Transcript male
RECONSTRUCTION 1865-1877 Reconstruction centered around three central questions: 1. On what terms should the defeated Confederacy be reunited with the Union? 2. Who should establish these terms, Congress or the President? 3. What should be the place of the former slaves in the political life of the South? President Lincoln’s Plan,1863 Wartime Reconstruction “with malice toward none, charity for all” supported lenient plans for Reconstruction 10% Plan provided for a generous amnesty supported the 13th Amendment Wade Davis Act Congress’ response to Lincoln – States could be readmitted if: Majority male population took loyalty oath Adopt new Constitution abolishing slavery Adopted by convention of those who never born arms against the U.S. Lincoln pocket veto’s Bill Andrew Johnson Background shaped his approach Born in poverty As a politician spoke out against planter society – champion for common man and nonslaveholding whites Loyal to union when Tennessee seceded Thought everyone should have slaves– not just the wealthy minority Johnson’s Reconstruction Plan State must repeal law by which state withdrew from Union Abolish slavery and ratify 13th amendment U.S. would not pay Confederate war debt Allowed former rebels to regain control in the south by 1865 Freedmen’s Bureau Created to deal with former slaves Distributed food Established schools Help former slaves find jobs Help former slaves obtain land Black School in the south set up by Freedmen’s Bureau South’s Response to Freeman’s Bureau Black Codes established in South Limited rights of blacks Prohibited from entering cities without permission, regulated legal rights including marriage Equivalent to slavery Restricted the right to hold and sell property Dictated hours of labor, duties and behavior Type of work regulated – South Carolina – had to obtain license or certificate from a judge to purse work besides agriculture Johnson vs. Congress President vetoed Republican bills President did not approve the use of army to support reconstruction President removed civil servants who were too helpful to Congress Led to impeachment trial – violation of the Tenure of Office Act Impeachment failed by 1 vote Radical Reconstructionists Radical leaders, Charles Sumner and Thaddeus Stevens Wanted to keep South out of the Union and change its economy Radical Congress 1866-1869 Passed Civil Rights Act Authorized federal government to use force to enforce laws 14th amendment 15th amendment Congress’ Reconstruction Plan Reconstruction Act of 1867 States must ratify 14th amendment South divided into 5 military districts – only people voting black men and white men who had never participated in the rebellion Constitution guaranteeing Blacks the right to vote Military Districts No Women Voters Women Suffrage advocates upset over 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments Women had gathered petitions and helped Blacks gain their rights Stanton and Anthony campaigned against the amendments – inserted the word male into the Constitution for the first time Election of 1868 Rewarded friends with offices – many corrupt or incompetent Tenure of Office Act – could not remove Credit Mobilier scambank took bribes from railroad companies and funneled them to Congress Economic Issues Panic of 1873 Paper currency issued during Civil War caused inflation Specie Resumption Act 1879 Put country back on gold standard Blacks in Southern Government Blacks served in the state legislature Blacks at one time held the majority in legislature in South Carolina Some well educated while others were field hands with no education Carpetbaggers Play a key role in southern government Defined as “men of bad character" who came from the North to work in the South, to "manipulate and exploit" the black vote and political office and economic privilege Sharecropping Farms rented to blacks Supplies sold on credit at inflated prices When crop came in, went towards debt Crop never covered debt which increased each year Kept blacks poor Ku Klux Klan “Invisible Empire of the South” Organization that scared blacks against voting, seeking jobs Resorted to violence and terror Group undermined abolitionist’s work White Supremacy Compromise of 1877 Election of 1876 Votes in four southern states disputes House created special electoral commission – 8 out 15 Republicans Republicans agreed to end reconstruction – Hayes wins election “His Fraudulency” End of Reconstruction Heritage of Reconstruction in the South Segregation Poll taxes Grandfather clauses Literacy tests Supreme Court upheld “Jim Crow” laws