RECONSTRUCTION
1863-1896
CHAPTER 18
POSTWAR PROBLEMS
Economics
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NORTH: 1) 800,000 soldiers needed jobs
2)Government canceled war supply orders
3)factories laid off workers 4)lost more men
Positive for North: all cities and farms were still
intact.
SOUTH: 1) due to total war soldiers came
home to nothing! 2)Richmond & Atlanta were
leveled 3)Confederate money was worthless
4)banks closed, depositors lost all their money
5)new class system-4 million freedman
RECONSTRUCTION PLANS
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10% PLAN- PRES.ABRAHAM LINCOLN
WADE-DAVIS BILL- REPUBLICANS IN
CONGRESS
JOHNSON’S PLAN-PRES. ANDREW
JOHNSON
RECONSTRUCTION ACT-RADICAL
REPUBLICANS
LINCOLNS 10% PLAN
Lincoln wanted to make it easy for the South to rejoin the
Union
1) 10% of the voters of the South must
swear loyalty to the Union
 2) South must abolish slavery
 3) offered amnesty to confederate soldiers
who were loyal to the Union. (it did not
apply to Confederate leaders)
Amnesty-government pardon
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WADE-DAVIS BILL
They felt Lincoln was too soft!
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1) Majority of white man in the South
must swear loyalty to the Union.
2) Former Confederate volunteers can
not vote or hold office!
FREEDMAN’S BUREAU
ESTABLISHED BY A BILL PASSED BY LINCOLN &
CONGRESS
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March 1864-government agency to help former
slaves.
1) supplied food & clothing
2) found jobs
3) medical care for more than 1 million people
4) set up schools with volunteer teachers
( children & adults learned together)
5) laid fountain for the South’s public school
system
6) college for African Americans
LINCOLN’S ASSASSINATION
April 14, 1865
Ford’s theatre in Washington, DC
John Wilkes Booth shot the president in the
back of his head and he died the next day!
Booth was caught and killed.
The nation plunged into grief!
Vice-President Johnson becomes President
JOHNSON’S PLAN
HIS PLAN WAS MILDER THAN EXPECTED
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1) Majority of Southern white men must
swear loyalty
2) Confederate states must ratify the 13th
Amendment
3) former confederate officials may vote
and hold office
REACTION TO JOHNSON’S PLAN
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Southern states quickly met the conditions in
Johnson’s Plan
Johnson approved their new state governments
Voters in the South quickly elected
representatives to Congress.
The Vice-President of the Confederacy was
elected Senator from Georgia. (Alexander
Stephens)
Republicans in Congress were outraged! Set up
Committee on Reconstruction of the South.
SOUTHERN STATES PASS
BLACK CODES
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1)
2)
3)
4)
Limited the rights of African Americans
Could not vote
Could not own guns
Could not serve on juries
Job limitations: could work only as
servants or farmhands and had to sign a
year long contract. Without a contract
African Americans would be arrested and
sentenced to work on a plantation.
CONGRESS IS OUTRAGED !
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Confederate leaders in government!
African Americans could not vote!
The Black Codes!
Violence against Freedmen! Burned
homes, churches, and schools!
Blamed Johnson’s lenient Reconstruction
Plan!
Radical Republican group forms to try to
take control of South Reconstruction!
RADICAL REPUBLICANS
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Thaddeus Stevens of Penn. Led the Radicals in
the House of Representatives
Charles Sumner of Mass. Led the Radicals in the
Senate
Radicals did not control Congress! Moderate
Republicans did!
They had 2 main goals: 1) break the
power of the rich planters who had ruled the
South (believed they caused Civil War) 2)
wanted freedmen to receive the right to vote!
CIVIL RIGHTS ACT 1866
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PASSED BY CONGRESS TO COMBAT
BLACK CODES
IT GAVE CITIZENSHIP TO AFRICAN
AMERICANS
PRES. JOHNSON VETOED THE BILL
CONGRESS WAS ABLE TO OVERRIDE THE
VETO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CONGRESS WORRIED THAT THE SUPREME COURT
MIGHT OVERTURN THE ACT SO THEY PASSED THE 14TH
AMENDMENT!!
