NAME___________________________
Chapter 17 Reconstruction and the New South (18651896) Section 2 Radicals in Control
African Americans’ Rights
•Some whites tried to terrorize African Americans
(Burning churches and homes)
•Many events happened like this and convinced Radical
Republicans that President Johnson’s Reconstruction
plan was not strong enough
•Fall 1865- Southern states created new governments
based on Johnson’s plan
•Also elected new representatives to Congress
•When the representatives arrived in Washington, D.C.,
Congress refused to seat them
Black Codes
•Early 1866- Southern states passes black codes
•Laws to control freed men and women
•Allowed plantation owners to exploit African
American workers
•Also allowed officials to arrest and fine jobless
African Americans
•Banned African Americans from owning or renting
farms
•To many, the black codes resembled slavery
Freedmen’s Bureau
•Early 1866- Congress passed a bill giving the
Freedmen’s Bureau new powers
•The Bureau could set up courts and try people charged
with violating the rights of African Americans
•African Americans could serve on juries in these
courts
•Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866Granted full citizenship to African Americans
•The federal government could also intervene in state
affairs to protect their rights
•Also overturned the black codes
•Also contradicted the 1857 Dred Scott decision
The Two Bills
•Johnson vetoed both
•Johnson argued that both the Freedmen’s Bureau bill
and the Civil Rights Act were unconstitutional
•Because they were approved by a Congress that did
not include representatives from all the states
•Republicans in Congress had enough votes to override
both vetoes and the bills became law
•Congress and the President were not working together
•Radical Republicans abandoned the idea of
compromise and drafted their own Reconstruction plan
The 14th Amendment
•Fearing the Civil Rights Act might be overturned in
court, Congress passed the 14th Amendment in 1866
(enacted in 1868)
•Granted full citizenship to all born in the United States
•Most African Americans became full citizens
•Gave all rights to African Americans
•Life, liberty, and property
•Every citizen was entitled to “equal protection of the
laws”
14th Amendment Continued
•If a state prevented any adult male citizen from voting,
then it could lose representation in Congress
•The amendment also barred former Confederate
leaders from holding office (unless pardoned by
Congress)
•The 14th Amendment excluded Native Americans
•Southern states had to ratify the amendment to rejoin
the Union
•Of the 11 Southern states, only Tennessee ratified it
•It did not take effect until 1868
Republican Victory
•Congressional elections of 1866
•President Johnson campaigned against Radical
Republicans
•Many Northerners objected to the nasty tone of
Johnson’s campaign
•Also feared clashes between whites and African
Americans
•The Republicans won a solid victory, and took
Reconstruction into their own hands
Reconstruction Acts of 1867
•Johnson had no power (overrides)
•Congress passed the First Reconstruction Act and the
Second Reconstruction Act
•The 10 Southern states that didn’t ratify the 14th
Amendment had new governments created
•The 10 states were divided into 5 military districts ,
each run by a military commander
•African American men were guaranteed the right to
vote
•Also banned former Confederate leaders from holding
public office
rejoin the Union, the states had to ratify the 14th
Amendment and submit new state constitutions to
Congress for approval
•Military commanders prepared state constitutional
conventions
•To
Readmitting the States
•Many white Southerners refused to vote
•1000s of newly registered African American voters
voted
•Republicans gained control of Southern state
governments
•By 1868- 7 states were readmitted (Alabama,
Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina,
and South Carolina)
•By 1870- Mississippi, Virginia, and Texas were
restored to the Union
President Johnson
•Johnson opposed Radical Reconstruction
•Johnson used his power of commander in chief of the
army to direct the military governors
•Congress passed laws to limit the presidents power,
such as the Tenure of Office Act
•This Act prohibited the president from removing
government officials, including members of his own
cabinet, without the Senate’s approval
•Conflict between Johnson and the Radicals grew more
intense
Johnson and the Radicals
•August 1867- Congress was not in session
•Johnson suspended Secretary of War Edwin Stanton
without the Senate’s approval
•Congress met again and refused to approve the
suspension, Johnson removed Stanton from office
•This violated the Tenure of Office Act
•Johnson also appointed people the Radical
Republicans opposed to command some of the
Southern military districts
Impeaching the President
•Outraged by Johnson’s actions, the House of
Representatives voted to impeach the president
•Formally charge him of wrongdoings
•1868- the case went to the Senate for a trial that lasted
almost 3 months
•Both sides made their arguments
•The senators failed to achieve the 2/3rd majority
required for conviction (1 vote)
•As a result, Johnson stayed in office until the end of
1869
Election of 1868
•The Republicans nominated Ulysses S. Grant, the
Civil War hero
•The Democrats chose Horatio Seymour
•Grant won most of the African American votes in the
South and won the presidency
•This election showed that voters supported the
Republican approach to Reconstruction
15th Amendment
•1869- Congress passed the 15th Amendment
•Prohibited state and federal governments from denying
the right to vote to any male citizen
•Because of “race, color, or previous condition of
servitude”
•African American men won the right to vote in 1870
•Republicans believed the power of the vote would
enable African Americans to protect themselves
•This belief was too optimistic
Essential Question
What were the results of Radical Reconstruction?
-African Americans gained full citizenship with the
rights due all citizens, although protecting these rights
proved difficult
-African American men gained the right to vote
-African American voters, combined with the refusal of
many white Southerners to vote, put Republicans in
control of Southern state governments
-By 1870 all of the Southern states had met the
requirements under Radical Reconstruction and were
restored to the Union