XII. Realities of Radical Reconstruction to the South

1. XII. Realities of Radical Reconstruction to the South • Southern black men began to organize politically • Campaigned and ran for office as Republicans • Union League included educated men, churches and schools represented black grievances in employment and recruited militias to protect black communities • Black and white politicians helped write new state constitutions • Black congressmen were elected to federal and state offices although they were never a majority in any government

2. XII. Realities of Radical Reconstruction to the South • Southern conservatives reaction • Labeled those that helped Reconstruction as “carpetbaggers” and “scalawags” • Carpetbaggers from north came south to take advantage of them • Scalawags were southerners that were former Unionists and Whigs • Radical regime rule did make some reforms in education, tax systems, property rights for women and public works, actually rebuilt the South • Graft and corruption was rampant during Reconstruction (all across the country), many freedmen were used a pawns by white politicians

3. XIII. The Ku Klux Klan • Whites resorted to violent means to protest Union rule • Resented success of black politicians and corruption of government • Formed secret societies, most notorious was KKK formed in 1866 • Harassed free blacks and “carpetbaggers” • Congress tries to outlaw this with Force Acts of 1870,1871; was successful in stamping out activities • Work of intimidation was already done though • White resistance continued to undermine attempts to empower free blacks • Literacy tests, poll taxes, intimidation continued to openly flourish across the south for decades

4. XIV. The Failed Impeachment of Andrew Johnson • Radicals in Congress try to impeach Johnson for his continued obstruction of Reconstruction • Basis was Tenure of Office Act which they claimed Johnson ignored (removed somebody from office without Senate’s consent) • Also had a spy in Executive branch (Edwin Stanton) • 1868 House votes to impeach Johnson and case goes to Senate • In Senate they fail to get 2/3 majority • Kept alive constitutional mechanism of checks and balances • Impeachment would have destabilized government and weakened one of the three branches of government

5. XV. The Purchase of Alaska • One of the few successes during Johnson administration was purchase of Alaska from Russia, although it would not be realized for years • Alaska had become a financial and logistical liability and they did not want it to fall into the hands of the British • Sold it to the US for 7.2 million, for its potential profitability and as a favor to an American ally

6. The Heritage of Reconstruction • Many Southerners were more offended at Reconstruction than the outcome of the war itself • Resented “Yankee” intervention in their social, racial and political affairs • Reconstruction happened without a clear plan from the beginning and was a constant struggle between the executive and legislative branches and of the entrenched white society • Early 1870’s many northerners lost interest in remaking the south, focus was on other political, social, economic issues (western expansion, Indian Wars, Panic of 1873) • Generation of leaders that wanted abolition and change began to pass away. Many racial prejudices in the north began to reemerge. Political scandals brought down Radical Republicans • 1871 troops were withdrawn from the south and Republican state governments were replaced with conservative Democrats . • 1872 Congress abolished the Freedman’s Bureau • Southern Democrats began to discredit African American politicians, former Confederates were elected to office and many African Americans were denied opportunity to participate fully as citizens. • Americans were united as a nation , federal power became dominant over state power • De jure segregation, legal separation of the races became law in all southern states • The election of 1876 marked the official end of Reconstruction as part of the Hayes- Tilden election compromise (Compromise of 1877), all federal troops were pulled out of the south • When troops left Democratic rule returned and many blacks faced harsher discrimination