Download - The Crisis of Reconstruction, 1865-1877
The Crisis of Reconstruction, 1865-1877Chapter 16
Results of the Civil War: 1. Over 620,000 men died
2. The South’s economy was destroyed
3. What about status of 3.5 million former slaves?
Reconstruction:The process of putting the nation back together after the Civil War (1865-1877)
The re-building of the Union(and the South in particular)
13th Amendment (1865)• “Neither slavery nor
involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”
• Prohibited slavery.
Reconstruction (1865-1877)• When the North won the Civil War in 1865, the era
of Reconstruction began
How should the North bring the South back into
the Union?
How should the North rebuild
the South after its destruction during the war?
How should the North integrate
and protect newly-emancipated
black freedmen?
What branchof governmentis in charge of
Reconstruction?
Quickly, to show Americans that they are willing to forgive?
Slowly, to make sure the South doesn’t try to secede again?
“Old South” based on cotton farming with blacks as workers?
“New South” with textile factories & railroads with paid labor?
Should freed blacks be given the right to vote?
How do you protect blacks against racists whites in the South?
Should the president, as commander-in-chief, be in charge?
Should Congress be in charge because the Constitution gives it
power to let territories in as states?
Lincoln’s Plan (1863)
VERY lenient…1. 10% of Confederate voters in southern states
must:a) Accept emancipationb) Swear loyalty to the Union
2. High ranking Confederate officials could not vote or hold office unless pardoned by the President
Once these conditions were met, a state could return to the Union
Congress rejected Lincoln’s plan:Radical Republicans wanted black male
suffrage added & feared that Confederate leaders would take charge in the South
Opposition to Lincoln’s PlanWade-Davis Bill:
▫ In 1864, Congress wrote its own plan:
50% of state populations had to swear an oath of loyalty
Confederate leaders were not eligible to vote or participate in state governments
Did not require black suffrage but did enforce emancipation
• Lincoln killed the bill using a pocket veto (it passed in the last 10 days of the legislative session)
By the end of the Civil War, the U.S. government had no plan for
Reconstruction in place
This problem was compounded in 1865 when Lincoln was assassinated
Lincoln’s Assassinatio
n• April 14, 1865 by
John Wilkes Booth
• Watching the play, “Our American Cousin,” at Ford’s Theater in Washington, DC
After Lincoln’s Death, 3 Men:•Thaddeus Stevens•Charles Sumner•Andrew Johnson
Radical Republicans
Stevens Sumner
Radical Republicans:1. Members of the
Republican Party who wanted to:
• Punish the south for causing the Civil War
• Fought to protect the rights of former slaves
Thaddeus Stevens (Radical Republican)
• Member of the House of Reps
• Goal: economic opportunity for former slaves
Charles Sumner (Radical Republican)• Member of US Senate
• Goal: citizenship/political rights for former slaves
Charles Sumner vs. Preston Brooks (1857)
Andrew Johnson• Former Senator from
TN, became Lincoln’s VP
• A Democrat; Reconstruction plan similar to Lincoln’s
• Issued 13,000 pardons
• Unconcerned with rights of former slaves
• Impeached in 1868
Johnson’s Reconstruction Plan:1. Appointed provisional state governors to
lead state constitutional conventions
2. States must declare secession illegal & ratify the 13th Amend’t
• Southern conventions reluctantly obeyed Johnson’s Reconstruction policy but passed Black Codes
The Freedman’s Bureau•The Freedman’s Bureau was established
in 1865 to offer assistance to former slaves & protect their new citizenship:▫Provided emergency food, housing, medical
supplies▫Promised “40 acres & a mule”▫Supervised labor contracts▫Created new schools
“Plenty to eat & nothing to do”
Freedmen’s Bureau Seen Through Southern Eyes
Freedmen’s Bureau School
Many former abolitionists moved
South to help freedmen, called “carpetbaggers” by Southern Democrats
Congressional Reconstruction • Following Johnson’s impeachment,
Congress controlled reconstruction. • Congress passed the Reconstruction
Acts (1867-68):1.The former Confederate States were
militarily occupied by US troops2.States could re-enter the Union
once they ratified the 14th Amendment
Map 16.1: The Reconstruction of the South
The 14th Amendment•In 1866, Congress voted to
extend the Freedmen’s Bureau & passed a Civil Rights Bill to protect against Black Codes
•Johnson vetoed both bills, arguing that they violated states’ rights
•Congress overrode both vetoes (for the 1st time in U.S. history!)
