The Future of Now: Post War Reconstruction

Important Dates:

1865-1877 Reconstruction period

Important People:

Lincoln
Johnson
Jay Fisk
Gould
Grant
Horatio

Lecture Topic:

During the lecture, take notes here.

1865-1877

Crisis of Reconstruction
1. Crucial turning point in Am. Hist.
2. Challenges
  1. Punish or forgive?
  2. Let them in Gov.?
  3. Slavery?
1863
Lincoln vs. Congress
1. Differences as early as 1863
2. December- "10% Bill"
  1. Swear oath to U.S.
  2. Republicans in Congress- "Inadequate"
3. "Wade Davis Bill"
  1. 50% swear oath of alliance
  2. All who were CSA no allowed in Gov.
  3. Johnson-Pocket veto
Pres. Johnson
1. Not concerned about Blacks
2. Promotes poor whites in South
3. Announces reconstruction plan in May 1865
  1. Oath of alliance
  2. After oath
    1. Could set up Gov.
    2. Proclaim secession illegal
    3. Ratify 13th amendment http://members.tripod.com/~greatamericanhistory/gr02011.htm
    4. Rich Whites and CSA
      1. Denied vote or office
      2. Unless pardoned by pres.
4. New south governed by former pardoned CSA leaders
  1. Some states refuse to ratify the 13th amendment
  2. All enacted black codes http://www.ipoaa.com/black_codes_louisians_miss_ohio.htm
5. Republicans dominated congress
  1. Refuse to recognize new southern gov.
  2. Refuse to seat southern congressman
Johnson vs. Congress
1. Rad. Rep. (minority)
2. Goals
  1. Black suffrage
  2. South is biracial democracy
3. Majority Rep.
4. Goals
  1. End black codes
  2. Protect civil rights
    1. Freedman's bureau
    2. Pass civil rights act of 1866
    3. Johnson vetos both
      1. Drives moderate Rep. to Radical
      2. Overrule veto
      3. Radicalized congress
14th amendment
1. Defined Citizenship-protect person from state gov.
  1. All persons born in US or naturalized-citizen
  2. No state can deny rights with out due process of the law
  3. No state deny equal protection of the law
  4. Former CSA officials excluded from voting /office unless pardoned by 2/3 majority
    1. Southern states refuse to ratify
Congressional Radical Reconstruction
1. Bt. 67'-68' Congress implements reconstruction programs over Johnson
  1. Sothern laws invalidated
2. Reconstruction Act of 1867
  1. 5 military districts
  2. Each state to write new constitution enfranchising blacks
  3. Each State to ratify 14th Amn.
  1. Only then would congress re-admit them
  1. Congressional act gave blacks and not whites vote
    1. Didn't give blacks land
Impeachment Crisis
1. Congress passes bills to reduce pres. power
2. Tenure of office act
  1. Johnson refuses so acknowledge
  2. Fired Stanton
  3. "Lincolns appointee-tenure doesn't apply to me"
3. House files 11 articles of impeachment
4. Fear that checks and balances unsettled
5. Senate hearing
  1. 1 vote from impeachment
  2. Johnson escapes removal
State gov. during reconstruction
1. Carpetbaggers- ppl. Who went south to exploit situation
2. Scalawags-Southerners who collaborated with northerners
3. Enfranchised blacks
1. Bayonet rule
  1. Democratized Southern Institutions
    1. Abolish property/ racial qualifications for voting & office holding
    2. Redistricted state legislature
  2. Began program of extensive Public works
    1. Increased roads, bridges, pub. Facilities
    2. South 1st pub. Schools
    3. "40 acres and a mule" only a rumor
  3. New programs= higher taxes
    1. Southern land owners resent taxes
    2. Accuse gov. of corruption and waste
    3. Some charges true
  4. Blacks elected into office
    1. Hiram Revels, MI
      1. Instead of Jeff. Davis
    2. Control lower house of SC
    3. Whites don't accept black office holders
Vigilante Groups
1. "Redeemers"
  1. Violence and intimidation against blacks ,Freedman's B.
  2. KKK TN-1866
  3. Knights of the White Camelia
2. Segregation in South
  1. Black codes
  2. Grandfather clause
  3. Literacy tests
    1. Despite Civil rights act of 1875
    2. Enforced then invalidated by SC
3. Force act and KKK act
  1. Pres. authority to end in federal troops
  2. Large military in S. to protect blacks
Impact of Emancipation
1. Freeman confront freedom
  1. Lacked property, tools
  2. Left plantations
  3. Sought separated family members
  4. Marry
2. Black institutions
  1. Black churches…most important
  2. Black schools-Freedman's B.
  3. Univ. Howard, Atlanta
3. New economic system in south
  1. Many blacks want farms…some get it
  2. Cong. Can't touch white man's land
  3. Blacks too poor to buy land, tools
  4. Sharecropping
    1. Many whites and blacks
    2. 1880-80% cotton
4. Crop Lien Economy
  1. Merchants sold supplies on credit
  2. Make interest rates up to 70%
  3. Cotton prices low-merchants dishonest-tenants in debt
  4. Prohibits leaving land until all debt paid
Election of 1868
1. People tired of "politics +promises"

Rep "Payback"	Dem
Ulysses S. Grant	Horatio Seymour
War hero Voted only once	NY Gov
"let us have peace" Wave the bloody shirt	Denounces reconstruction
Won by 300,000

15th Amendment 1869
1. Forbids states to deny votes based on race
2. Woman push- ignored
3. Hoped amendment would
  1. Protect S. rights
  2. More votes for rep.
  3. North tired of reconstruction
Grant in power
1. "Era of good stealings"
2. 39 mil ppl
  1. "Man on moon holds his nose when passing over AM"
  2. War devastates economy
  1. Railroad exploits land buyers
  2. Stock market- manipulators make fast fortune
3. Black Friday
  1. U.S. treasury hold 95 mil in safes-circulated 15 mil
    1. During C. W. gov. printed "Green Backs"… not backed by gold
  2. Sept. 1869- Jim Fisk Jay Gould, plot to corner market
    1. They bought up all the gold to drive prices higher, didn't think treasury would get involved.
    2. Grant realizes situation.. Releases 4 mil into market-normal again
4. Credit Mobiler Affair 1873
  1. RR construction co. formed by insiders of Union Pacific RR
  2. Hire themselves to build 1 mile for $500,000 really $30,000
  3. Gave shares of RR to congressman /VP
5. Salary Grab 1873
  1. Congress votes 50% increase to Congressman/Judges
  2. Public outcry
6. Tweed Ring
  1. "Boss" William Tweed convicted of bribery, graft,fraud
  2. Exposed-NY times + Thomas Nast
Election of 1872
1. Liberal rep. switched to democrats

Rep	Dem
Grant	"Mugwamps" goody good
Ignoramus	Horace Greely
Drunkard	NY tribune
Swindler	Atheist, communist, vegetarian
Grant wins

Republicans in retreat
1. Split in decisions about reconstruction
2. Amnesty Act
  1. All CSA officals pardoned
  2. Lowers tariff
  3. Mild civil service reform-attempt to stop patronage abuses
3. Rep. abort reconstruction
  1. More interested in economy than black's rights
  2. Radicals-dead or defeated
  3. North wants good relationship w/ south
    1. Racist
    2. "Gov. should enforce equality"
4. Reconstruction abandoned/Redemption movement
  1. South redeems itself from Rep. rule
  2. Applied enormous for Dem
    1. Cut taxes/services/pub. works
    2. Pass laws favoring landlords
  3. Some blacks migrate south
    1. Others in debt or poverty