Summary Notes
Definition of
Reconstruction

 Reconstruction means to rebuild the South and how
to admit southern states back into the Union.
 Americans were not in agreement on how to do this
at the end of the Civil War.
Lincoln’s Plan for
Reconstruction

 Lincoln’s plan was called the 10% Plan
 It said that 10% of the voters in a southern state must
take an oath of loyalty to the Union then,
 The state could form a new state government then
 The new state government would create a new state
constitution that banned slavery
Radical Republicans

 The Republicans in Congress did not like Lincoln’s
plan for the South.
 They thought Lincoln was being too nice and
forgiving.
 They are called Radicals because it means extreme..
 Radicals didn’t even allow southern states to be
seated in Washington DC. (Louisiana, Arkansas and
Tennessee)
 They came up with their own plan for the South.
Wade-Davis Bill

 It said that a majority of white males swear an oath
of loyalty to the Union.
 Only white males who swore their loyalty and DID
NOT fight against the Union could participate in the
state convention.
 New state constitution must ban slavery!
 Former Confederates could not hold public office.
What does Lincoln think
of the Wade -Davis Bill?

 President Lincoln will refuse to sign the Wade-Davis
Bill!
 However- he realizes that he will have to
compromise with the Radical Republicans in order to
get southern states started towards admission in the
Union.
Freedmen’s Bureau

 March 1865- Congress and President Lincoln created
the Freedmen’s Bureau.
 It helped African Americans to adapt to their
freedom. Schools were created to learn how to read
and write and learn job skills.
Lincoln was
assassinated!

 Since Lincoln was assassinated, Lincoln’s plan didn’t
go through….new president Andrew Johnson took
over Lincoln’s administration
 Johnson was from Tennessee but remained loyal to
the Union during the war.
 President Johnson came up with his own plan for
Reconstruction…
Johnson’s plan:
Restoration

 Amnesty to southerners after they swore their
loyalty to the Union.
 High ranking Confederate officials granted pardon
ONLY by the president himself! (This was done to
humiliate the leaders.)
 Only pardoned white men could vote in state
conventions (Pres. Johnson said only white men
alone should manage the South.)
Restoration continued

 State must denounce secession and ban slavery in
their state constitution.
 Each state must ratify the 13th Amendment
(abolishes slavery in the United States)
 By the end of 1865- all former Confederate states
except Texas had new governments and were ready
to rejoin the Union.
Radical Republicans
thoughts on Restoration

 Many Radical Republicans thought that President
Johnson’s plan of Restoration was not strong
enough.
 Many southern states were refused by Republicans
to be seated in Congress…
 Southern states started to pass Black Codes- where
African Americans were exploited and rights were
trampled on. (Examples- African Americans were
arrested if they did not have jobs. Also banned from
owning or renting land…very similar to slavery.
Civil Rights Act of 1866

 Granted full citizenship to all African Americans.
 Gave federal government the power to intervene in
state affairs to protect African Americans’ rights.
 CRA of 1866 overturned black codes and the
Supreme Court decision in Dred Scott.
 President Johnson threatened to veto the Freedmen
Bureau bill and CRA of 1866. (He said they were
unconstitutional because Congress was not allowing
southern states their seats!
Republicans

The Republicans were able to override Johnson’s vetoes
and they realized that they even though Johnson was a
Republican too, compromise was not possible with the
president!
The Republicans decided to create their own plan of
Reconstruction…
th
14
Amendment

 The Republicans in Congress were afraid that the CRA of
1866 would be overturned in the Court so they passed the
14th Amendment.
 It granted full citizenship to all people born in the United
States …
 No state could take away a citizen’s life, liberty or
property without due process of law.
 Every citizen would be equally protected under the law.
 If any state tried to restrict adult male citizens from
voting, then they could lose some representation in
Congress!
th
14
Amendment
continued

 It also stated that former Confederate officials were
barred from holding national office or state offices
without being pardoned by Congress.
 Native Americans were excluded from citizenship.

 Congress said that all southern stated must ratify the
14th Amendment to rejoin the Union!
 Of the 11 southern states, only Tennessee ratified the
14th amendment…therefore it took a few years to
make the amendment official..1868.
Election of 1866

 President Johnson actively campaigned against his
fellow Congressional Republicans!
 In the end, the Republicans won a solid victory in
Congress and thus they crafted their own plans for
Reconstruction.
First Reconstruction Act
of 1867

 It called for the new governments in the 10 southern states that
had not ratified the 14th Amendment.
 The 10 southern stated were divided up into 5 military
districts..
 Each district was run by a military commander until new state
governments were formed.
 African American males were guaranteed the right to vote in
state elections.
 Confederate leaders were banned from holding political office.
 To rejoin the Union, states had to ratify the 14th Amendment
and create new state constitutions that must be approved by
Congress!
Five Military Districts

nd
2
Reconstruction Act
of 1867

 The 2nd Reconstruction Act stated that the military
commanders must register voters and prepare the
state constitutional conventions.
 Many southerners refused to participate in the
elections for constitutional conventions and
governments.
 Many African Americans turned out to vote…
Readmission of States

 In the state elections, Republicans gained control of
southern states.
 By the end of 1868- 7 of the 10 states met the
requirements.
 By 1870- Mississippi, Virginia and Texas were
restored to the Union.
Johnson’s Impeachment

