AT US - Reconstruction

Radical Republicans

-Committed to protecting and broadening rights of African Americans -Called "radical" in part for their views on social equality -In part, because they wanted to use federal power to achieve social change, which was itself a radical idea -Many were abolitionists, and when the period began, they became more powerful after the civil war in taking a firmer approach to fixing the South's ways of thinking and avoid fighting the same fight in the 1870's -Believed black men should hold the same rights as white men politically, and Confederate leaders of the war should be punished -Attempted to pass their reconstruction plan in 1864, but was vetoed by Lincoln—angered after the civil war, the Radicals demanded equal rights -President Johnson opposed the movement of the Freedmen's Bureau Bill proposed by the Radical Republican group—rejected the idea of blacks being equal -Extra links: 1, 2

Congressional/Radical Reconstruction

-Congress and Andrew Johnson had a fight over who should get to be in charge of Reconstruction. Ultimately, Radical Republicans impeached Johnson because he would not work with them and also had a very lenient Reconstruction plan. -The Radical Republicans did not just want to reunify the country (which Andrew Johnson was content with) but rather to fundamentally change the South and create a more egalitarian social structure. (See Rad Republicans slide) -Radicals wanted to use the full power of the federal government to intervene in the South to achieve equality. -Radical reconstruction is initially successful with the passing of constitutional amendments, laws, and creating an educational infrastructure for African Americans -However, violent resistance in the South like the KKK started to rise as well as practices such as sharecropping to fight this social reform and the project were ultimately abandoned in the 1870s.

Civil Rights - Act of 1866 -(Briefly on 1022-23 in Foner)

-This legislation was enacted by Congress in 1865 but vetoed by President Andrew Johnson. In April 1866 Congress overrode the veto. -The act declared that all persons born in the United States were now citizens, without regard to race, color, or previous condition. As citizens they could make and enforce contracts, sue and be sued, give evidence in court, and inherit, purchase, lease, sell, hold, and convey real and personal property. -The activities of insurgent groups such as the KKK undermined the act, and it failed to immediately secure the civil rights of African Americans. However, federal penalties were not provided for, so that remedies were left to the individuals involved. Because those being discriminated against had limited access to legal help, this left many victims of discrimination without recourse. See 14th Amendment - Congress enshrined these rights in the law as amendments to ensure they would remain in place.

Sharecropping

After the Civil War, the South confronted a farming problem. It had a labor force that lacked land, tools, or seeds. It had landowners who lacked cash to pay for labor. Thus, the solution was the sharecropping system, where laborers rented out land by agreeing to give the landowner a portion (a share) of their crop. Both black and white farmers were involved as sharecroppers. However, this system became more and more oppressive as time went on. Furthermore, sharecroppers' economic opportunities were severely limited because the cash crops that agricultural profit relied on, such as cotton or tobacco, suffered a prolonged decline in price. Many sharecroppers continued to live in debt.

Presidential Reconstruction

Defined as Reconstruction under Andrew Johnson (beginning 1865) Unlike Lincoln, "Johnson believed the Southern states should decide the course that was best for them. He also felt that African-Americans were unable to manage their lives. He certainly did not think that African-Americans deserved to vote." This approach to reconstruction is fairly lenient, not very radical because it most basically accomplishes two things; gives back white southerners power, and took rights away from former slaves. Johnson gives power back to the south by, for example pardoning many Confederate landowners who now pledged allegiance to the nation, as well as returned many presidential leaders to power. Johnson degrades the rights of African Americans, ex, the Black codes. White people attempt to continue to subjugate African Americans like taxes and restrictions. Radical Republicans feel like Black former slaves do not have the rights they deserve, some southerners also don't want to accept emancipation, but initially, this was supported by the public.

Ku Klux Klan

Founded in 1866 in Tennessee, a terrorist organization that opposed black civil rights and sought to return white Democrats to political power in the South first president Nathan Bedford Forrest (Confederate officer who was responsible for the Ft. Pillow Massacre) The Klan's victims included white Republicans (wartime unionists, local officeholders, teachers, and party organizers.) The African American people who defied the norms of white supremacy received the worst violence. Local governments became unable to suppress the Klan and had to enlist help from the federal government. Congress adopted three Enforcement Acts, outlawing terrorist societies and allowing the president to use the army against them. In 1871, President Grant sent federal marshals, some backed up by troops, to arrest the accused Klansmen. Klan leaders fled the South. After many publicized trials, the Klan went out of existence. For more info see page 584-585 in Foner

Hiram Revels

Hiram R. Revels was the first African-American to serve in the United States Senate This was significant during the Reconstruction era because Traditionally, African-Americans were not allowed to control or influence Reconstruction politics However, African-Americans did begin to occupy offices, and Revels's position represented a shift of power in the South and radical change in American government Revels became a symbol that black men could hold office and vote for a short period.

The 14th Amendment (pg 572-573 in Foner, can also find the full amendment in the back on page A-35. Section 1 is the most important one to look at.)

