history h II 5.4

scalawags

'Scalawags' were a nickname or term used by the Democrats to call their hated Southern Reublican rivals. These Southern whites were supported by the republican government and were mainly derived from the Whigs who believed and were interested in the economic development of their state and peace between the north and the south.

Fourteenth Amendment

Having recently redefined citizenship and what it meant to be an American, the Fourteenth Amendment continued the unfinished work of the Civil Rights Act of 1866. It was a Constitutional Amendment, so it was virtually written in stone, and it legally redefined citizenship to include freed slaves and basically gave them protections and made them American under the eyes of the law.

Thaddeus Stevens

A Radical Republican who served in Congress during the time of the Civil War. He fought to impeach Andrew Jackson and campaigned for equal rights, including the right to vote, for African Americans.

Whiskey Ring

A group of insiders who weaseled out millions of dollars from the Treasury through excise-tax revenues. Grant was infuriated and wanted to catch every one of them, but he soon found out that his private secretary was apart of the ring. He then helped to exonerate his secretary to keep him out of prison for Grant's own benefit.

Gilded Age

A time period from 1865-1896, named by Mark Twain. This term referred to the divide between the glamorous wealthy citizens and the difficulties faced by the rest of the country as they fell into the rampant corruption that was all throughout the country.

Ku Klux Klan

Led by Nathaniel Bedford Forest, the Ku Klux Klan was a group of radical southerners who worked to intimidate the African-Americans and their white supporters. This terrorist group was one of the most prominent of these types of groups in the South, as they were more violent with their actions. After burning buildings, murdering blacks who were trying to vote, and attacking many, Congress had to pass the Force Acts of 1870 and 1871.

sharecropping

Sharecropping is a system in which the landlords provided the seeds and any other needed farm supplies to poor people in exchange for a share of usually 50%of the harvest. This system gave the poor people of the rural south, both whites and african americans, an opportunity to work at a piece of land for themselves. Sharecroppers usually remained dependent on the landowners or in debt to the local merchants. Thus sharecropping had evolved into a new form of servitude as by 1880, no more than 5% of Southern arican americans had become independent landowners.

spoilsmen / patronage

Spoilsmen was a term used to call republican politics manipulators who were masters of the game 'patronage'. Such politicians were giving jobs and government favors, also known as spoils, to their supporters with the hopes of gaming more votes and political support.

Force Acts

The Force Acts were passed by Congress in 1870 and 1871. These were passed to help protect blacks and white supporters from the Ku Klux Klan's violence. These acts prohibited states from discriminating against voters and attempted to protect those who were being affected by the KKK's terrorist actions.

carpetbaggers

The nickname 'carpetbaggers' was a nickname used by the Democrats to call the Northern newcomers. These Northern newcomers were people who went to the south after the war for numerous reasons. Some of these included investors being interested in setting up a new business, just plundering, becoming a minister or becoming a teacher with humanitarian goals.

Panic of 1873

The panic of 1873 was a 6-year depression that started in the beginning of Grant's second term. Many businesses failed due to the over-speculation of financiers and the overbuilding of railroads and other industries. This caused thousands to be out of work and caused the demands for greenback paper money to rise. However, Grant vetoed their bill, as he thought it was dangerous to introduce money that was not backed by silver and gold.

Andrew Johnson

Andrew Johnson was Lincoln's Vice President who succeeded Lincoln after he was assassinated. Johnson, though, unlike Lincoln, was a Democrat in disguise, and was a real racist and didn't support more rights for blacks. Johnson wanted to see Confederates almost all let back into the Union, and as such he got into frequent parties with members of his own Republican party, leading to his ultimate impeachment and removal from office.

Benjamin Wade

Another radical Republican in Congress. He supported not only African American suffrage and equality, but also equality and suffrage for women as well.

Radical Republicans

At the beginning of Reconstruction, there were two main groups of Republicans. First, there were Moderate Republicans, who tended to have the usual Republican ideals of big government, and then there were the Radical Republicans, who also favored expanding protections to blacks. However, as Reconstruction continued and Johnson tried to limit rights for blacks, many Republicans became Radical Republicans, and tried to expand rights for blacks by passing the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and by passing the 14th Amendment.