14th Amendment (1868)1. All persons born the
US are citizens of the US
2. All citizens are guaranteed equal treatment under the law
3. Punished states that denied adult males the right to vote
Johnson’s “Swing Around the Circle”
In the 1866 mid-term elections, Johnson toured the South trying to convince
voters to elect Congressmen who would reject the 14th Amendment
The plan back-fired & Republicans won a 3-1 majority in both houses of Congress &
gained control of every northern state
Radical Reconstruction•Congress, led by Thaddeus
Stevens, trumped Johnson by passing it its own Radical Reconstruction plan in 1867:▫Congress could confiscate &
redistribute Southern plantations
▫Allowed quick re-entry for states that supported black suffrage
▫Ex-Confederates couldn’t vote
Thaddeus Stevens the most influential of the
“radical” Republicans; He opposed the Crittenden Compromise, led the impeachment charges
against Johnson, & drafted the Radical
Reconstruction plan used from 1867 to 1877
Created 5 military districts to enforce acts But, Radical Reconstruction was so dependent on massive & sustained federal aid that it was
not adequate to enforce equality in the South…
…and Johnson obstructed Republicans’ plans by removing sympathetic cabinet
members & generals
Impeachment and Removal of a President1. Impeachment: to bring formal charges
against the President (Majority vote in the House of Reps)
2. Trial/Removal: The President stands trial (the Senate acts as jury; 2/3 majority vote is needed for removal)
The Impeachment Crisis•In Feb 1868, the House voted 126-47 to
impeach Johnson, but the Senate fell 1 vote short of conviction & removal from office
Johnson argued that removal could only occur due to “high crimes & misdemeanors”
but no “crime” had been committedSome Republicans refused to establish the precedent of removing a president
But…Johnson did promise to enforce Reconstruction for the
remainder of his term…& he did!For violating the Tenure of Office Act when he tried to fire Sec of War Edwin Stanton
The Johnson Impeachment & Senate Trial
Johnson and Impeachment•Johnson was impeached, but not removed
from office; he was ineffective following impeachment
Reconstructing Southern Society•How did Reconstruction impact the South?
▫Southern whites wanted to keep newly-freed blacks inferior
▫ Freed blacks sought equality, property, education, & the vote
▫ Many Northerners moved South to make money or to "civilize" the region after the Civil War
Sharecropping: A New Slavery?•The Civil War destroyed Southern land,
economy, & transportation •Recovering meant finding a new labor
system to replace slavery:▫The South tried a contract-labor system but
it was ineffective ▫Sharecropping “solved” the problem; black
farmers worked on white planters’ land, but had to pay ¼ or ½ of their crops
SharecroppingProblem: families accumulated debt to the landowner before their crop was sold; This cyclical process led to mortgages on
future crops (crop lien system)
By the end of 1865, most freedmen had returned to work on the same plantations on
which they were previously enslaved
Black Codes: A New Slavery?•Violence & discrimination against
freedmen by whites was common:▫Southerners used black codes to keep
former slaves from voting, getting jobs, buying land
▫1,000s of blacks were murdered▫U.S. army did not have enough troops to
keep order in the South
Republican Rule in the South•In 1867, a Southern Republican Party was
formed by: ▫Northern “carpetbaggers” ▫Southern “scalawags” interested in making
money in the South ▫ Small, white farmers who wanted
protection from creditors▫ Blacks who wanted civil rights
• Many Southern blacks were elected to state & national gov’t
Southern Republicans were only in power for 1-9 years but improved public
education, welfare, & transportation
Black & White Political Participation
Black House & Senate Delegates
“Colored Rule in a Reconstructed
South”
Black Republicans
were accused of corruption &
lack of civility
Civil War & Reconstruction Review•Examine “Reconstruction Plans…” &
identify the major components of each section of the chart; Be prepared to discuss your answers to the discussion questions.
