reconstruction study guide
Reconstruction Acts of 1867
-militarized the South -sent fed. troops in to control -took state borders away. CHAOS i. took identity away ii. forced to ratify amendment iii. acquired new state constitutions Congress authorized military to enroll black voters and begin process of Constitution making
key reconstruction questions
1. how do we bring the South back into the Union? 2. How do we rebuild the South after its destruction during the war? -physical -$$ -restore local economy w/o slaves 3. How do we integrate and protect newly-emancipated black freedmen? -failed to integrate (separate but equal) -Plessy v Ferguson -did not protect (lynching) 4. What branch of government should control the process of Reconstruction? -president? failed -Congress? failed -people? black codes
Radical Reconstruction begins
14th amendment passed, lots of Southern states refuse to ratify insured against Neo-confederate political power
Andrew Johnson
17th President of the United States, A Southerner form Tennessee, as V.P. when Lincoln was killed, he became president. Jacksonian. He opposed radical Republicans who passed Reconstruction Acts over his veto. The first U.S. president to be impeached, he survived the Senate removal by only one vote. He was a very weak president, one of the worst.
Wade-Davis Bill
1864 Proposed far more demanding and stringent terms for reconstruction; required 50% of the voters of a state to take the loyalty oath and permitted only non-confederates to vote for a new state constitution; state suicide theory. south is a conquered province. Lincoln refused to sign the bill, pocket vetoing it after Congress adjourned.
Freedmen's Bureau
1865 - Agency set up to aid former slaves in adjusting themselves to freedom. It furnished food and clothing to needy blacks and helped them get jobs schools: underfunded then unfunded
Tenure of Office Act
1866 - enacted by radical congress - forbade president from removing civil officers without senatorial consent - was to prevent Johnson from removing a radical republican from his cabinet.
Johnson's Impeachment
1868, Tenure of Office act created to freeze Stanton in the cabinet, Johnson dismissed him, House voted impeachment for high crimes and misdemeanors, Senate voted not guilty by 1 vote
Credit Mobilier
1872, This was a fraudulent construction company created to take the profits of the Union Pacific Railroad. Using government funds for the railroad, the Union Pacific directors gave padded construction contracts to Congress members
Rutherford B. Hayes
19th president of the united states, was famous for being part of the Hayes-Tilden election in which electoral votes were contested in 4 states, most corrupt election in US history. Perfect anti-Grant. lost popular vote. "Rutherfraud" Republicans would give up control of state governments of the South in exchange for Republican party gaining control of white house
Thaddeus Stevens
A Radical Republican who believed in harsh punishments for the South. Leader of the Radical Republicans in Congress. Hated Andrew Johnson. managed and ran impeachment process
"swing around the circle"
A disastrous speaking campaign undertaken by U.S. President Andrew Johnson August 27 - September 15, 1866, in which he tried to gain support for his mild Reconstruction policies and for his preferred candidates (mostly Democrats) in the forthcoming midterm Congressional election. The tour received its nickname due to the route that the campaign took. made it about himself.
Charles Sumner
A leader of the Radical republicans along with Thaddeus Stevens. He was from Massachusetts and was in the senate. His two main goals were breaking the power of wealthy planters and ensuring that freedmen could vote
Carpetbaggers
A northerner who went to the South immediately after the Civil War; especially one who tried to gain political advantage or other advantages from the disorganized situation in southern states A derogatory term applied to Northerners who migrated south during the Reconstruction to take advantage of opportunities to advance their own fortunes by buying up land from desperate Southerners and by manipulating new black voters to obtain lucrative government contracts.
1866 Bi-Election
A referendum on Radical Reconstruction. Johnson made an ill-conceived propaganda tour around the country to push his plan. Republicans won a 3-1 majority in both houses and gained control of every northern state.
Tweed Ring
A symbol of Gilded Age corruption, "Boss" Tweed and his deputies ran the New York City Democratic party in the 1860s and swindled $200 million from the city through bribery, graft, and vote-buying. Boss Tweed was eventually jailed for his crimes and died behind bars. state and local corruption not just federal
Sharecropping
A system used on southern farms after the Civil War in which farmers worked land owned by someone else in return for a small portion of the crops. basically slavery but under a different form. Just enough money for freedmen to live but not enough to survive. have to pay furnishing merchant (hiking up interest rates), and farmer who owns the land (half your crop). prevented economic independence *self determination
pocket veto
A veto taking place when Congress adjourns within 10 days of submitting a bill to the president, who simply lets it die by neither signing nor vetoing it.