Black Codes

Black Codes were a series of racist and immorale laws passed by many Southern states that kept blacks in a state of economic and social adolescence. Blacks weren't really allowed to get good jobs, many were forced to work in the fields again for very low wages, and the black codes ensured that freed slaves would still remain inferior to the planter aristocracy and that they would remain second class citizens- banning blacks from even the most basic civil rights.

Assess the impact of Reconstruction on Freedmen in the following areas: Education? Land Reform?

Education: Freedmen began building their own schools to educate their children. They paid already educated black adults or became educated themselves so they could teach the kids. Land Reform: While some African Americans moved to the frontier to start a new life on their own land, many stayed in the South and became sharecroppers. This means that plantation owners gave them a piece of land and the supplies to farm, but the plantation owners kept half of the harvest. This meant that unfortunately, blacks were still dependent on these rich planters.

What effect did each of the following have on African Americans in the South: Black Codes? Sharecropping? Ku Klux Klan?

Black Codes: The Black codes first prohibited blacks from either renting land or receiving loans to buy land. Secondly, it placed freedom into a form of bondage as apprentices and were to sign work contacts. Thirdly it prohibited blacks from testifying against whites in court. Thus these codes create little difference from slavery to freedom for African Americans in the South. Sharecropping: Sharecropping ultimately leads poor African Americans or whites dependent on a landowner or in debt to local merchants. Therefore by 1880, only five percent of Southern African Americans have become independent landowners, thus, sharecropping evolved to the new form of servitude Ku Klux Klan: African American owned buildings were burned, African Americans were flogged (whipped or caned) and were murdered in order to keep them from exercising their right to vote.

Blanche K. Bruce

Bruce was one of the african americans sent to the Senate by the Southern republicans. Unfortunately he was not elected into the senate but was one of the african americans who was an educated property holder and took moderate positions on issues.

Identify and explain each of the following 'New Electorate' of the South and their role in the Reconstruction governments of the South. 'Carpetbaggers', 'Scalawags', and 'Freedmen.'

Carpetbaggers: the derogatory name for Northerners who went south to aid the Reconstruction effort. Some wanted to open new businesses and others wanted to instill their humanitarian values in white Southerners. Scalawags: the derogatory name for Southern Republicans. They wanted economic prosperity for their state, which they believed would happen if more blacks were working. They also wanted peace for the North and the South. Freedmen: Freedmen were former slaves who lived in the South. They were trying to adjust to a new life and get educated, get a job, all while being discriminated against by Democrats in the South.

Charles Sumner

Charles Sumner, (the same Charles Sumner who had been caned in the Senate around five years before), was the leading Radical Republican in the Senate, and was a senator from Massachusetts. He supported expanding more rights to blacks and ensuring that they would be given the same chances at success as whites, and despite not fully being able to give all the rights he wanted to give to blacks, he made his best effort to expand rights for blacks.

Why did Congress object to the Presidential Reconstruction plan of Johnson? Offer specifics in your answer.

Congress, at the beginning of Reconstruction, was held by Republicans who wanted to expand Civil Rights to blacks and wanted to punish Southerners heavily for their treason. After Lincoln died, though, their president became Johnson, a Democrat in disguise who hated nothing more than his own party. As such, Congress, which was held by Republicans, objected to his plans, which included things like admitting all Southerners back into the Union after they recited a civil oath. Republicans were dissatisfied by his plans for two main reasons, though- one (1), they thought that it wasn't harsh enough on Southerners, who they wanted to see punished for their treason, and two (2), they thought it wasn't protective enough of the rights of the newly freed blacks.

Congressional Reconstruction

Congressional Reconstruction was a plan from Congress (which was Republican led), and it was focused on two main things: one (1), it wanted to admit Confederates back into the Union but still wanted to punish them slightly for their treason, and two (2), it wanted to ensure protections for newly freed African Americans and get rid of Black Codes and make them citizens.

Assess the 'radicalness' of Congressional Reconstruction. Was it really 'radical?'

