Chapter 22-Reconstruction
How would the South be rebuilt? Free Blacks? Southern
reunification? Who would be in charge?
Problems of Peace
•What to do w/ Confederate leaders? “Conspirators eventually
released and pardoned by Johnson in 1868
•For South-picture was bleak-social & economic structure
collapsed-gone forever
•Banks and factories closed-transportion broken down
•Cotton not being produced-livestock driven off-not until 1870 did
South produce big cotton again
•Aristocrats crushed-slaves lost and homes & plantations ruined
•Many clung to belief they were correct-did not bode well for
reunification
Freedom
• Freedom for Blacks? Emancipation took different paces
• Union marched in & out of areas-slaves moved in and out of
slavery-liberty was dangerous-many Southerners defied Fed.
Govmnt & declared they would not follow until State Leg. Or
Supreme Court ruled
• Some slaves resisted liberation & many slaves reacted violently
toward masters
• Union forces eventually forced all masters to recognize
emancipation
• Many slaves took new names-looked for lost loved ones
• Strengthened black family-1878-1800 mass movement of
25,000 to Kansas
• Rise of the Black Church
Freedmen’s Bureau
• Abolitionists faced w/ dilemma of unskilled, uneducated, &
unreliable to survive freedom by former slaves-Bureau created
in 1865
• Primitive Welfare Agency-food, clothing, medical care, &
education to freedmen & white refugees
• Taught 200,000 blacks to read-close the gap-read the Biblemultiple generations in same class
• Little land actually made it into black hands-corruption led to
blacks signing on to work for former masters
• Expired in 1872-most white southerners despised
Johnson
• Johnson?
• Faced with huge problem after war
• Northern attitudes
• Champion of states’ rights & Constitution
• Did not understand the North and not liked by the South
• Not at home w/ Republicans-wrong person at wrong time
Presidential Reconstruction
• Lincoln-”states could not legally secede”
• 10% plan-10% of voters of 1860 election took an oath of
allegiance-Lincoln would recognize new govmnt
• Republicans worried of return to power by planters
• Wade-Davis Bill of 1864-50% of states’ voters to take oath
• Pocket vetoed by Lincoln
• Moderate-Radical Republicans
• Ally in Johnson?
• Johnson favored Lincoln’s plan-10% & disenfranchised leading
confederates-Ratify 13th, repeal recession
• Johnson pardoned many
Black Codes
• Regulate blacks-worked to ensure a labor force-Labor
contracts-stiff punishment for “jumping” on contracts
• Blacks could not serve on juries, no voting, restrictions on
renting and leasing land
• Many worked same land and for same families as years before
• Had North really won?
Congressional Reconstruction
• December of 1865-many former Confederate leaders were in
Congress to take old seats-Republicans had enjoyed unfettered
lawmaking-examples?
• South could be stronger than ever-no more 3/5
• Southerners may join Dems in North for more power
• Johnson declared Union restored
Johnson vs. Congress
• Fight was on-Johnson vetoed bill extending Freedmen’s Bureau
• March-1866 Congress passed Civil Rights Bill-citizenship to
African Americans-vetoed and overridden
• Now pushed for the 14th amendment 1.) conferred civil rightscitizenship 2.) reduced representation & Electoral College if
denied African Americans the vote 3.) disqualified former
confederates who had sworn to Constitution of the United
States 4.) Guaranteed Federal Debt-repudiated all
Confederate debt
• No state allowed back without first accepting the 14th
Battle Continued
• Congress did not want Johnson’s 10% plan
• Off year elections of 1866-Johnson campaigned for supportgave a series of damning speeches-New Low!
• Republicans rolled up 2/3 majorities in both Houses-Veto Proof!
• Republican control-led by Sumner in the Senate and T. Stevens
in the House
• Stevens-friend to African Americans-leader of Joint Committee
on Reconstruction
• Wanted massive federal control to economically & socially
transform the South-Moderates did not favor-more restraining
states from taking citizen’s rights-2 groups had to come
together
• Congress passed Reconstruction Act of 1867-cut South into 5
military districts-each led by a Union general-disenfranchised
former confederates
• Readmission-Ratify 14th, guarantee full suffrage to freed black
males(black electorate would vote states back into the Union
• Once readmitted how would rights be guaranteed
• 15th Amendment-ratified in 1870-allowed black males the right
to vote
• Legal issues-martial law in peacetime? Ex Parte Milligan(1866)
could not try civilians even during wartime in areas where civil
courts were available-Supreme Court stayed away
• Troops remained
Women Voters
• 13th, 14th, and 15th-nothing for women
• Many felt abolition and women’s rights were one in the same
• Lost all battles until 1920-19th
Realities of Reconstruction
• Vote came slowly-Moderates wanted blacks same as womenBlacks denied suffrage in North-hypocritical
• Many blacks began to organize politically-Union league
originally a pro-Union group-now worked for Repubs-Built black
schools, churches, etc. Women took active roles.
• Black men elected as delegates and worked with whites at
state constitutional conventions. Black political participation
increased dramatically-1868-1876-14 black House members
and 2 black Senate members. Many served in local and state
levels also
• “Scalawags” and “Carpetbaggers”
• Many reforms-adequate public schools, better tax systems,
public schools launched, property rights gauranteed to women
• Corruption was rampant
KKK
• Invisible Empire of the South-1866
• Strike fear into blacks & poor whites-limit voting
• Congress passed Force Acts-1870-71
• Worked to disenfranchise blacks-literacy tests and poll taxes
Impeachment
• Why would Ben Wade become president?
• Tenure of Office Act?
• Johnson dismissed Stanton in early 1868-126-4 to impeachWhy?
Not Guilty
• Not removed by 1 vote-Why?-Fear of destabilizing precedent,
abusing checks and balances-many did not want Ben Wade as
president and Johnson gave a message he would stop
obstructing Republican policies
• Removal would have been dangerous
Alaska
• Russians were in mood to sell Alaska
• Seward secured area for $72 million
• Why buy? Alaska was offered & if we did not accept someone
else would
• Rumors of potential wealth in Alaska
• Seward mocked!
Reconstruction
• South resented yet Reconstruction could have been harsher
• North was unsure
• Repubs wanted to protect freed slaves and promote the party
• In the end Reconstruction gave only fleeting benefits & killed
the Republican party in the South for a time
• Resurrected rather than reconstructed
• Could not push all programs through-racism, not tampering w/
property rights, local self government, indifference in North to
plight of African Americans
• UNFINISHED!!!