 President Johnson opposed the Radical Republicans
plan of Reconstruction.
 Congress knew that the president was commander in
chief of the army and he could give orders to the
military governors in the military districts. Congress
passed a series of measures to limit the president’s
power.
 Tenure of Office Act- President could not remove
government officials- including cabinet officials
without the Senate’s approval.
Impeachment
Continued

 President Johnson suspended Sec of War Edwin
Stanton…without Senate’s approval.
 When the Senate came back to session, they denied
the suspension..
 President Johnson removed Stanton
anyway...violating the Tenure of Office Act.
 House of Representatives voted to impeach the
president.
 Senate held a trial (it lasted almost 3 months)…
Impeachment continued

 The Republicans in the Senate were not able to get a
2/3rd’s majority required to convict (find guilty). The
Senate was only short 1 vote!
 Some Republicans in the Senate were moderate
Republicans not Radicals…and thought it was more
about politics than violating laws.
 In the end, President Johnson remained in office to
finish his term but will not run again for re-election.
Presidential Election of
1868

 Republicans nominated Ulysses S. Grant and
Democrats nominated Horatio Seymour.
 Grant received most of the African American votes
in the South and won the presidency.
th
15
Amendment

 It prohibits the state and federal governments from
denying the right to vote to any male citizen because
of race, color or previous condition of servitude.
 It was ratified in 1870
Reconstruction Ends

 While Grant was president, many Northerners lost
interest in Reconstruction. …it was time for
Southerners to solve their own problems, many of
the Radical Republican leaders were dying or
retiring, and their were feelings of racial prejudices
in the North.
Reconstruction Ends

 President Grant had some scandals during his
administration…which hurt the Republican party.
 One group called themselves Liberal Republicans
nominated Horace Greeley to run against Grant in the
election of1 872….Grant won re-election though.
 1872- Liberal Republicans helped pass the Amnesty Act. It
pardoned most former Confederates…..nearly all white
Southerners could vote and hold office again.
 Amnesty changed the political balance in the South:
restoring full rights to those who supported the
Democratic Party.
Democrats start to
regain control

 In state elections, Democrats started to regain control
of state governments.
 Many African American voters were terrorized
because they voted for Republicans so the KKK
terrorized them so they wouldn’t vote and the
Democrats took control.
Election of 1876

 Most Republicans did not want Grant to run for a 3rd
term and instead nominated Rutherford B. Hays
from Ohio, a moderate Republican instead.
Democrats nominated Sam Tilden from New York.
 Possible Corruption? It first appeared that Tilden
won the election but in 4 states there were disputed
returns…representing 20 electoral votes.
 Tilden needed just one more EC vote and if Hayes
won all 20 EC votes, Hays would win!
Election continued

 Congress created a special commission to solve this
election crisis. It consisted of 7 Republicans, 7
Democrats and 1 Independent.
 The Independent resigned and a Republican took his
place…the commission voted 8 to 7 to award Hays
all 20 EC votes…it followed party lines.
Compromise of 1877

 Democrats in Congress were UPSET with the
Commission’s results..
 So Republicans and Southern Democrats met in
secret to come up with an agreement/compromise
 Compromise said that Hayes won the presidency,
the South would receive more aid $ from the
government and Republicans would remove all
remaining troops from Southern states. Democrats
promised to maintain African American rights.
Hayes Policy for
Reconstruction

 Pres. Hayes said in his Inaugural Address that “what
the South needed most was the restoration of wise,
honest and peaceful local self-government.”
 Hayes traveled to Southern States as a goodwill
gesture and said that Southerners would handle
racial issues…meaning Reconstruction had ended
“New South”

 Forward looking Southerners believed that the South
must develop a strong industrial economy.
 They argued that the South lost the Civil War
because its industry did not match the North’s.
 Industries were based on coal, iron, tobacco, cotton,
lumber and textiles.
Southern Democrats limit the
Rights of African Americans

 All of the following are examples of how Southern
Democrats limited rights of African Americans.
 Poll Tax: a fee had to be paid in order to vote. Many
African Americans could not afford the fee, therefore they
could not vote…also hurt poor white males in the South
too who couldn’t afford the fee to vote.
 Literacy Test: Votes had to read and explain difficult
parts of state constitutions or the federal Constitution.
Since most African Americans were not educated, they
could not vote. Poor whites were also prevented from
voting because they were uneducated too!
Continued

 Grandfather Clause: allowed those who could not
pass the literacy tests to vote if there father or
grandfather could have voted before Reconstruction.
Since African Americans were not allowed to vote
until 1867- they were excluded.
 By the end of the 1800’s- African Americans voting
declined due to restrictive laws and threats of
violence.
Jim Crow Laws

 Southern states passed laws that legally separated
blacks and whites in all public places (schools,
libraries, hospitals etc.)
 The Supreme Court even said that this was legal!
Plessy v. Ferguson

 In 1896- Louisiana had laws requiring separate
sections of trains for African Americans. The
Supreme Court said that separate facilities are legal
as long as the facilities are equal.
 PROBLEM: they were not equal facilities! Southern
states spent much more money on schools for whites
than African Americans.
 Separate but equal doctrine will last for 50 years
until 1954 case Brown v Board of education of
Topeka Kansas.
Conclusion

 In the end, Reconstruction did help rebuild the South and
its economy.
 Much of the South remained poor and primarily
agricultural.
 For a brief time, African Americans gained freedom and
equality and created their own institutions…but then
Southern Democrats regained control of the South and
rights were trampled on.
 “The slave went free, stood a brief moment in the sun,
then moved back again toward slavery.” -W.E.B. Du Bois