth in transportation and industrialization.  Few Gains for African Americans: Democrats ensured it had a “Solid South” African Americans had a new form of slavery as sharecroppers and tenant farmers.