Passed Congress 1866, ratified in 1868. The Amendment said that everybody born or naturalized in the United States are citizens of the United States and the state they live in. (called "birthright citizenship") Asserts the right to equal protection under the law. A State cannot deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. The number of representatives in Congress for each state are decided on the amount of people in the state. When the time comes for elections (of President, Vice President, Representatives, etc.), if a state denied the right to vote to any group of men (above the age of 21), the state's representation in Congress would be reduced. Southern states had to decide between giving black men the right to vote or keeping their full representation in Congress. The Fourteenth Amendment created division between parties Democrats were against Republicans supported it Radicals wanted black suffrage The amendment was originally part of the Civil Rights Amendment of 1866. However, members of Congress worried that their work might be overturned. So, they decided to amend the Constitution in the form of the 14th and 15th Amendments.

13th Amendment December 6, 1865

Passed by the Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified by the states on December 6, 1865. Formally abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for a crime. It abolished slavery but many black Americans were still subject to involuntary labor with Black Codes and white supremacist violence nullified the Fugitive Slave Clause and the Three-Fifths Compromise The South increased their power in the in the population-based House of Representatives because the three-fifths compromise was nullified Expands on the Emancipation Proclamation

Black Codes (Foner 570 and 572)

Passed in Mississippi South Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana Florida, Virginia, Georgia, Texas, Tennessee, and Arkansas. Reflected a general theme in the South in which white southerners tried to suppress the new freedoms of emancipated African Americans Were in opposition to Johnson's Reconstruction policy Sort of. They reflected the fact that Johnson was willing to let the South remain largely the same and unwilling to interfere in its social norms. Radicals in Congress HATED these laws, and the existence of such laws pushed Radicals to argue that the South needed to be entirely re-made. Denies former slaves the rights to testify against whites, to serve on juries, or in state militias, or to vote. Also declared that if freed people failed to sign yearly labor contracts could be arrested and hired out to white landowners. Some states restrict black people from acquiring certain occupations, denied them land ownership, and permitted judges to assign black children to work for their former owners without the consent of their parents. (find this section on 572) The Civil Rights Bill proposed by Senator Lyman Trumbull inhibited Black Codes. Johnson vetoed this bill because he believed they would centralize government and curtail states' rights. Further, he believed that African Americans did not deserve the rights of citizenship. The bill passed in 1866, becoming the first law to pass despite a presidential veto.

Andrew Johnson

President after Abe Lincoln Had to do oversee the restoration of the Union "In personality and outlook, wasn't" Johnson was not up to the task Lonely, stubborn, can't take criticism and racist (African Americans had no role in reconstruction) Not a lot of Republican support, then established governments in south which turned the rest of Republicans against him, loss of faith in his reconstruction plan During his political campaign 1866 he lost and Republicans won (congressional elections), they then adopt a different reconstruction for the South Impeached because he did not let Congress have a part in reconstruction and because he focused only on reunification and not rebuilding the South Ex: offered a general amnesty to southerners, excluding only the elite. Then offered a pardon to anyone who asked for one. He eventually pardoned more than 90% of those who asked. Radicals felt this was far too generous to southern leaders. So pretty much Johnson failed (Reconstruction plan does not work at all, and no one likes him)

The 15th Amendment (ratified on February 3, 1870)

Text: "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." The Southern States were able to get around the amendment and effectively block Black voters by adding taxes on voting and imposing literacy tests. The amendment was hotly debated in Congress, and earlier, more general amendments securing impartiality towards religion, education, and property were rejected. The 1868 election of Ulysses S. Grant—who supported the amendment—was enough to convince Congress to ratify a toned down version of the amendment (although it was still fought by many Democrats). This was the last amendment during the Reconstruction Era as it became increasingly clear that the radicals had lost and reconstruction was failing. The amendment's lack of support for women's suffrage annoyed many feminist groups, but many others saw the amendment as a step in the right direction and encouraged any movement towards universal suffrage.

10% Plan

The 10% plan was a plan proposed by Lincoln to reinstate Southern states. States would only be reinstated when 10% of the 1860 count had taken an oath of allegiance to the United States of America and pledged to accept Emancipation. With the plan in play, all southerners except for high-ranking Confederate officers and government officials will receive a full pardon for their actions. Lincoln also promised that he would protect their private property, but not their slaves. The plan was put into place to shorten the war and bring about a moderate peace plan.

Freedman's Bureau (1865-1870) Foner 562

The Bureau was directed by O. O. Howard An experiment in government social policy where Bureau agents were supposed to establish schools, provide aid to the poor and aged, settle disputes between whites and blacks and among the freedpeople, and secure for former slaves and white Unionists equal treatment before the courts. There were only 1000 agents in the south Made advances in education by coordinating and helping finance the northern societies committed to black education About 3000 schools with 150,000 pupils in the south by 1869 Agents controlled hospitals established during the war and expanded into new communities in the south Medical care was given to both black and white southerners Economic issues arose however because the Bureau had the authority to divide confiscated land into forty-acre plots to sell to former slaves This land distribution did not take place and the majority of former slaves remained poor without any property during Reconstruction Wages for blacks were extremely low compared to white wages undermining the founding ideals of the Bureau

Enforcement Acts 1871 (KKK Acts)

These acts outlawed terrorist organizations and allowed the federal government to use the army against terrorist groups Made terrorist crimes a federal offense Crimes that threaten one's civil and Constitutional rights President Grant sent federal marshals to arrest many members of the KKK and the organization disappeared (1872) Demonstrated an increase of federal power Decrease in federal power was a goal of the Confederacy during the war