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THE PROMISE OF RECONSTRUCTION AND THE NADIR, 1877-1923 United States History
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The Civil War and Its Impact The Civil War was largely fought over the issues of states’ rights, popular sovereignty, and spread of slavery in the U.S. States’ Rights – the powers reserved for the states rather than the federal government Popular sovereignty – political theory that government is created by and subject to the will of the people Territories had to be admitted to the Union as either free (no slavery) or as slave states
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The Civil War and Its Impact The Civil War was from 1861 – 1865 The Northern States (Union) defeated the Southern States (Confederacy) It was the deadliest war in American history, killing over 620,000 Victory for the North meant the end of the Confederacy and of slavery in the United States and strengthened the power of the federal government It ushered in the Reconstruction Era
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Reconstruction Reconstruction addressed how the 11 southern states that seceded (left) from the Union and formed the Confederacy would be re-admitted to the United States of America This process included Physically rebuilding the South Restoring the South to the Union via loyalty oaths & suffrage Determining rights and citizenship for African Americans
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The Promise of Reconstruction Radical Republicans helped to pass the 13 th, 14 th, & 15 th Amendments (the Reconstruction Amendments) which drastically improved the lives of African Americans 13 th Amendment – abolished slavery 14 th Amendment – made all African Americans (& Native Americans) citizens of the United States 15 th Amendment – granted voting rights regardless of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude”
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The Promise of Reconstruction In addition to the Reconstruction Amendments, the Radical Republicans also helped to create the Freedman’s Bureau – aided freed slaves through legal food and housing, education, health care, and employment Elected Office holders – over 630 African Americans were elected to the Senate and the House of Representatives
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Redemption Once they regained the ability to vote, many white southerners became redeemers fought against Reconstruction, using both political and violence means These redeemers were instrumental in creating Black Codes – state legislation which controlled the labor, migration, and activities of African Americans Ku Klux Klan (KKK) – a white supremacist para-military organization known for their violent repression of African Americans
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The Failure of Reconstruction While the promises of Reconstruction for African Americans gave them equality briefly, overall the programs of Reconstruction was a utter failure. This ushered in the Nadir (lowest point) for American race relations As a result of this failure of Reconstruction, a new era of race relations was ushered in – Jim Crow – which created a system of legal racial segregation (separation by race) in public and private facilities de jure segregation – by law, usually in the South de facto segregation – by fact, usually in the North
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Jim Crow America Jim Crow existed from 1876-1965 in both the North and the South Named after caricature of blacks performed by whites in blackface The term Jim Crow became synonymous with Negro and racial segregation
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Jim Crow America – Disfranchisement From 1890 to 1908, white conservative Democrats passed legislation and constitutional amendments across the South to disfranchise (deny the right to vote) most African Americans They used a combination of restrictions on voter & voting methods like poll taxes literacy tests residency requirements
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Jim Crow America - Violence Violence, and the threat of violence, was a significant part of enforcing Jim Crow laws Besides the work of the KKK, mobs of white men often lynched African Americans illegally Lynching involved hanging, disfiguring and, usually, burning the victim to death
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Jim Crow America - Accommodations The case, Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), established the basic principle of Jim Crow America, “separate but equal” The “separate but equal” clause was the rule of law in America until the Brown v. Board of Education decision in 1954
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The Fight Against Jim Crow Though this period is considered the Nadir for African Americans, many organized against Jim Crow and fought for their rights, eventually culminating in the modern Civil Rights Movement (1954 - 1970) Ida B. Wells – Barnett W.E.B. Du Bois Booker T. Washington
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Ida B. Wells - Barnett Educated at Fisk University, Ida B. Wells was a journalist and newspaper editor who tirelessly exposed lynchings in the South She was also active in the women’s rights movement
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William Edward Burghardt Du Bois As the 1 st African American to receive a PhD from Harvard, Du Bois later founded the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) A sociologist and author, he became a dominate figure in the African American community
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Booker T. Washington A former slave and self made man, Washington founded the Tuskegee Institute to train African Americans in the trades and agriculture An author and politician, he became a dominate figure in the African American community
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Philosophical Differences between Du Bois and Washington W.E.B. Du Bois Believed in demanding rights for African Americans The Talented Tenth, an educated elite, would lead Black America Coined the idea of double consciousness – all Blacks live in 2 worlds (one black, one white) Outlined his philosophy in The Souls of Black Folk Booker T. Washington Believed in accommodation – blacks would not ask for the vote or equal rights & would tolerate segregation and discrimination until whites were ready to give African Americans their rights Outlined his philosophy in Up From Slavery
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