1. Reconstruction of the Southern States after the Civil War
Name _______________________________________ Period
US History + Government / Reconstruction Lesson Day December 15-16
Reconstruction of the Southern States after the Civil War
had many divisive issues, as Sectionalism (North v South) continued…
…while the noble speeches and actions of Abraham Lincoln encouraged
forgiveness and healing for the divided nation’s wounds…
Radical Republican’s of the Northern States passed
three (3) critical Constitutional Amendments #13- #14- #15 …
to abolish slavery, protect equal citizenship, allow voting rights
Resistance from the Democratic Party in the South and
Reactionary forces (KKK, White League, etc…) would oppose plans
by Radical Republican Northern Politicians

2. Military Districts were created
during the Reconstruction era to govern
the former Confederate States.

3. The Solid South refers to Southern Democrats
who resented Radical Republican Reconstruction
and the military enforcement by Union soldiers.
The “Strong” Government, 1869–1877
Source: J. A. Wales, Puck, May 12, 1880 (adapted)

4. President Total Vetoes Vetoes Overridden 2/3 House + Senate
The Legislative Process in Action source: US Senate Library (adapted)
President
Total Vetoes
Vetoes Overridden
2/3 House + Senate
George Washington 2
James Madison 7
Andrew Jackson 12
John Tyler 10 1
James Polk 3
Abraham Lincoln
Andrew Johnson 29 15
President Andrew Johnson was
a Democrat VP for “moderate”
Republican Abe Lincoln…
… a political fight
over Reconstruction
would lead to…
an impeachment !
1. According to this table what power can a President use to prevent a bill from becoming a federal law?
_________________________________________________________________________
2. According to this table what power can Congress use to check the power of the President to ensure passage
of federal legislation?
_______________________________________________________________________

5. was a US Government agency whose purpose was to help former slaves
Source: Thomas Nast Harpers Weekly 14 April 1866
Annotation:
President Johnson
Vetoed
the Freedman’s
Bureau Bill based
on his views of
States’ Rights…
evidence of a very
contentious
relationship with
The US Congress.
The Freedman’s Bureau
was a US Government agency
whose purpose was
to help former slaves
transition to freedom
and full citizenship.
3. What is the opinion of cartoonist Thomas Nast regarding Andrew Johnson’s veto of the Freedman’s Bureau
funding bill in April 1866 ?
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________(1)

6. Annotation: (context) President Johnson was impeached by the
Source: Thomas Nast Harpers Weekly 21 April 1868
Annotation: (context)
President Johnson
was impeached by the
House of Representatives
for violating the
Tenure of Office Act…
passed by Congress
over his veto…
he was spared removal
by only one vote in
The US Senate
(36 guilty votes were needed)
POV…
President Johnson
crushed by the
US Constitution…
…was Johnson
“Big enough” for
the Presidency?
4. What is the opinion of cartoonist Thomas Nast regarding Andrew Johnson’s impeachment in 1868?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________(1)

7. While the political showdown was intense at both the
National and State levels…the economic reality for
many former slaves…
…was Sharecropping + Tenant Farming…
…it was very difficult to escape from poverty
… Black Codes + Jim Crow Laws maintained
social separation
… and local communities experienced terror by
angry whites hostile toward social change
Source: Jas. E. Taylor sketch: Plowing in South Carolina

8. As this 1874 Reconstruction Era cartoon shows…
…Freedmen who attempted to assert their
rights to “Equal Citizenship” and Voting rights…
…could endure terrible consequences…
Grandfather Clauses + Literacy Tests became
state laws in the South to silence voting rights
and allow even more Jim Crow laws to be passed.
The 1896 Plessy v Ferguson US Supreme Court
decision would rule racial segregation was LEGAL…
…and the promise of Civil Rights for African Americans
would be delayed for many generations in America.
Thomas Nast. "The Union as it was / The Lost Cause, worse than slavery." Harper's Weekly, v. 18, no. 930 (24 Oct 1874)

9. Matching Check for Understanding:
____1. Northern Troops occupy former Confederate States
to enforce US Government policies was called…
____ 2. After the Civil War many Southern plantation owners
responded to the loss of slave labor by hiring…
____ 3. State and local laws passed to maintain racial segregation
were referred to as…
____ 4. State and local laws passed to restrict voting rights based
on previous conditions of slavery and discrimination included…
_________________________________________________________
____ 5. President Lincoln’s plan for Reconstruction was based
on policies encouraging …
____ 6. Radical Republicans of the North in Congress had plans for
Reconstruction based on helping Freedmen and…
____ 7. President Andrew Johnson used his VETO powers so often
Radical Republicans tried to remove him from office using…
____8. The 1896 Supreme Court decision Plessy v Ferguson ruled
these types of laws were LEGAL based on the US Constitution…
Reconstruction
Jim Crow / Black Codes
Grandfather Clauses / Literacy Tests
Sharecroppers / Tenant Farmers
______________________________________
Impeachment Powers
Forgiving the Southern Confederates
Punishing the Southern Confederates
Segregation Laws

10. ___2.
___1.
___3.