14TH AMENDMENT
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IT DEFINED ALL CITIZENS AS “ALL PEOPLE
BORN OR NATURALIZED IN THE U.S.”(DID NOT
INCLUDE NATIVE AMERICANS)
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IT GUARENTED CITIZENS “EQUAL PROTECTION
OF THE LAW”
FORBADE ANY STATE TO “DEPRIVE ANY
PERSON OF LIFE, LIBERTY, OR PROPERTY
WITHOUT DUE PROCESS OF LAW”
CAN NOT DISCRIMINATE BASED ON RACE
ANY STATE THAT DENIED ANY MALE CITIZEN, AGE 21
OR OLDER, THE RIGHT TO VOTE WOULD HAVE ITS
REPRESENTATION REDUCED IN CONGRESS!
CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION OF
1866
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PRES.JOHNSON TRIED TO GET RID OF
RADICAL REPIBLICANS IN CONGRESS BY
TRAVELING AROUND THE COUNTRY.
PRES. JOHNSON OPPOSED 14TH
AMENDMENT
REPUBLICANS WON A MAJORITY IN BOTH
HOUSES, IT WAS A DISASTER FOR PRES.
JOHNSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RECONSTRUCTION ACT (Radicals)
PASSED BY CONGRESS IN MARCH OF 1867
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1) It threw out state governments that failed to
ratify the 14th amendment
2) It divided South into 5 military districts (army
commanders were given broad powers to enforce reconstruction)
3) To rejoin Union-states had to write a new
state constitution.
4) Ratify 14th Amendment
5) Allow African Americans the right to vote
Republicans gained control of all new Southern
state governments!!
IMPEACHMENT OF PRESIDENT
JOHNSON
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Pres. Johnson had to execute the Reconstruction
Act, but tried to limit its effect!
He fired military commanders who supported
Radical Reconstruction.
He fired the Sec. of War Edwin Stanton, who
acted like a spy for the radical Republicans
Feb 24, 1868- the House of Representatives
voted to impeach, or bring formal charges
against the President.
IMPEACHMENT
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ACCORDING TO THE CONSTITUTION THE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CAN
IMPEACH A PRESIDENT FOR “TREASON,
BRIBERY, OR OTHER HIGH CRIMES AND
MISDEMEANORS”
THE PRESIDENT CAN BE REMOVED FROM
OFFICE IF 2/3rds OF THE SENATE FIND
HIM GUILTY.
President Johnson
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He is impeached by the House of
Representatives
He was one vote shy of conviction of the Senate
(35 to 19)
He therefore was not removed from office!
He was not guilty-You can not remove a
President just because you do not agree with
him!
Bill Clinton is the only other President to be
impeached!!
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION OF
1868
ULYSSES S. GRANT- REPUBLICAN
VS.
HORATIO SEYMOUR- DEMOCRAT
GRANT EASILY WINS! HE HAD 500,000
BLACK VOTES
15TH AMENDMENT
1869 PASSED BY CONGRESS
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It forbade any state to deny any citizen
the right to vote because of “race, color,
or previous condition of servitude.”
Ratified in 1870
ALL AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES 21 AND
OVER HAD THE RIGHT TO
VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
REPUBLICANS PUSHED FOR THIS AMENDMENT
BECAUSE THEY KNEW AFRICAN AMERICANS WOULD
VOTE FOR THEM!
SCALAWAGS
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WHITE SOUTHERN REPUBLICANS
BUSINESS PEOPLE WHO HAD OPPOSED
SECESSION IN 1860
WERE CONSIDERED TRAITORS BY MANY
WHITE SOUTHERNERS
NORTHERNERS WHO MOVED
SOUTH AFTER THE WAR
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CARPETBAGGERS-NORTHERNERS WHO WENT
TO THE SOUTH HOPING TO GET RICH DUE TO
THE SOUTH’S TOTAL DESTRUCTION.
