Reconstruction
contd..

President Johnson – though powerless to overcome
the Reconstructionists two thirds majority - continued
to show his hostility by threatening to fire his Sec. of
War, Edwin Stanton, who supported Republican
Reconstruction (served as their “spy and informer”)

In response Congress passed the Tenure of Office
Act: the President could not dismiss members of his
Cabinet without Senate approval

Congress also passed the Command of the Army Act to
prevent Johnson moving troops from the South: he could
not issue orders directly to the army: he had to do so
through Gen. Grant (who could not be dismissed under the
Act) who was supportive of the Radicals

Johnson defied the Tenure of Office Act by suspending and
then dismissing Stanton. The House then voted to impeach
him (126-47) for “high crimes and misdemeanors”

But the Senate was one vote short of the necessary twothirds majority (35-19) so Johnson survived, but was much
diminished and afterwards was no longer a factor

But the intimidation factor was a success – Johnson had
indicated through his attorney that he would stop
obstructing Republican policies in return for remaining
in office

Country had avoided a dangerous precedent; checks and
balances had been maintained – he was “guilty of bad
speeches, bad judgment, bad temper but not of high
crimes and misdemeanors”

The Supreme Court, under Salmon P. Chase, had, in a
decision, Ex Parte Milligan, declared Military
Tribunals unconstitutional in places where Civilian
Courts existed

In response the Republicans proposed legislation that
would require
 Two thirds decision by Supreme Ct in future
 Reduce justices to three
 To deny Ct. jurisdiction in the South
 Discussed abolishing the Court

This was enough to intimidate the Supreme Court into
staying out of Reconstruction issues and so the
Republicans didn’t have to pursue the Bill

The Supreme Court and Pres. Johnson had been
silenced / marginalized, making it easier for the
Republicans to pursue their plan
Reconstructed State Governments

Very unique in their composition

A quarter of the white population was at first excluded
from voting and holding office (had not taken Oath or
excluded by 14th Amendment). Many opponents of
Reconstruction choose to not vote or run for office

White Southerners who supported Reconstruction ran
for office: Republicans, moderate Democrats, Whigs..

Northern Republicans traveled South and ran for office

Given the right to vote, Southern black men seized the
initiative and began to organize politically – their primary
vehicle became the Union League ; assisted by northern
black, they turned the League into a network of political
clubs that educated members in their civic duties and
campaigned for Republican candidates

Freedom Conventions were held to outline the goals of
Freedmen and choose their own candidates for office (most
joined Republican Party)

Gave rise to the first black political participation in the
South – black delegates were elected to the State
Constitutional conventions to write the new Constitutions

Southern Representatives consisted of Southern Whites
(moderate Democrats, Whigs, Republicans), Freedmen
(revolutionary; first ever opportunity to vote and hold
office), and Northern Republicans

Between 1868-1876, 14 black congressmen and 2 black
senators, Revels and Bruce, both of Mississippi, served in
D.C….blacks also served in state governments as
representatives, lieutenant governors, mayors,
magistrates, sheriffs, and justices of the peace

Southern Opponents (Democrats) condemned these
legislators / legislatures: furious that their former slaves
and their white allies held office: to them

labeled Northerners who travelled South to help as
“Carpetbaggers” - sleazy manipulator, who packed all their
worldly goods into a cheap suitcase and came South to seek
personal power and gain – but most were Union soldiers,
Northern businessmen, and professionals who wanted to help
out

Labeled white Southerners who participated in the new
governments as “Scalawags” - treasonous, who plundered the
treasuries of the South through their political influence

And they argued that the legislatures engaged in
vindictive, vengeful “Negro Rule” because they were
dominated by formers slaves

Historians argue that the charge of “Negro Rule” is not
justified because




In only one state (Mississippi) and for only a two year
period were Freedmen in a majority in the Legislature
In all other states they were in a minority and the
number of black representatives was not in proportion
to the black population
Not a single Southern Governor was black
Of the Southern representatives sent to the Federal
Govt., only 14 of the Rep’s and only 2 Senators were
African American

Southern opponents also charged that the Legislatures
were inexperienced, incompetent, extravagant, and
corrupt

Sure there were elements of all of these things but for
the most part the representatives were well meaning,
sincere and efficient, and the legislatures achieved a
lot considering the circumstances

Incompetence, extravagance, and corruption were to
be found just as much in the North at this time, and in
the South before the Civil War, and after Redemption

Achievements of Southern Reconstructed Governments,
from 1866-1876



Physical reconstruction: many engineering and
rebuilding projects successfully undertaken
Integration of Freedmen in the political process
Guaranteed their political rights, 15th Amendment
implemented, Democracy was expanded
(Revolution)
Application of the 14th Amendment, Civil Rights
extended to Freedmen, integration in society,
especially Equality of Opportunity and integration in
Education

Passed much needed reform legislation





Set up adequate public schools
Streamlined the tax system
Launched public works
Property rights were guaranteed to women
But there was also corruption (graft, scams), esp. in
Louisiana and S. Carolina, but this was no worse than in
Northern states during this period
Collapse of Reconstruction?
1. Grant Presidency and “Grantism” / Scandals
Considered a “dull and unimaginative” President: “a
great soldier but an utterly inept politician”
Not committed to Reconstruction, not idealistic like the
Radicals
His cabinet was a “rodent’s
nest of grafters and incompetents”
Scandals became a distraction,
sidetracking North from events
in the South





Collapse of Reconstruction?