Gaining Rights for Blacks •In 1870, the 15th
Amendment gave all men the right to vote regardless of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude”
•Freedmen fought for civil rights:▫Legalized marriage ▫Used courts to assert
claims against whites & other blacks
▫Saw education as their 1st opportunity to become literate
Women’s rights groups were furious that they were not granted the vote!
Reconstruction in the Grant Administration (1869-1877)
The Election of 1868•In 1867, Thaddeus Stevens’ Radical
Reconstruction plan was in place & a southern Republican party hoped to build a New South
•By 1868, 8 of the 11 former Confederate states were accepted back into the Union after creating state constitutions & ratifying the 14th Amendment
TennesseeAlabama
Arkansas Louisiana South Carolina
North CarolinaFloridaGeorgia
Re-Admission of the South
The Election of 1868•But, the U.S. had lots of problems:
▫Excessive printing of greenbacks during the Civil War led to high inflation which hurt both the Northern & Southern economies
▫Southern “Redeemers” & secret societies tried to undermine Congressional attempts to reconstruct the South
The 1868 Presidential Election
Republicans nominated Civil War hero Ulysses S. Grant who had the support of
Republicans in the North & South as well as Southern freedmen who voted for the 1st time
Democrats refused to re-nominate Johnson & chose NY governor Horatio Seymour
In the election of 1868, both parties “waved the bloody shirt” to remind voters why the Civil War was fought
Southern Republican Strategy
Southern Democratic Strategy
Keeping freed blacks inferior was the most
important goal of Southern Democrats
Republican goal: Keep ex-Confederate leaders from restoring
the “Old South”
Grant’s National Reconstruction Plan
•When Grant was elected, he supported:▫Shifting back to gold (“sound” or “hard” money) to deflate American currency
▫Using a limited number of U.S. soldiers in the South to enforce Reconstruction efforts
▫Civil rights for freed blacks
Deflations hurt indebted farmers the mostIn 1876, the Greenback Party was
formed to support keeping “soft” money
Enough troops should be sent to work with state militias to protect blacks’ rights, reduce violence, & support Republican leaders in Southern state governments…
…but not enough to encourage widespread resentment among the Southern population
Grant’s National Reconstruction Plan
•Republicans sought equal protection for blacks; ratified the 15th Amendment in 1870:▫Prohibited any state from denying men the
right to vote due to race
▫But…the amendment said nothing about literacy tests, poll taxes, & property qualifications
A Reign of Terror Against Blacks•From 1868 to 1872, southern Republicans
were threatened by secret societies like Ku Klux Klan▫Hoped to restore the “Old South”▫Sought to restrict black voting▫Oppose Republican state gov’ts
•The KKK was successful in its terror campaigns, helping turn GA, NC, & TN to the Democratic Party
The “Invisible Empire of the South”
“Of course he wants to vote for the Democratic ticket”
The Failure of Federal Enforcement
A Reign of Terror Against Blacks•In 1870, Congress passed the Force Acts
(the “KKK Acts”):▫Made interference in elections a federal
crime ▫Gave the president the military power to
protect polling places
▫Allowed for high black turnout & Republicans victories in 1872
▫“Redeemer” Democrats openly appealed to white supremacy & laissez-faire government
A Reign of Terror Against Blacks•The KKK responded by becoming more
open with its terror tactics:▫Northerners grew impatient with federal
Reconstruction efforts & “corrupt” Southern state gov’ts
▫Grant began to refuse to use military force against KKK terrorist attacks
•By 1876, only SC, FL, & LA were controlled by Republicans
The 1875 Civil Rights Act•Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of
1875 to protect freedmen:▫Outlawed racial discrimination in public