UNION SOLDIERS-WHO HAD FOUGHT IN THE
SOUTH AND FEEL IN LOVE WITH THE SOUTH’S
RICH FARMLAND.
TEACHERS, MINISTERS, & REFORMERSWHO MOVED TO THE SOUTH TO HELP THE
FREEDMEN.
AFRICAN AMERICANS IN
SOUTHERN POLITICS
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3RD MAJOR GROUP IN SOUTHERN POLITICS
THEY COULD VOTE AND RAN FOR PUBLIC
OFFICE
THEY BECAME SHERIFFS, MAYORS, AND
LEGISLATORS IN NEW STATE & LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS
BETWEEN 1869-1880- 16 WERE ELECTED TO
CONGRESS & 2 WERE IN THE SENATE!
SOUTHERN CONSERVATIVES
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WHITE SOUTHERNERS WHO HAD ALL
THE POWER BEFORE THE CIVIL WAR
STILL WANTED THE POWER
TRIED TO FORCE AFRICAN AMERICANS
BACK ON THE PLANTATIONS
THEY FELT IT WAS THE WHITE MAN’S
COUNTRY AND THE WHITE MAN SHOULD
GOVERN IT!!
KU KLUX KLAN KKK
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SECRET SOCIETY OF WHITE SOUTHERNERS
GOAL WAS TO KEEP AFRICAN AMERICANS &
WHITE REPUBLICANS OUT OF PUBLIC OFFICE
DRESSED IN WHITE ROBES WITH HOODS-
WENT TO THE HOMES OF AFRICAN AMERICANS AND
BURNED THEIR HOMES, THREATENED THEM, BURNED
CROSSES, & MURDERED THEM!
1870 CONGRESS MADE IT A CRIME TO USE FORCE TO
STOP PEOPLE FROM VOTING!!!!!!!!
REBUILDING THE SOUTH
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REBUILT SCHOOLS, BRIDGES, ROADS,
RAILROADS & TELEGRAPH LINES
SOME STATES GAVE WOMEN THE RIGHT
TO OWN PROPERTY
TAXES ROSE IN ORDER TO PAY FOR
REBUILDING
THERE WAS CORRUPTION IN
GOVERNMENT!
CYCLE OF POVERTY
FOR FREEDMEN
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Nothing but freedom!
Some were able to own a little
land.
Most went back to work where
they were slaves.
Many became
SHARECROPPERS! They rented
and farmed a plot of land.
Planters gave them seed,
fertilizer & tools in return for a
share of their crops!
REMAINED IN POVERTY
END OF RECONSTRUCTION
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RADICAL REPUBLICANS LOSING POWER
NORTH WAS TIRED OF REFORM
TIME FOR SOUTH TO RUN THEIR OWN
GOVERNMENTS
PRES.GRANT APPOINTED FRIENDS WHO STOLE
LARGE SUMS OF MONEY
PRES.GRANT WON RE-ELECTION IN 1872, BUT
NORTHERNERS LOST FAITH IN REPUBLICANS
AND THEIR POLICIES
AMNESTY ACT OF 1872
PASSED BY CONGRESS
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RESTORED THE RIGHT TO VOTE TO ALL
WHITE SOUTHERNERS
THEY VOTED DEMOCRATIC
ELECTION OF 1876
SAM TILDEN- DEMOCRAT
(GOVERNOR OF NEW YORK)
VS.
RUTHERFORD B.HAYES- REPUBLICAN
(GOVERNOR OF OHIO)
ELECTION OF 1876
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Tilden won popular vote but had 184 electoral
college votes which was one short of winning!
There were 20 disputed electoral college votes
and 19 of them were from the Republican
controlled Southern states.
