Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Problems of Peace
After the Civil War-- four questions the people faced:
How would the South be rebuilt? How would liberated blacks fare as free men and women? How would the Southern states be reintegrated into the Union? Who would direct the process of Reconstruction the Southern states themselves, the president, or Congress?
Problems of Peacecont.
Rebel leaders
Davis2 year imprisonment Leaders pardoned eventually by Johnson Civil liberties restored 30 years later
Freedmen
Some stayed w/planters---loyalty Tens of thousandsleft
Went to find family Jobs in towns & cities
Clothing, education, medical care for both white & black refugees Headed by Union General Oliver O. Howard
I.E. 40 acre land tractsrarely given Worked w/planterscajole to sign labor contracts
Did not fit w/Democrats or Republicans Worst thing for SouthernersLincolns death
Presidential Reconstruction
Lincolns Plan South never legally w/drawn from Union 10 Percent voters gave loyalty oath & abide by emancipation Set up state government Thenreturn to Union Wade Davis Bill
Congress thought Lincolns plan too soft 1864 passed Bill 50% of voters take allegiance oath
Johnsons Plan South never legally w/drawn from Union Recog. several 10% states Disenfranchised leading Confederates
Could petition for special pardon
Stronger safeguards State conventions Repeal secession to protect Repudiate Confed. emancipation debt Lincoln pocketvetoed the bill
Ratify 13th Amendment
Black Codes
Similar to pre-Civil War Codes Regulate emancipated blacks First lawNovember 1865 Goalsubservient, stable labor force
Penalties for breaking labor contracts Negro- Catchersarrested freedmen fined & then hired out to pay fine
No vote, serve on juries, sometimes rent/lease land Worst featureseventually repealed, but Resultmistreatment & poverty Sharecropping
Congressional Reconstruction
1861-1865Republicans had free hand
I.E. Morrill Tariff, Pacific Railroad Act, Homestead Act
Dec. 6, 1865, Johnson announced that rebel states had fulfilled requirements & Union was restored
Johnson v. Congress
Sir Veto or Andy Veto
Feb. 1866Bill that extended Freemens Bureau March 1866Civil Rights Bills citizenship & struck down Black Codes
Overrode vetorepeatedly did after this
14th Amendment
Civil rights & citizenship (not vote); Reduced proportionality in representation if denied ballot Disqualified former Confed. leaders from federal office Guaranteed federal debt; repudiated Confederate debts
Johnson v. Congresscont.
Congress wanted states to ratify 14th Amendment before returning to Union Johnson told 11 Confed. states to reject 14th Amendment, so 1866--Congressional elections key
Johnson went on speaking campaign
Flopdid more harm than good
Radical Republicans
Congress is now veto proof Radicalsidealist and/or vindictive
Moderate Republicans wanted policies that would insure citizens rights Both realizedBlacks needed the vote
Charles Sumner & Thaddeus Stevens Apply federal power for social & economic transformation
By 1870 all Southern states had written state constitutions complying w/demands 1877Last of federal troops leave State governments were back in the hands of white Redeemers a.k.a. aristocracy
No Women Voters
14th Amendmentfirst time Constitution clearly distinguished citizenship for males only Abolitionist movement tied with womens rights Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony
Had temporarily suspended their cause to work solely for emancipation Now campaigned against 14th Amendment Cause rift w/Frederick Douglassthe Negros hour Also wanted to change 15th Amendment so vote couldnt be denied based on gender either
Union League
Southern black political organization Educate members on political duties Campaign for Republican candidates Building black churches Representing black grievances Recruiting militia to protect black communities
1868-187614 Black congressmen; 2 Black senators (Hiram Revels & Blanche K. Bruce) Served in State governments
Reforms: public schools, tax system, women property rights
Johnson fires Edwin M. Stanton in 1868 House of Rep.impeach 126-47 for high crimes & misdemeanors Very public hearingsold 1000 tickets Lost 2/3 majority vote to remove from office by one vote
Destabilized checks & balances Didnt want radical Ben Wade (president pro-tempore of senate) as President
Purchase of Alaska
Russia overextendedavoid war with British Friendly to North during Civil War Sec. of State--William Seward arranged purchase for $7.2 million Unpopular purchase Sewards Folly or Sewards Icebox Later found natural resources such as oil and gas