Radical Republicans Challenge Presidential Reconstruction: 1866-1867

What led to the end of Presidential Reconstruction & the beginning of Radical Reconstruction?

President Johnson's repeated vetos of laws passed by Congress to aid African Americans & the abuse of freedmen by Southern state governments

Who was Andrew Johnson?

President during Reconstruction following Lincoln's assassination

Why was the Civil Rights Act of 1866 passed by Congress?

to grant full legal rights to African Americans in Southern states that were trying to limit those rights with Black Codes

What was the Civil Rights Act of 1866?

A law passed by Congress over the veto of President Johnson that defined all persons born in the US as citizens and guaranteed African Americans the same legal rights as white Americans.

What is sharecropping?

An economic system developed on Southern plantations post-Civil War in which sharecroppers (often freedmen) lived & grew crops on a plantation owner's land in exchange for rent & a "share" of the crops; CREATED A CYCLE OF DEBT because sharecroppers were never able to save $ or payback owed money to landowner

What was the Freedmen's Bureau?

An organized established by Congress to help African-Americans adjust to freedom by establishing free public schools & universities, provide food, negotiate work contracts, and redistribute land (this piece never happened)

Who was the 1st President to be impeached?

Andrew Johnson - but he wasn't removed from office (no President has been found guilty in the Senate trial)

Why was Andrew Johnson impeached?

Johnson kept vetoing the reforms of the Radical Republicans in Congress & fired the Secretary of War Edwin Stanton in charge of the 5 military districts in the Reconstruction South

What were the Reconstruction Acts of 1867?

Series of laws passed by Radical Republicans in Congress that: - began martial law in the South - divided the ex-Confederacy into 5 military districts - military registered African Americans to vote - banned ex-Confederates from being elected to ANY political office - required state governments to include African American men - required states to ratify the 14th Amendment

What issue did Radical Republicans in Congress have with Johnson's plans during Presidential Reconstruction?

They believed Johnson's plan was too lenient to former Confederates & he was allowing the South to mistreat freedmen w/ their passage of Black Codes

What made Radical Republicans so radical?

They not only believed in the political equality of African Americans but were also willing to expand the power of the national government in order to make equality a reality in the South.

What is martial law & why was it used during Reconstruction?

To ensure Southern governments would extend political rights to freedmen, Radical Republicans put the military in charge of rebuilding state governments in the South and suspended certain rights of ex-Confederates

What were the details of the 14th Amendment & why was it passed?

To ensure that no future President or states could take away the rights of African Americans, the 14th Amendment was added to the Constitution & it said: 1. all people born in the US are citizens 2. all citizens have equal protection under the law 3. states can't take away the life, liberty, or property of citizens without due process 4. ex-Confederates cannot hold political office 5. the federal government can review laws passed by states 6. Congress can pass any laws they need to in order to enforce the 14th amendment

Who are freedmen?

formerly enslaved people

What were Black Codes?

laws restricting the freedom of movement & work of African Americans during Reconstruction passed in Southern states aimed at limiting the effects of the 13th Amendment that banned slavery

Who were the Radical Republicans?

the dominant political party in Congress in 1866 that favored harsh punishment of Southern states after the Civil War that was focused on protecting freedmen's rights