places & in jury selection•But the Supreme Court ruled it
unconstitutional & weakened the 14th & 15th Amendments, leaving southern blacks defenseless against discrimination
In the Slaughterhouse Cases (1873), the court ruled that the 14th Amendment protects only national citizenship rights & does not protect
citizens from discrimination by the states
In U.S. v Reese (1876) & U.S. v Cruikshank (1876), the court weakened the KKK Act by
stating that the 14th Amendment does not protect against actions by individuals
Corruption in Grant’s Administration
Corruption in Grant’s Administration•The Republicans experienced rampant
corruption during Grant’s 1st term as president:▫Grant’s Secretary of War was impeached &
Attorney General resigned due to corruption
▫Grant’s VP & others were ruined by the Crédit Mobilier scandal involving railroad stock in exchange for political favors
These scandals distracted Americans from Reconstruction efforts
The Election of 1872•Corruption scandals & the failure of
Reconstruction in the South led to a split among Republicans:▫Liberal Republicans were tired of the Grant
scandals & believed in reconciling with the South, not military intervention
▫In 1872, Liberal Republicans ran Horace Greeley against Grant
1872 Presidential ElectionRepublicans suppressed the KKK in time for the election; Southern blacks enjoyed a voting freedom they would not see again for a century
Grant was the only consecutive, 2-term president from Jackson to Teddy Roosevelt,
but is commonly regarded as a failure
Grant’s Second Term•Grant s 2nd term was plagued by economic
depression & corruption ▫Panic of 1873 was the longest depression
(until 1929); many blamed large corporations & begged Grant to create jobs
▫Whiskey Ring—Grant’s personal secretary was caught embezzling whiskey taxes
½ the nation’s RRs defaulted Over 100 banks collapsed18,000 businesses closed
Unemployment reached 15%
The Grant administration did not see job creation or relief for the poor as its duties
Essential Question:▫What events from 1868 to 1876 led to the
abandonment of federal reconstruction attempts in the South by 1877?
The New South & the Rise of Jim Crow Rutherford B. Hayes Video
The Compromise of 1877•In 1876, Republicans ran Rutherford B.
Hayes against Democrat reformer Samuel Tilden
▫Election results were disputed in three Southern states
▫A special commission gave the disputed votes to Hayes, but Democrats in Congress blocked this decision by filibuster
A filibuster is an attempt to extend debate
upon a proposal in
order to delay or prevent a vote on its passage
1876 Presidential Election
1876 Election
• A commission was established to determine winner:
Compromise of 1877:1. Hayes became President2. Military occupation of the South ended
1. The rights of former slaves were not protected
A Political Crisis: The Compromise of 1877
President Rutherfraud B. Hayes
The “Second Corrupt Bargain”
The Rise of Jim Crow•From 1877 to 1910, “Redeemer”
Democrats imposed restrictions called Jim Crow Laws to limit the civil rights of African Americans ▫187 blacks were lynched yearly▫A convict-lease system & prison farms
resembled slavery▫Segregation laws led to separate railroads,
streetcars, & public facilities“Jim Crow laws” were passed after
Reconstruction ended to obstruct rights given to black Americans in the 14th & 15th Amendments
“Black codes” were laws passed from 1865 to 1877 to keep freed slaves
from gaining rights & voting
Conclusion: The “Unfinished Revolution”
The “Unfinished Revolution”•Reconstruction lasted only 12 years from
1865 to 1877:▫Reconciliation between the North & South
occurred only after Reconstruction ended▫By the late 1880s, “reunion” was becoming
a reality but at the expense of the blacks’ rights
•Reconstruction remained an “unfinished revolution”
1. How did the federal gov’t
bring the South back into the
Union?
2. Was the South
transformed into a
“New South”?