Congress set up a special commission to settle
the dispute. The commission gave all 20
disputed votes to Hayes because the
commission was made up of Republicans!
RUTHERFORD B. HAYES
WINS THE ELCTION
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Hayes had agreed to end Reconstruction
so no one argued with the commissions
decision to give him all the disputed votes.
Pres. Hayes removed all federal troops
from Louisiana, South Carolina, & Florida.
RECONSTRUCTION IS OVER!!!!!!!
IMPACT OF RECONSTRUCTION
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SOUTH BITTER
SOUTH BECOMES STRONGLY
DEMOCRATIC
AFRICAN AMERICANS STEADILY LOST
THEIR POLITICAL POWER
RESTRICTING AFRICAN AMERICANS
VOTING IN THE SOUTH
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Poll tax- voters had to pay a fee every time they
voted. Many Africans Americans had no money and
could not vote.
Literacy tests- voters had to read and explain a section
of the Constitution before they could vote. Many African
Americans could not read or write, so they could not
vote.
Grandfather clause- if a voter’s father or grandfather
had been eligible to vote on Jan 1, 1867, then the voter
did not have to take the literacy test. This helped
uneducated, poor white farmers vote, but African
Americans did not have the right to vote until 1868.
SEGREGATION
JIM CROW LAWS
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The origin of the phrase "Jim Crow" has
often been attributed to "Jump Jim Crow",
a song-and-dance caricature of African
Americans performed by white actor
Thomas D. Rice in blackface, which first
surfaced in 1832 and was used to satirize
Andrew Jackson's populist policies.
SEGREGATION
JIM CROW LAWS
1877- SEGREGATION OR LEGAL SEPARATION
OF RACES BECAME THE LAW OF THE SOUTH
BLACK
WHITE
SEPARATE: SCHOOLS, TRAINS
RESTURANTS,THEATERS, STREETCARS,
PLAYGROUNDS, HOSPITALS, EVEN
CEMETERIES.
TRAPPED AFRICAN AMERICANS IN HOPELESS
SITUATIONS!
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1896 PLESSY V. FERGUSON
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On June 7, 1892, a 30-year-old colored
shoemaker named Homer Plessy was jailed for
sitting in the "White" car of the East Louisiana
Railroad. Plessy was only one-eighths black and
seven-eighths white, but under Louisiana law, he
was considered black and therefore required to
sit in the "Colored" car. Plessy went to court and
argued, in Homer Adolph Plessy v. The State of
Louisiana, that the Separate Car Act violated the
Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments to the
Constitution.
PLESSY V. FERGUSON
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The judge at the trial was John Howard
Ferguson
He found Plessy guilty of refusing to leave
the white car. Plessy appealed to the
Supreme Court of Louisiana, which upheld
Ferguson's decision. In 1896, the Supreme
Court of the United States heard Plessy's
case and found him guilty once again.
Speaking for a seven-person majority.
PLESSY
V FERGUSON
The Plessy decision
set the precedent
that "separate" facilities for blacks and
whites were constitutional as long as
they were "equal." The "separate but
equal" doctrine was quickly extended
to cover many areas of public life, such
as restaurants, theaters, restrooms,
and public schools.
FACILITIES WERE NEVER
EQUAL
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In the South more money was spent on
white schools than black schools.
Not until 1954, in the equally important
Brown v. Board of Education decision,
would the "separate but equal" doctrine
be struck down.
INDUSTRIES IN THE SOUTH
1880 Cotton production recovered/ built textile
mills.
 Tobacco industry grew/ James Duke of North
Carolina controlled 90% of tobacco production
with the use of new machinery.
 NEW: 1) mining iron ore & coal 2) steel in
Alabama 3) oil refineries in Texas & Louisiana 4)
produced copper, granite & marble 5) lumber of
yellow pine 6)furniture & shingles of cypress
A NEW BALANCED ECONOMY-NOT JUST
AGRICULTURE!
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