Reconstruction

1. Reconstruction

2. Reconstruction Begins • Recap of Civil War: • Fought over many issues – states rights vs. federal government, and SLAVERY. • Argument over slavery went on for generations – boiled over and actual fighting went on from 1861-1865.

3. Reconstruction Begins • Northern states wanted to abolish slavery, southern states did not – their economy based on agriculture – needed cheap labor. • The Union (North) won in 1865 – the Confederacy (South) defeated. • Question – what now? How to we repair the country? – This time is called Reconstruction.

4. Reconstruction Begins • Civil War aftermath – the south was in ruins. • Over 550,000 deaths from the war – 1/3 of all southern men were either killed or wounded. • 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments to the Constitution passed – abolished slavery, made freed slaves citizens, allowed them to vote. • Special hardships for 3 groups – black southerners, plantation owners, and poor white southerners.

5. Reconstruction Begins • Black southerners • 1. 4 million freed slaves looking for jobs, shelter and food • 2. Not much opportunity with damaged southern economy • 3. Some stayed to work on plantations – others went to cities for work

6. Reconstruction Begins • Plantation owners • 1. Lost slave labor worth about $3 billion • 2. Confederate money was worthless and could not afford to hire help • 3. Many sold property to cover debts

7. Reconstruction Begins • Poor white southerners • 1. Tough finding jobs especially with freed slave competition • 2. Many migrated to frontier lands in Mississippi and Texas for better opportunity

8. Reconstruction Begins • White leaders in southern state governments restricted African-American freedoms with a bunch of laws • These new laws were commonly called the “Black Codes” • The Black Codes essentially virtual slavery with certain restrictions placed on freed slaves

9. Reconstruction Begins • Black Codes • Could not gather after sunset • If convicted of vagrancy were fined, whipped, or forced to do manual labor • If labor contract broken, then all wages were lost • Could not rent homes in rural areas

10. Reconstruction Begins • To assist freed slaves in the south, Congress established the Freedman’s Bureau. • Delivered food, health care, and clothing to many freed people – created schools – helped reunite families broken up by slave trade. • Churches also became the most visible black organizations – center for help, meetings, and worship.

11. Reconstruction Continues • Lincoln was assassinated in 1865 – and this put a wrinkle into the Reconstruction plans. • Lincoln had planned on using forgiveness towards the South. • He was going to offer pardons to any Confederate if they swore an oath to the U.S. – and welcomed states back to the union if they agreed to the 13th Amendment – abolishing slavery.

12. Reconstruction Continues • However, Lincoln who was a Republican was criticized by “Radical Republicans” from his own party – they thought it was a threat to Congressional power. • The radicals wanted to punish the South – called the traitors. • And force southerners to accept that newly freed slaves were equal citizens.

13. Reconstruction Continues • After Lincoln was killed, his Vice President Andrew Johnson – democrat from Tennessee – took over as President. • Johnson agreed with Lincoln’s plan of forgiveness – wanted the South to accept 13th Amendment – but no punishment. • To make laws, President and Congress must work together – Johnson and Radical Republican Congress clashed.

14. Reconstruction Continues • In 1868, Congress attempted to remove Johnson from the Presidency – tried impeaching him. • Johnson was impeached by the House of Representatives for violating the Tenure of Office Act - but not convicted by the Senate. • Therefore, he remained as President but lost his influence, and Radical Republicans took over Reconstruction.

15. Reconstruction Continues • In the next election Union war hero, and Republican Ulysses S. Grant won and became 18th President. • He was more willing to work with Radical Republicans in Congress. • Reconstruction Act of 1867 - The military immediately took control of the South – divided up into five districts – each with a general in charge.

17. Reconstruction Continues • The union military forced the southern states to accept the 14th Amendment – which made all newly freed slaves citizens and gave them equal protection under the law. • And the 15th Amendment – which granted all newly freed slaves the right to vote (13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments ensured rights of African-Americans.) • During the next election in 1870 thousands of black men voted for first time - many African-Americans won political office in southern states – the Republican Party gained strength in the South.

18. Reconstruction Continues • Some in the South resisted the changes and tried fighting back. • Six former Confederate soldiers in Tennessee created the Ku Klux Klan. • The KKK used white hoods and robes to pretend to be the ghosts of Confederate soldiers seeking revenge after death. • Goal was to scare African-Americans from exercising their new rights to vote and keep them oppressed.

19. Reconstruction Ends • Some northerners tried to take advantage of the vulnerable and weak south. • Carpetbaggers – northerners who went to the south looking to make money. • Questions arose in the south with how to make money through agriculture – because that is what they had – hardly any industrialization.

20. Reconstruction Ends • Planters had land but no workers, and workers had labor but no land. • Southern Homestead Act of 1866 tried to help farmers by offering low cost land. • Situation led to a new pattern of farming in the south called “sharecropping”. • A family would work the land in return for a home and a portion of the profit from the harvest.

22. Reconstruction Ends • Some sharecroppers were corrupt and would not pay fair share – fining workers if they missed a day – or lying about land expenses. • This kept many families in debt to the planter and trapped on the plantation. • Some sharecropping families who had success moved up to tenant farming.

23. Reconstruction Ends • Rented the land and worked for themselves – decided what crops to grow. • Freed African-Americans were attracted to sharecropping. • For many it was the only thing they knew, and they could not do anything else.

24. Reconstruction Ends • Sharecropping and tenant farming changed the south’s economy. • Farmers wanted to make money – and cotton and tobacco were the “cash crops”. • With everyone growing cotton and tobacco to make money – less food crops were being harvested.

25. Reconstruction Ends • Another economic concern in the South was the rebuilding the destroyed infrastructure. • Infrastructure is the public property and services that society uses – roads, telegraph lines, and bridges. • Southerners were amazed at northern cities and how industrialized they had become.

26. Reconstruction Ends • Railroads were repaired and extended in the south and cities increased populations – used tax money to rebuild infrastructure. • Atlanta was on the rise and quickly becoming a major southern city. • Even though south made some strides in industry – they still never flourished like the north.

27. Reconstruction Ends • President Grant and Congress responded to the KKK with the Enforcement Act of 1870 • The Act banned the practices of the KKK and within a year the KKK was virtually wiped out by Federal Government • Violators were fined $500 and sentenced to a month in jail. • But by the time Grant was reelected in 1872, people grew tired of Reconstruction (heavy taxes) and corruption was exposed in Grant’s administration.

28. Reconstruction Ends • With the attention off of the South and on Grant and corruption, reconstruction moved out of focus. • Grant was giving top level jobs to friends and acquaintances. • White southern democrats began regaining power – lowered taxes to help improve economic conditions in the south. • White leaders began winning elections again – criticized Republicans for raising taxes – intimidated blacks when they tried voting.

29. Reconstruction Ends • Reconstruction officially ended after the 1876 election when there was a dispute over who won a close result. • A compromise was made between Republicans and Democrats. • Republican Rutherford B. Hayes named the winner – and he removes military troops out of the South.

30. Reconstruction Ends • Success of Reconstruction • Union restored • 14th and 15th Amendments protect rights of African-Americans • Repaired the war torn south - south economy grows and wealth continues in North

31. Reconstruction Ends • Failures of Reconstruction • White southerners bitter towards Federal Government • Black and white southerners caught in poverty cycles • Racist attitudes towards African-Americans continue in North and South - Movement by women to earn the right to vote during Reconstruction but they failed.