Congressional Reconstruction, from a Northern standpoint, wasn't that 'radical.' All it wanted to do was to give basic rights to blacks who had just been freed, and it also wanted to punish Southerners for having gone against the federal government to dissuade any ideas of future secession. Thus, in the grand scheme of things, Congressional Reconstruction wasn't that radical, and it was basically focused on fulfilling the basic objectives of the Republican party and rebuking the South. That being said, from a Southern perspective, it was very radical because it posed a threat to their entire lifestyle of slavery and the dominance of the planter aristocracy, so for them it was very, very radical.

Ex parte Milligan

Ex parte Milligan was a Supreme Court case that declared holding a military tribunal for a citizen in a civilian court was unconstitutional. A military tribunal is a court system for the military that operates outside the scope of typical civilian law.

Freedmen's Bureau

Freedmen's Bureau was a federal bureau put into place by President Lincoln that aimed to offer support to blacks who were just freed from slavery. With no knowledge on how to own land, get a job, or do anything that a free white man would have done, blacks needed federal support to help them get jobs and live in peace, and Freedmen's Bureau aimed to do that, although it often supported white Americans more than blacks, despite being created for freed slaves.

General Oliver O. Howard

General Oliver O. Howard was one of the leaders and an agent at the Freedmen's bureaus. Under his steadfast leadership, the bureau set up over three thousand schools for blacks across the nation, and his bureau also managed to set up a number of colleges, too. Howard and his bureau were integral in teaching over 200,000 freed blacks how to read and write before the Freedmen's bureau was defunded in 1870.

Ulysses S. Grant

General Ulysses S. Grant was the leader of the Union Army during the Civil War. The Republicans nominated him in the Election of 1868 and he won the Presidency.

Hiram Revels

Hiram Revels was the other african american sent to the Senate by southern republicans and was elected in 1870. He was elected to take the seat of Mississippi, this seat was before being held by Jefferson Davis. However, his seat and other african americans in the government office caused bitter resentment among the ex-Confederates as they now saw former slaves in positions of power.

How have historians evaluated Reconstruction? Offer and discuss four perspectives of how historians have addressed Reconstruction.

Historians have evaluated Reconstruction in a few different ways. One perspective was that Reconstruction failed the United States, as it allowed for the acts of violence against people of color and discrimination to continue. Another perspective was that Reconstruction failed the United States as it gave people of color more rights and allowed them to be treated much more highly than they should have. This was held by many racist secessionists in the South who were upset about slavery coming to an end and people of color obtaining the right to vote. A third perspective was that Reconstruction had done great things for the country, as it had allowed for greater equality in the United States. One other perspective was that Reconstruction had caused great strides towards equality, but it was not enough. While many people gained the right to vote, gained access to education, and be freed from their shackles of slavery, the country did not enforce their laws enough to keep all of their citizens safe.

Look at Lincoln's, Johnson's, and Congress's plans for Reconstruction. Which program do you think was best? Explain. Why are the other two plans then inadequate?

I think the Congressional plan for Reconstruction was the best out of all three plans for Reconstruction. It clearly offered protections for freed blacks who had been oppressed for generations and generations, and it also was harsher on former Confederates, which made sense, given the fact that they did engage in treason and go against the United States. On the other side, Lincoln's plan was simply adequate, because although it did try to punish Southerners a bit, it didn't put any real protections in place for the Civil Rights of freed blacks, and coming in last place would definitely be Johnosn's Reconstruction plan, which was a complete mess which didn't punish former Confederates at all for their sedition and which allowed for the Southern states to keep their racist social orders.

The text authors (American Pageant) claim that the midterm elections of 1866 were "more crucial than some presidential elections." Do you agree? Why or why not?

I totally agree with this statement. The midterm elections of 1866 determined how the next two years of Jackson rule would unfold, and if the Democrats somehow managed to get a majority in either one of the houses (or worse, both), the Reconstruction plans would turn to heavily favor Southerners. Thus, for Northerners to stay in power and to expand rights for African Americans, it was critical that Republicans swept both the House and the Senate, which is what indeed happened. Thus, the textbook authors are right in saying that the election was integral, because it determined how the country would move forward at such a critical time and whether or not blacks would be given a seat at the table or not.