13th Amendment (1865)
Abolition of slavery w/o compensation for slave-owners South didn't accept in on the ground
Radical Republicans
After the Civil War, a group that believed the South should be harshly punished and thought that Lincoln was sometimes too compassionate towards the South.
KKK Act
An act intended to reduce the power and/or prevalence of white supremacist organizations.
1876 Presidential Election
Between Democrat Samuel Tilden and Republican Rutherford B. Hayes, the 1876 election marked the end of Reconstruction. Tilden won with 51% of the popular vote. But a handful of republican insiders hatched a plan to nullify the democratic victories in Louisiana, South Carolina, and Florida- states where Republicans still controlled the election process- on the grounds that the voting included fraud and intimidation. If the republicans could get Congress to accept these states as republican, than Hayes would win a one-vote electoral victory. Ultimately, it was handled through compromise and bargaining. What exactly was agreed upon is not known. But enough Southern Democrats threw their support to Hayes,who was declared president, effectively ending Reconstruction. House formed committee to decide winner. 5 senators 5 congressmen 5 judges. 8-7 republican. one of the judges David Davis was honest, not gonna vote just based on party. so DAVIS WAS REPLACED! made a senator. so the HoR picked Hayes.
What makes a state a state?
Congress
Congress breaks with the president (Johnson)
Congress bars southern congressional delegates (bloody shirt) Joint committee on reconstruction created Johnson vetos Freedmen's Bureau and Civil Rights Act, but Congress overrides both vetoes. (first time in US history)
14th Amendment
Declares that all persons born in the U.S. are citizens and are guaranteed equal protection of the laws
Samuel Tilden
Democratic candidate for the U.S. presidency in the disputed election of 1876, the most controversial American election of the 19th century. A political reformer, he was a Bourbon Democrat who worked closely with the New York City business community, led the fight against the corruption of Tammany Hall, and fought to keep taxes low
Election of 1872
Election in which Ulysses S. Grant (Republican) ran against Democrat Horace Greeley; rumors of corruption discredited republicans; Grant still won by a landslide
Indian Ring
Grant's Secretary of War, William W. Belknap, accepted bribes from companies with licenses to trade on the reservations of man with Native American tribes.
10 percent plan
It was a reconstruction plan that decreed that a state could be reintegrated into the union when 10 percent of voters in the presidential election of 1860 had taken an oath of allegiance to the United States and pledged to abide by emancipation. Very generous. (Lincoln) LA, TN, AR jumped at it. Lenient to the South so Congress rejected it.
New Orleans Riot
July 30, 1866. radical republicans were angered by the enactment of the Black Codes in Louisiana and by the legislature's refusal to give black men the vote. black people tried to change constitution. Horrible constitution, very racist. "constitution exclusive to the white race" baited black man into shooting at him. suddenly furiously assault on black people. cops assaulted the group of men, chased them into building up stairs - 38 men killed by local police and vigilantes, 146 wounded. What the riot showed in occupied state of Louisiana (military district #1): government wasn't going to do anything to protect black people. "Restored order" Johnson shown not to be effective leader
Redeemers
Largely former slave owners who were the bitterest opponents of the Republican program in the South. Staged a major counterrevolution to "redeem" the south by taking back southern state governments. Their foundation rested on the idea of racism and white supremacy. Redeemer governments waged an agressive assault on African Americans.
"money question"
Late-nineteenth-century national debate over the nature of U.S. currency; supporters of a fixed gold standard were generally money lenders, and thus preferred to keep the value of money high, while supporters of silver (and gold) coinage were debtors, they owed money, so they wanted to keep the value of money low by increasing the currency supply (inflation).
Pork Barrel Politics
Legislation that gives tangible benefits (highways, dams, post offices) to constituents in several districts or states in the hope of winning their votes in return. people thought freedmen were having access to food they weren't working for. entitled
Jim Crow Laws
Limited rights of blacks. Literacy tests, grandfather clauses and poll taxes limited black voting rights
The Rise of the Bourbons
Name for southern democrats coming back to power, redeemers trying to rid of construciton.
