Transcript Reconstruction

Reconstruction
Congress Takes Control
p. 373 - 379
Juneteenth
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Because of distance and the war, many African
Americans did not immediately learn about the
Emancipation Proclamation.
On June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger
and 1,800 Union troops landed at Galveston
and issued the proclamation.
For enslaved Texans, June 19, 1865, was the
day they celebrated their freedom.
This day of celebration became known as
Juneteenth.
Reconstruction
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The end of the Civil War was followed by a
period in which the Southern states were
gradually brought back into the Union.
This period of rebuilding is called
Reconstruction.
Lincoln and Johnson Plan
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Lincoln offered amnesty – a pardon – to all white
Southerners, except Confederate leaders, who were willing
to swear loyalty to the Union.
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“With malice (hatred) toward none, with charity for all…let us
strive onto…bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who
shall have borne the battle and… to do all which may
achieve…lasting peace among ourselves”
On April 14, 1865 Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes
Booth and Vice President Andrew Johnson became
president.
Johnson’s plan was similar to Lincoln’s but was not
accepted by Radical Republican’s who believed the plan
was too easy on the South.
Texas Elects Ex-Confederates to Office
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Southerners elected many former Confederate
officials and soldiers to top state government posts.
Now walking the halls of Congress were the leaders
who had encouraged the people to secede from the
Union – an act of treason to many Northerners.
The Texas legislature refused to ratify, or approve,
the 13th (end slavery) and 14th amendment (give
citizenship to freed slaves) to the Constitution.
Black Codes (Jim Crow Laws)
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Southern governments restricted the rights of African
Americans through black codes, laws limiting the rights of
African Americans.
African Americans were not allowed to vote, testify in court
against whites, nor serve on juries.
If African Americans did not have a home or job, the laws
forced them to work for plantation owners.
One of the tragic aspects of slavery was the separation of
family members; unfortunately, many searches were
unsuccessful. Orphaned children became “apprentices” on
farms.
Sharecropping – system of farming where farmers work
land for an owner and share the profit of the crops.
Radical Republicans Take Charge
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Radical Republicans disagreed with President
Johnson's plan for Reconstruction and drew up their
own plan.
The Radical Republicans pushed for several goals in
their plan:
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Set stricter standards for admitting the Southern states
back into the Union
Protect the freedom of African Americans in the South.
The Radical Republicans gained control of both the
House and Senate and now had the power to
override any presidential veto. They launched their
own ideas for Reconstruction.
Radical Republicans Take Charge
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President Johnson refused to give up and
fought against the Radical program.
In 1868, the House of Representatives voted to
impeach Johnson by bringing charges of
misconduct in office, but failed by one vote to
convict him.
Johnson served the rest of his term, but he lost
most of his influence.
New Requirements for Statehood
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The military would rule districts in the South until the states
met certain requirements.
Among these requirements were:
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To adoption a new state constitutions that gave African American
men the right to hold office.
The states had to ratify (accept) the Fourteenth Amendment to the
U.S. Constitution.
To ratify the 15th amendment, which guaranteed African American
men the right to vote.
States also had to repeal the black codes.
Many voters had to take what became known as the
Ironclad Oath, saying they had not voluntarily served in the
Confederate army or given aid to the Confederacy, which
kept thousands of Southerners from voting.