Report of the Joint Committee

In 1866, the Joint Committee on Reconstruction gave recommendations to the federal government, saying that former Confederate States should not be entitled to seats in both houses of Congress, and it went even further, saying that Congress, not the President, could set the terms for how the states were going to rejoin the Union. This plan, in essence, was a blank rejection of the Presidential Reconstruction plan of Johnson and tried to give more power to the Congress.

Compromise of 1877

In 1877, there was a great dispute between the Democrats and the republicans over the presidency and who should rightfully be president. However, they were able to find a common ground, compromising. The Republicans allowed for the Democratic candidate, Hayes, to become president, even though he had technically lost the electoral college vote. In return, Hayes had to end federal support to the Southern republicans and support the construction of the southern transcontinental railroad.

Election of 1866

In the Election of 1866, Johnson tried to appeal to racist white Americans to win. He claimed that blacks could not have equal rights because otherwise American culture would become too merged with African culture. Johnson's opponents argued that he was a traitor because he was from the South and tried to connect him to the Civil War. In the end, Johnson remained President but the Republicans would end up with a 3 to 1 majority in Congress.

Election of 1868

In the Election of 1868, the Republicans nominated General Grant, who led the north to victory in the Civil War. However, he only won by a slight margin, which made other Republicans realize that they needed to protect the voting rights of African Americans.

Horace Greeley

In the election of 1872, the reform focused republicans elected Horace Greeley to run for president. He was greatly supported by many Democrats as well, so Greeley was elected by them as well. However, the Republicans elected Grant who won the election with an overwhelming majority. Just a few days before the final electoral college was counted, Horace Greeley passed away.

Rutherford B. Hayes

In the election of 1876, Rutherford B. Hayes was the Republican nominee for president. He ran against Samuel J. Tilden. In the electoral commission that was created (made because three states could not make a decided electoral vote), Hayes ended up winning. He eventually stepped down and allowed Tilden to take the presidency, but not without winning over some policies for the republican party.

Samuel J. Tilden

In the election of 1876, Samuel J. Tilden was the Democratic nominee for president. He ran against Rutherford B. Hayes. He ended up losing the election in the electoral commission. However, this infuriated the Democratic party and caused them to threaten to send it to the Democratically-controlled House of Representatives. This was resolved in the Compromise of 1877 and ended up giving Tilden the presidency.

Election of 1876

In this election, the Republicans had chosen Rutherford B. Hayes and the Democrats had chosen Samuel J. Tilden. After winning the popular vote, the Democratic party had a strong lead and were sure that their candidate would be taking office. However, Tilden needed one more vote in the electoral college in order to win the election. The three states, South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana were disputed over their votes, so they had to create a committee to help split up the votes to the rightful candidate. These votes ended up going to the Republicans, angering the Democrats, and causing them to try and send the election to the House of Representatives.

Election of 1872

In this election, the candidates were Horace Greeley for the Democratic party, supported by the reform-minded republicans. He was running against the regular Republican candidate, Grant. He won in a landslide and Greeley passed away just a few days before the final count.

Assess the role President Grant took in Reconstruction. Did he help or hinder the Reconstruction effort? Choose a side, offer three examples and explain.

President Grant took an aggressive role in Reconstruction and helped the effort during his presidency. The first was through the 15th Amendment, which prohibited all states from denying a citizen's right to vote based on his color, race or previous condition of servitude. This allowed for african americans to have a say in their representatives and it was ratified in 1870. The second was with african americans in the government body, the Republican party included candidates who were african american and during Grant's presidency, there were many candidates for the Senate and the House of representatives. Such positions in government ensured that african americans were being treated as fairly as whites and were allowed a say in their government. The last example is the Civil Rights Act of 1875 that guaranteed equal accommodations for whites and african american in public places. Although this was not strictly enforced by the Republican party, it was still an effort enacted by President Grant in order to help Reconstruction. Although Reconstruction would ultimately be abandoned, President Grant made several attempts to great equality among african american and whites.