3. How werenewly-
emancipatedblack freedmen
protected?
4. What branchof gov’t took
control ofReconstruction?
How effective was the U.S. in addressing these Reconstruction questions?
How effective was the U.S. in addressing these Reconstruction questions?
How should the North bring the South back into
the Union?
How should the North rebuild
the South after its destruction during the war?
How should the North integrate
and protect newly-emancipated
black freedmen?
What branchof governmentis in charge of
Reconstruction?
Quickly, to show Americans that they are willing to forgive?
Slowly, to make sure the South doesn’t try to secede again?
“Old South” based on cotton farming with blacks as workers?
“New South” with textile factories & railroads with paid labor?
Should freed blacks be given the right to vote?
How do you protect blacks against racists whites in the South?
Should the president, as commander-in-chief, be in charge?
Should Congress be in charge because the Constitution gives it
power to let territories in as states?
Limits to Reconstruction • The Civil War Amendments were a success
• H/e, there was no redistribution of land and most African Americans lived as sharecroppers and faced little economic opportunity
Reconstruction: EVALUATION•Some argue it was a success because
slavery was abolished and African Americans were guaranteed equal treatment
•Others say it was a failure because after 1877 those rights were only in place on paper; not in reality.
•Your opinion: Was it a success or failure…?
Up From SlaveryThe African-American Struggle
for Equality in the Post-Civil War Era
The Hard Reality of Emancipation• After the Civil War ended and the 13th Amendment
abolished slavery (1865), freedmen found themselves without significant resources to start a new life
• The Freedmen’s Bureau (est. 1865) provided direct relief, education, jobs, and medical care in an effort to give freed slaves an opportunity to adjust to their new lives
• Despite such efforts, many blacks ended up as tenant farmers who engaged in sharecropping – which involved pledging a share of their harvest as repayment to landowners who leased the land; debt peonage often resulted as black farmers went into debt as a result of not being able to cover costs and debt owed to creditors
The Failure of Radical ReconstructionThe Radical Republican attempt to re-engineer Southern
society and politics (1865-77) failed due to:
1. terrorism - as practiced by the Ku Klux Klan and other white supremacist groups; violence and intimidation kept reformers from carrying out Radical policies
2. redemption – Southern Democrats regained control of their state governments as a result of the Compromise of 1877, which (after the disputed election of 1876) gave Republican candidate Hayes the White House in exchange for a Republican pledge to withdraw the last federal troops from the South and end Reconstruction
3. “Jim Crow” laws created institutionalized segregation through such measures as poll taxes, literacy tests, and grandfather clauses – effectively disenfranchised blacks despite rights provided in the 14th and 15th Amendments
Thomas Nast’s View of the Post-War South
The Supreme Court Limits Rights• Ex parte Milligan (1866) – the Court ruled that military
courts could not try civilians where civil courts were functioning – limited ability of the federal government to prosecute Southern whites who violated the law
• Slaughterhouse cases (1873) – the Court created the concept of “dual citizenship” – the idea that the 14th Amendment only guaranteed national civil rights, not state civil rights; effectively limited the scope of 14th Amendment due process protections
• Civil Rights cases (1883) – the Court further weakened the 14th Amendment by declaring that it protected only against government infringement of rights, not private infringement (i.e., private businesses could still discriminate against blacks)
• Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) – ruled segregation legal as long as facilities were “separate but equal” – not overturned until Brown v. Board of Education in 1954
Two Views of Progress
• Booker T. Washington, a former slave and the founder of Tuskegee Institute, argued that blacks would only gain acceptance by white society through education and hard work; patterned after his own life experience
• Equality must first come on socio-economic terms and political equality would follow; a popular approach with white Americans
• W.E.B. DuBois, a northern intellectual, argued that blacks must achieve political equality first before socio-economic equality would be fully achieved
• His approach was widely adopted by civil rights leaders in the 1950s/1960s
• DuBois helped to lead the Niagara movement and founded the NAACP