Credit Mobilier Scandal (Union Pacific Railroad
subcontracted work to a company it owned at inflated
prices to build the Transcontinental RR; gave stock to
Congressmen and money to the vice president to buy
their silence)
Whiskey Ring (govt. officials, inc. Grant’s private
secretary and distillers engaged in tax evasion / bribes)
Belknap Scandal (Sec of War took bribes from Indian
trading store owners / suppliers)
Fish and Gould (conspired with govt. officials: gov
would not sell, they would corner the market, and then
sell off at huge profits)
Collapse of Reconstruction?

2. Split in Republican Party and change in
identity

A powerful wave of disgust with Grantism began to build
up

Frustrated with the Scandals, patronage…a new party, the
Liberal Republican Party was formed (supported also by
Democrats in the Presidential election of 1872)

Grant still won – but the Republicans and the Nth became
sidetracked and distracted from events in the South

Radical Republicans, Stevens, Sumner, retired or died
– the new generation of Republicans were business
minded not high minded. The Party became the ally
of Big Business (in 1880s appropriated a billion
dollars – “billion dollar Congress”, increased Tariff
rate to 48.4% in McKinley Tariff……..
Collapse of Reconstruction?

3. Panic of 1873 / Economic Crisis

Caused by over speculation in industry, too many
bank loans – inability to pay back loans

Led to 15,000 bankruptcies…. widespread
unemployment: Nth became sidetracked and
distracted from events in the South
Collapse of Reconstruction?

4. Amnesty Act of 1872

Restored full political rights to all almost all
Southerners (except for a small group of 500); now
opponents of Reconstruction, Confederate leaders etc
could vote again and run for office

More Democrats were elected to as representatives at
state and federal levels
Collapse of Reconstruction?

5. Emergence of White Supremacist Movements

KKK, Knights of White Camilla, Pale Faces, etc. goals
was to intimidate (flogging, mutilating, murdering /
lynching) Freedmen from voting, running for
office….deny them their 14th and 15th Amend rights

Congress passed the Force Acts in 1870 and 1871,
authorizing military action against them, but they were
ineffective…too little too late.. difficult to identify KKK
or stamp out their activities …
Collapse of Reconstruction?

6. Democrats re-Unite and regain control

1874: regained majority in Congress; northern and
southern elements of the Party re-unites

Because of Amnesty Act and activities of KKK,
Democrats regain control of Southern Legislatures… all
were “Redeemed” (Redemption) by 1876

Passed the “Jim Crow” laws, state-level legal codes of
segregation - ruled constitutional, valid in Plessey v
Ferguson (1896) which ruled that “separate but equal”
facilities (schools, railroad cars, restrooms, theatres) were
constitutional under the “equal protection” clause of the
14th Amendment
Collapse of Reconstruction?

7. Hayes – Tilden Compromise (Deal / Sell-Out /
Abandonment), 1877

Pres election of 1877: disputed votes: Democrat Tilden
(only needed one of the 20 disputed electoral votes) stepped
aside and allowed Rep. Hayes (the “Great Unknown”) to
become president on condition that he withdraw all
remaining federal troops from the 2 Southern states where
they still remained, Louisiana and South Carolina

No more federal govt. protection for Freedmen, from denial
of 14th , 15th rights, terror of KKK: signaled the end of
Reconstruction: the Compromise sacrificed black freedom
in the South: With the deal, the Republican party abandoned
its commitment to racial equality- the last two remaining
Reconstructed gov’s then collapsed
Collapse of Reconstruction?

8. Changes had not been deep enough – which
meant only fleeting freedom: to make the blacks
completely independent citizens, a more drastic series of
economic reforms and stronger federal protection for
their political rights…

But there were too many formidable obstacles to
overcome the good intentions of Republicans




deep seated racism,
concerns about tampering with property rights, and
belief in the principle of local self government
indifference in the North to the plight of the blacks
Was Reconstruction a Success or
Failure?

After Redemption, Freedmen were denied 14th and 15th
Amendment rights

Denied equality, right to vote and run for office….by
KKK but also by Redeemed, Democratic Sth.
Legislatures

Faced Segregation (education, living) through the Jim
Crowe Laws…and Discrimination
Was Reconstruction a Success or
Failure?

Social, economic opportunities denied….majority
became Sharecroppers…back on Cotton Plantations,
living as virtual slaves again…lost 40 acres they got
from Freedman’s Bureau

Denied right to vote through
 Poll Tax
 Grandfather Clause
 Literacy Test (see sample)
Was Reconstruction a Success or
Failure?

Fed. Govt. / Congress / Supreme Court supported
Segregation, Discrimination: Plessey v Ferguson
decision: separate facilities were acceptable if they
were equal (but they were never equal)

Freedmen who migrated North also experienced
Segregation, Discrimination, Prejudice…(de jure in
the South, de facto in the North)
Was Reconstruction a Success or
Failure?




But, at least Slavery was ended
Slave families were re-united, marriages were legally
recognized, joined Churches (Baptist, Methodist) some
Freedmen obtained land, they migrated to cities, to the
North, to the West, became educated…
For 10 years they had participated in society as full
citizens….a revolutionary experiment
And the 14th and 15th Amendments were still there,
thought ignored, for future African American leaders
to demand that they be implemented….Randolph,
M.L. King…in the 1950s, 60s….and later Presidents –
FDR, Truman, Kennedy, Johnson to recognize and
apply
Was Reconstruction a Success or
Failure?

Reconstruction was a



Short term success: 10 yrs, 1866-1876
Failure from 1876 to 1950s / 1960s
Long term success…..14th and 15th Amendments
would be applied again after success of Civil
Rights Movement (Second Reconstruction)