Transcript File

Aim: How was Congressional
Reconstruction instituted in the
southern states?
2. Congressional Reconstruction
• While President Johnson was putting forth his plan of
Reconstruction, the Radical Republicans in Congress
were drawing up their own plan.
• The goals of the Radical Republicans were as follows:
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(1) Return the southern states to the Union, but
under tougher terms than the ones brought by Lincoln
and Johnson.
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(2) Protect the freedoms of ex-slaves who were
freed as a result of the Civil War.
• The Radical Republicans believed that if they won the
support of the newly-freed slaves, those slaves would
be more likely to vote Republican.
The Big Four Radical Republicans
The Enemy of the Radicals-Andrew
Johnson
As President, Andrew Johnson and the
Radical Republicans came to many
disagreements concerning the status of
Blacks in the South following the Civil War.
The Radical Republicans would soon find
out that Johnson was no friend of ex-slaves
and would go out of his way to bring back
Pre-Civil War society after the war was over.
By the end of Johnson’s term, the Radical
Republicans would go as far to impeach
President Johnson.
Questions 1/2
• What were the two goals of the Radical
Republican plan for Reconstruction?
• Why was it important for the Radical
Republicans to protect the rights of newlyfreed slaves?
2.1 The Freedmen’s Bureau
• The Freedmen’s Bureau was established in March 1865 and its job
was to aid all people in the south, although freedmen-men, women
and children who had been slaves-was their first concern.
• The Freedmen’s Bureau helped Blacks to establish farms on
abandoned lands. The Bureau drew up contracts between white
owners and black workers. They also established schools and courts
for blacks.
• The Freedmen’s Bureau was the only direct step that the federal
government took to help the South and ex-slaves economically.
• In February 1866, the Congress added a bill increasing the powers
of the Freedmen’s Bureau. The bill stated that the Bureau would
continue to aid and assist those people living in the south.
• President Johnson vetoed the bill because he felt that the southern
states were not adequately represented when the vote was taken.
Locations of Freedmen’s Bureaus
Opposition to the Freedmen’s
Bureau
Northern Soldiers Helped
Freedmen’s Bureaus
Schools Established by the
Freedmen’s Bureau
Freedmen’s Marriage License
Freedmen’s Business Agreements
Andrew Johnson’s Lack of Support
As I stated in a prior slide, Andrew
Johnson had little regard for the
Radical Republicans and little
regard
for the interests of newly-freed
Blacks during Reconstruction.
Questions 3/4/5
• What was the purpose of the Freedmen’s
Bureau?
• What does the word freedmen mean?
• What happened when the United States
Congress added a new bill to the Freedmen’s
Bureau?
2.2 Black Codes and the Civil Rights Act
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After the end of the Civil war, some southern states were beginning to pass black codes-laws
that limited the rights of blacks.
The black codes differed from state-to-state, but there were many similarities:
(1) Blacks could not vote.
(2) Blacks could not testify against whites.
(3) Blacks could not serve on juries.
(4) Blacks could only hold certain types of jobs-most were in agriculture.
Although freed, the black codes were very harsh much like the slave codes they were forced
to endure in the years before the Civil War.
In 1866, Congress moved to protect the rights of blacks by passing the Civil Rights Act. This
act was aimed at protecting freedmen through the courts rather than by military power.
Under the Civil Rights Act of 1866, Blacks were made citizens and it became illegal to treat a
person differently because of color.
This was the first federal law to define citizenship and to protect rights within states.
President Johnson vetoed the bill, but the US Congress passed the bill over his veto.
Black Codes
After a while, Black Codes were installed
so that the status quo of the South was
preserved, meaning, newly freed Blacks
would find that their freedoms would no
longer exist and that Southern Whites
would impose conditions as bad as
slavery on them.
Even Southern state governments would
NOT help them because they were voting
for the Democratic Party who kept Blacks
as 2nd class citizens.
Southern Whites Return to Power
Life in the South During the Black
Codes
Slowly, the rights of Blacks were
being removed from them as
Reconstruction went on.
The United States South soon
became a segregated society until
1954.
Pictures such as this would slowly
start the Civil Rights Movement of
the 1950s and 1960s.
Civil Rights Act of 1866
The Civil Rights Act was passed in 1866.
The United States Congress passed the
Act despite the veto of President Johnson.
This gave newly freed Blacks the right to
vote as well as equal rights and protections.
Slowly, state governments in the Southern
United States would find ways to undermine
the Civil Rights Act.
Questions 6/7/8
• What does the term black codes mean?
• What were some things that Blacks were
unable to do under the Black Codes?
• What did the Civil Rights Act of 1866 provide?
2.3 The Fourteenth Amendment
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- The Radical Republicans in Congress were fearing that the United States Supreme
Court would overturn the Civil Rights Act.
- To stop this, the US Congress proposed a constitutional amendment
incorporating the principles of the Civil Rights Act.
- In June 1866, the amendment was sent to the states.
