1. RECONSTRUCTION

2. THE BASICS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT RECONSTRUCTION What economic, social, and political reconstruction were The role of the Freedmen’s Bureau The difference between Presidential and Congressional reconstruction The 13 th, 14 th, and 15 th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution The role of Henry McNeal Turner and the Black legislators The rise of the Ku Klux Klan

3. Economic Reconstruction After the Civil War, economic problems were in 3 categories: land, labor, capital. The one positive about Georgia’s economy was that there was a world-wide shortage of cotton, so cotton prices were very high.

4. Sharecroppers & Tenant Farmers Because slaves had been freed and land owners had little money to pay farm help, many men became sharecroppers or tenant farmers. Sharecroppers are provided a home and tools to work the land, they pay the owner a part or “share” of the crop. Tenant farmers live and work on the landowners land, but pay rent and provide their own tools.

5. Social Reconstruction Some Northern banks and businessmen began investing in the South. With money came carpetbaggers – Northerners who came South to take advantage of the problems in the South. Worse than them were the scalawags – Southerners who worked with the carpetbaggers. They were considered traitors.

6. Freedmen’s Bureau The Freedmen’s Bureau was a federal government agency that brought food, clothing, food, fuel, and other supplies to help both whites and blacks after the war. It quickly changed to only help freed slaves. It set up schools for black children and adults, helped them establish churches, and helped them make fair contracts with people who hired them.

7. Lincoln’s Plan Also called Presidential Reconstruction Except for Confederate leaders, southerners would regain citizenship after taking an oath of loyalty to the United States. When 10% of the voters took the oath, they could elect delegates to write a new state constitution. The new state constitution had to abolish slavery, declare secession null and void, and cancel all war debts.

8. Lincoln’s Plan for Reconstruction Lincoln’s plan for reconstruction was to bring the southern states back into the Union quickly. After Lincoln was assassinated, Andrew Johnson became president and decided to carry out Lincoln’s plan. Radical Republicans (favored harsher punishments for the south) in Congress felt Lincoln’s plan did not punish the South and Johnson was impeached.

9. 13 th Amendment Outlawed slavery in the United States All slaves were freed Passed by Congress on January 31, 1865 Ratified by all states on December 6, 1865

10. 14 th Amendment Georgia ratified the 13 th amendment, but the State legislature passed “Black Codes” which were laws that limited the rights of former slaves in the state. The U.S. Congress passed the 14 th amendment in response to the Black Codes, which gave them citizenship rights and protected those rights. Georgia refused to ratify the 14 th amendment and was placed under military occupation.

11. Congressional Reconstruction Radical Republicans impeached President Johnson and took total control of reconstruction when 10 southern states including Georgia refused to ratify the 14 th Amendment. The U.S. Army occupied the southern states that refused to ratify the 14 th Amendment. Under Congressional Reconstruction southern states had to write another state constitution to be approved by Congress and ratify the 14 th and 15 th amendments

12. Military Occupation The military would not leave until Georgia did the following: – Registered black and white voters who took the oath of allegiance to the U.S. – Confederate leaders would not be allowed to register. – Write a new state constitution approved by the U.S. Congress. – Ratify the 14 th amendment.

13. African-Americans In Georgia Politics In 1867, 37 African-Americans delegates were elected with 132 whites to write the new State Constitution. The black delegates were denied hotel rooms in the capital of Milledgeville. The meeting was moved to Atlanta, which became the new capital. In 1868, 32 African-Americans were elected to Georgia’s General Assembly.

14. Expulsion of African-American Representatives (September 1868) The majority Republican General Assembly voted to remove 28 of the African-American members. They argued that the State Constitution did not grant them the right to hold public office. Four mulatto members were allowed to retain their seats.

15. 15 th Amendment The right to vote is not denied to any citizen regardless of race (gave African-American MEN the right to vote) Passed by Congress February 26, 1869

16. Georgia’s New Constitution Race was removed as a qualification for voting. Married women could control their own property. Imprisonment for debt was abolished. A free public school system was created. Georgia ratified the 14 th & 15 th amendments. The military left Georgia.

17. Henry McNeal Turner He was one of the African-American legislators expelled from the General Assembly. He became a Bishop in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and encouraged African- Americans to return to Africa.

18. Rise of the Ku Klux Klan The original purpose of the KKK was to protect white widows from the looting and attacks that took place after the War and to regain control of the government for the Democrats from Republicans It became an organization with the purpose of intimidating blacks particularly in voting.

19. End of Reconstruction Radical Republicans began losing control in Congress. In 1872 Congress granted amnesty to most former Confederates.