Why was President Johnson impeached? Why didn't the Senate convict him of "high crimes and misdemeanors?" What do you think his conviction in the Senate might have meant for our system of government?

President Johnson was impeached for violating the Tenure of Office Act by trying to fire his Secretary of War. But the Senate chose not to convict him because they realized that he was only being impeached because the Republicans wanted him out of the office, not because he had committed a high crime or misdemeanor. They realized that as the first President impeached, they would have set a precedent for someone being dismissed based on political reasons, not for a firing offense, and they did not want to do this.

Presidential Reconstruction

Presidential Reconstruction was a reconstruction plan put forward by Andrew Johnson, Lincoln's Vice President who succeeded him when he was assassinated. It offered amnesty to all Confederates if they recited a simple oath, and said new state constitutions must accept the banning of slavery and pay their debts. That being said, the plan also named a number of governors for the Confederate states, and it angered Southerners who didn't want to see the planters back in power.

redeemers

Redeemers were southern conservatives who took control on one state government after the other. Southern Conservatives had different social and economic backgrounds, although they were diverse they came together and agreed upon their political platform of states rights, reduced taxes, reduced spending on social programs and white supremacy.

What role did each of the following have on the Republican Party during this period: spoilsmen? "waving the bloody shirt"? tariffs?

Spoilsmen: These men were the political manipulators of the Republican Party who sought to gain support to the Republican Party by giving out jobs and spoils to supporters. "waving the bloody shirt": This was the term used by the northern republicans to inflame the northerners, which they did by reminding them of the constant hardship faced by the war. This was used as propaganda by the republican party in which they branded the entire Democratic party as a party of treason and rebellion. Tariffs: The liberal republicans supported the idea of lower taxes in their political party. Surprisingly this idea was shared with the Democratic party who went on to nominate the same candidate.

Edwin M. Stanton

Stanton was the Republican Secretary of War in Johnson's Cabinet. He was in charge of sending soldiers to the South, which angered Johnson because he wanted fewer Union soldiers occupying the South, not more. He was protected from being fired by the Tenure of Office Act.

Civil Rights Act (1866)

The Civil Rights Act of 1866 was an act passed by the Republican majority in Congress and then vetoed by Johnson and then overridden by the Republicans. The Act stated that all citizens of the United States are guaranteed the same rights by the law, and it redefined citizenship to include all males, including African American ones. This wasn't permanent, as it could be repealed if Democrats took control of Congress, so it was solidified by the 14th Amendment.

Civil Rights Act of 1875

The Civil Rights Act of 1875 was the last civil war reform enacted by congress. This act guaranteed equal accommodations to African Americans in public places, such as hotels railroads and theatres. The act prohibited courts from excluding African Americans from juries as well. However, the law was not strictly enforced as Republicans feared they would lose North white votes and the south was unwilling to cooperate. Thus by 1877, Congress would abandon all hopes at Reconstruction.

Crédit Mobilier scandal

The Credit Mobilier affair was when insiders gave stock to influential members of Congress in order to avoid investigation of the profits they were making, which was as high as 348 percent. This was from government subsidies for building the transcontinental railroad.

How did the Election of 1876 and the Compromise of 1877 lead to the end of Reconstruction? Explain.

The Election of 1876 and the Compromise of 1877 led to the eventual end of Reconstruction. The Election of 1876 led to the Compromise of 1877. This compromise allowed Hayes to become president. In return, Hayes had to end federal support to the Southern republicans and support the construction of the southern transcontinental railroad, as well as moving the troops out of the Southern area. This promptly ended reconstruction.

Fifteenth Amendment

The Fifteenth Amendment was passed by the Republicans in Congress to make sure that blacks were given voting rights. This was supposed to stop discrimination on account of skin color or former servitude, but African Americans were still prevented from voting.

The Fourteenth Amendment is commonly referred to as one of the most important additions to the Constitution. Why?