OXPC
Over Expansion Production Capacity - value of item lowers ex: railroad overproduction in the credit mobilier scandal (under Grant's administration), led to Bank Panic. risk in farming sectors
10%+ Plan
Plan proposed by Andrew Johnson that called for 10% of the south to pledge amnesty to America,but the rich/confederate leaders had to ask Johnson personally for citizenship. new constitution: had to assume state debt, no slaves, no secession EFFECTS: disenfranchised certain leading confederates; gave so many pardons to white supremacists that rich planter elite got back into positions of power; North/Republicans outraged that the planter elite returned to power in the South
Edwin Stanton
Popular Secretary of War who is fired by Johnson and leads to Johnson's impeachment. radical congress passed law to protect him against Johnson
Types of Reconstruction
Presidential Reconstruction under Lincoln and Johnson Congressional/Radical Reconstruction after 12 years got tired of managing South. Still federal troops in 2 states, terrible bank panic crippled nation, eyes got diverted as local governments got taken over by Democratic government (voter intimidation and violence) Redeemer Reconstruction (same people who started civil war regain power)
Election of 1866 (Midterm)
Referendum on Reconstruction (Johnson's policies rejected) -after election, Republicans have a "supermajority" and control Reconstruction (override presidential vetoes) 3-1 majority in both houses
Black Codes
Southern laws designed to restrict the rights of the newly freed black slaves. Laws denying most legal rights to newly freed slaves; passed by southern states following the Civil War
Scalawags
Southern whites who supported Republican policy through reconstruction. Northern sympathizers, extremely unwelcome
KKK
Stands for Ku Klux Klan and started right after the Civil War in 1866. The Southern establishment took charge by passing discriminatory laws known as the black codes. Gives whites almost unlimited power. They masked themselves and burned black churches, schools, and terrorized black people. They are anti-black and anti-Semitic.
"The Lost Cause"
The phrase many white southerners applied to their Civil War defeat. They viewed the war as a noble cause but only a temporary setback in the South's ultimate vindication
"waving the bloody shirt"
This was a campaign tactic used by post-Civil War Republicans to remind northern voters that the Confederates were Democrats. The device was used to divert attention away from the competence of candidates and from serious issues. It was also used to appeal to black voters in the South. An expression used as a vote-getting strategy by the Republicans during the election of 1876 to offset charges of corruption by blaming the Civil War on the Democrats. Fear mongering. "You will not be seated here" "tis but a change of band" when Grant was running
15th Amendment (1870)
U.S. cannot prevent a person from voting because of race, color, or creed
Plessy v. Ferguson
a 1896 Supreme Court decision which legalized state ordered segregation so long as the facilities for blacks and whites were equal
Horace Greeley
a founder of the Republican party, reformer and politician Lost by lots, seen as a joke or crank
Whiskey Ring
a group of officials were importing whiskey and using their offices to avoid paying the taxes on it, cheating the treasury out of millions of dollars.
Compromise of 1876/1877
agreement that said Democrats would recognize the election of Republican President Hayes in exchange for the withdrawal of federal troops from the South. Basically ended Congressional Reproduction
Ulysses S. Grant
an American general and the eighteenth President of the United States (1869-1877). Very weak president as well served 2 terms
Colored Rule in a Reconstructed State: What does the depiction of black politicians in the cartoon suggest about Thomas Nast's later beliefs?
black people were unable to rule, lazy
Blacks in Southern Politics
core voters were black veterans, politically unprepared
northern support for reconstruction wanes
grantism and corruption, panic of 1873 (6 yrs), concern over westward expansion and indian wars money issues: greenbacks, war bonds
what led to black codes
growing Northern alarm, Southern constitutions fell short of requirements, Johnson granted 13,500 pardons, revival of Southern defiance
Andrew Johnson
hated rich people. made them kiss his feet. hated by Lincoln's cabinet. did not believe in State Suicide theory (states never legally left). white supremacist. way too lenient with South
Panic of 1873 (1873-1879)
international economic depression triggered by overproduction of railroads, mines, factories and farm products. worst next to Great Depression. Grant got us in it.
civil rights act of 1875
law that banned discrimination in public facilities and transportation lacked strong enforcement mechanism no new civil rights act attempted for 90 years!
Reconstruction
the period after the Civil War in the United States when the southern states were reorganized and reintegrated into the Union
legal segregation
the separation by law of individuals based upon their racial identities. Plessy v Ferguson. rules segregation is legal
Crime of '73
through the coinage act of 1873, the US ended the minting of silver dollars and placed the country on the gold standard. this was attacked by those who supported an inflationary monetary policy, particularly farmers and believed in the unlimited coinage of silver
Cooke company
went broke bc they overproduced railroads. businesses collapsed since cooke company had reaches in many other companies
Effects of Black Codes
• gave many individuals the idea that African-Americans were inferior to whites • limited the amount of rights and freedoms African Americans had • started the philosophy that African-Americans and whites were not equal and should never be -guaranteed stable labor supply (black people cannot own land, loans) -indentured servitude