- The 14th Amendment states that all persons born in the United States were
citizens of the United States and citizens of the state where they lived. The 14th
Amendment states that no state could deprive a citizen of life, liberty and property
without due process of law. Under the 14th Amendment, every citizen was entitled
to equal protection under the laws.
- The only state to ratify the 14th Amendment was Tennessee. This made
Tennessee the first seceded state to return to the Union.
- Other leaders believed that it was up to that state to decide the matter of
citizenship for its people. They were supported by Northern Democrats and
President Johnson. This led many southern states to not ratify the 14th
Amendment until 1868.
US History SmackdownReconstruction
In this corner, from the legislative branch, the Radical Republicans!!!!!
US History SmackdownReconstruction
In this corner, he’s the 17th President of the
United States…you know him, you love him,
you can’t get enough of him….President
Andrew Johnson.
Ladies and gentlemen, the big issue of rights
of newly freed slaves was the big topic of
a constitutional smackdown.
The Congress feared that Johnson would
find a way to eliminate the Civil Rights Act of
1866.
They needed a new solution…quickly. They
went on to pass a new amendment.
14th Amendment
14th Amendment Is The Reason For
Civil Rights Movement
In order to defeat segregation of
The late 19th/early 20th Centuries,
Thorogood Marshall claimed
that the conditions that Blacks
lived under segregation was
a violation of the amendment.
The United States Supreme Court
agreed and in 1954 allowed for
the integration of public schools.
Questions 9/10/11/12
• What did Radical Republicans fear would happen to
the Civil Rights Act of 1866? How did they prevent
this from happening?
• What were the aims of the 14th Amendment?
• Which state became the first state to ratify the 14th
Amendment making it the first seceded state to
return to the United States?
• Why did other southern states refuse to ratify the
14th Amendment until 1868?
2.4 The Reconstruction Acts
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- President Johnson decided to take his ideas about Reconstruction directly to the American
voters. He believed that by doing this, he would persuade people to vote against the Radical
Republicans in Congress.
- Despite his efforts, the Radical Republicans were able to win a two-thirds majority in each
house of the United States Congress. This allowed for the Radical Republicans to pass any bill
that Johnson vetoed and direct the course of Reconstruction.
- In March 1867, the Congress passed the first of several Reconstruction Acts. These acts did
the following:
(1) The South (except Tennessee) would be divided into five military districts.
(2) The district would be headed by a general backed by military forces.
(3) The generals made sure that each state would have a state convention regarding the
establishment and writing of the state constitutions.
(4) Prohibited any Confederate leaders from holding office.
(5) Approved the readmission of any state as long as the state constitution was
approved by the US Congress and the 14th Amendment was approved.
By 1870, all the seceded southern states had been readmitted back into the United States.
Reconstruction Acts
The Return of Prewar Southern
Governments
Although the Radical Republicans had
won regarding the Reconstruction Acts, the
President, slowly took it upon himself to
help Southern Democrats return to their
way of life before the Civil War.
Questions 13/14
• Why were the Radical Republicans excited
about winning the congressional elections of
1867?
• What were the goals of the Reconstruction
Acts?
2.5 Johnson’s Impeachment
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- The problems between the US Congress and President Johnson came to a boil with the Tenure of Office
Act that was passed in March 1867.
- Tenure of office means the length of time that a person can stay in office. This act stated that the
President could not remove a person without the approval of the United States Senate. The act was
passed to check the power of President Johnson.
- Johnson thought the act was unconstitutional. He tried to test the act in a court of law.
- In February 1868, Johnson removed Secretary of War Edwin Stanton. The Radical Republicans charged
Johnson with breaking the law. The House of Representatives drew up 11 articles of impeachment that
accused Johnson of misconduct, most of the articles centered on Johnson’s inability to follow the Tenure
of Office Act.
- The trial began in March 1868 with Chief Justice Salmon P. Chase presiding and the Senate acting as the
jury.
- Many people believed that the only reason for Johnson’s trial was because he was not liked by the
Radical Republicans.
- In the end, the people who brought Johnson up on the impeachment charges were unable to find
anything unlawful .
- The final vote came on May 16, 1868. The final count was 35 to 19 in favor of a not guilty vote. Seven
Republicans were part of the group who voted not to acquit Johnson.
- Johnson was acquitted-not guilty of his charges. Johnson had escaped impeachment but had lost much
of his influence.
Ticket to Impeachment Trial of
President Andrew Johnson
The Trial
The Results of the Trial
Andrew Johnson was one of two American
Presidents to have ever been impeached on
charges brought upon them by the United
States House of Representatives.
Who is the other President? Why was he
impeached by the House of Representatives?
President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton was brought up on impeachment charges in 1998.
Questions 15/16/17/18/19/20
• What issue brought the United States Congress and
President Johnson to face off in court?
• What does the term tenure of office mean?
• Who did Johnson replace in February 1868?
• What did many people feel was the cause of
Johnson’s trial in the United States Senate?
• What happened regarding Johnson’s trial?
• What does the word acquittal mean?