The Fourteenth Amendment declares that everyone is free and is not bound to servitude. This was one of the most important additions to the Constitution because even though blacks had previously been declared free by the Emancipation Proclamation, most slaves in the South were not aware of their new right and slaves in the border states were not freed. Southern states were not allowed back into the Union until they had ratified this amendment, so its passing was more accurately the end of slavery in the United States.

Proclamation of Amnesty & Reconstruction or "10 percent" Plan

The Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction or the "10 percent" Plan was a Reconstruction plan on how to integrate the Southern states back into the Union that was devised by President Lincoln. It asked for majority rule in the South to be replaced by loyal rule of people who were true to the President, and it forced the South to accept the Emancipation Proclamation, it pardoned all Confederate Generals except for the highest level ones, and when 10% of the voting population in 1860 had taken an oath of loyalty and established a government in the South, it would be recognized.

Reconstruction Act (1867)

The Reconstruction Act of 1867 was passed by Republicans in Congress to make sure that the Southern States had changed before they were readmitted to the Union. This act increased the number of Union soldiers occupying the South and ensured that Southern states would not be readmitted until they ratified the 14th amendment (abolishing slavery).

Tenure of Office Act

The Tenure of Office Act prevented the Executive Branch from removing a military official from office with the approval of the Senate. This was another way the Republican majority in Congress limited the power of the Democratic President.

Union League

The Union League was an African American organization that worked to educate the southern blacks about their civil rights, how to build schools, and represented the african americans interests to the government and employers. They also recruited local militias to help protect black men from white intimidation and campaigned on the behalf of republican candidates.

Wade-Davis Bill

The Wade-David Bill was a bill passed by radical Republicans that was much harsher on the Southerner's than Lincoln's "10 percent" plan. The Wade-Davis Bill forced 50% of Southerners to take an allegiance swearing they'd never helped the Confederates, required a state constitutional convention before the state chose its own officials, enacted special protections on the rights of Freedmen- despite passing, this bill was ultimately pocket vetoed by President Lincoln.

Woman's Loyal League

The Woman's Loyal League was a women's group that allied themselves with the African American cause. They supported equality and voting rights for freedmen.

It has been wryly observed that the "North won the Civil War, but the South won Reconstruction." Interpret this statement and assess its truth.

This statement makes a lot of sense because the North did win the Civil War and reclaim the South. However, the South was able to prevent their former slaves from immediately receiving the same rights as white people. For example, the work of groups like the KKK and other similar racially motivated terrorist groups were able to instate fear into many African Americans, especially in the South. Many newspapers run by African Americans had many of their staff attacked, especially if they were publishing about the movement toward more rights for blacks.

Amnesty Act of 1872

This was an act passed in 1872 that released the restrictions on many of the ex-confederates, as many people were ready to put the difficulties of the war behind them. While it did not release all restrictions on the top leaders of the Confederate army, it did allow for many ex-confederates to get back to their normal life. However, this was a bit dangerous because it allowed many of the Southern conservatives to start voting for the Democrats and soon take control of the government.

Thomas Nast

Thomas Nast was a cartoonist for the New York Times who exposed William Tweed for his corrupted ways of stealing taxpayers money. This exposure from Nast is what eventually led to the arrest of Tweed.

"waving the bloody shirt"

Waving the bloody shirt was a campaign tactic used by Northern Republicans to try and win more votes. Their goal was to convince other Northerners to vote Republican in order to honor the soldiers that died in the Civil War by continuing to support the values that fought so valiantly for.

Impeachment

When President Andrew Johnson violated the Tenure of Office Act by dismissing Stanton, the Secretary of War, from office, Congress responded by impeaching him. They argued that this fell under the cause for impeachment, "high crimes and misdemeanors," However, this impeachment was purely political as the Republican majority only wanted to remove him in order to get a Republican President back in office.

William "Boss" Tweed

William Tweed was the boss of the Democratic Party in New York City where he was the mastermind of dozens of schemes that helped himself and his companions make large amounts of grafts. Tweed ultimately stole about $200 million from the taxpayers of NYC before he was exposed by The New York Times cartoonist Thomas Nast. This 'leak' led to Tweed's arrest and imprisonment in 1871.