Thursday dec ninth at 11am for two hours. That’s the exam, baby.

Blue book. One cumulative exam probably involving slavery.

RECONSTRUCTION

Lincoln didn’t get to direct it, cuz he died. Without his presence, reconstruction was in the hands of
congress.

Lincoln, being the first assassinated pres, was deeply mourned, esp in the north. His death directly
directed Reconstruction, and caused great mourning in the north.

Recon dealt with two basic issues

 How should emancipated slaves be incorporated into the American systems. Millions of people
just became free folks.
 How should the govt go about restoring these rebellious states into the Union.
 1865-1877

First problem:
 Fed govt creates the freedman’s bureau.
o Spring of 1865, soon after war ended.
o Primary aim was to assist ex slaves in transition period from war and slavery to freedom
and peace.
o Almost entirely ran by northerners. So, you can see some potential for conflict in the
south.
o Northerners in the bureau wanted the freedmen to become wage laborers…encouraged
them to enter into labor contracts with their former owners. Huh. Yeah, the last thing
that most of these guys wanted to was join back with the people that owned them.
o Wanted to get more property to the slaves. Wanted to find a way for the former slaves
to get access to property.
o Many ex slaves were opposed to what the freedman’s bureau called for. So, newly
freed blacks begin to organize.
 Push for political, economic rights.
 Chief demand of former slaves in the south is the right to vote.
 Private property.
o FB was originally less concerned with voting rights, more with property. So, heads were
butted over this.
o Many former slaves felt that, since they were born there, they had just as much right to
the land.
o FB had mixed results
 Framework for ex slaves to join citizenry.
 Some didn’t approve of their method.
 Freedmen were deeply opposed to labor contracts, as they saw that as another form of slavery.
They wanted to run their own farms.
 The primary aim of the freedmen themselves was political. Primary aim of FB was to get the
southern economy up and running.
o Compromise reached: Sharecropping.
  Sharecropper leased a plot for one year. Usually from a wealthy white
landowner. So, you didn’t own the land but you did have ayear long lease.
 Any produce you cultivated, you had to give half to two thirds to the owner.
 Sharecropping was rife with corruption. All sorts of opps for landowner to screw
the cropper.
 Many places wouldn’t let you make decisions to leave until the day
before the new lease came into effect.
 Debt…many sharecroppers couldn’t afford local markets. So the
landlord would give you items on credit…
 There was a brief moment when free blacks got some upper hands.
o Hirem Rebels – free black man from MS who was elected to US senate…got the seat
vacated by Jeff Davis. Hah.

2 phases of reconstruction

Presidential reconstruction:
Refers to period under Andrew Johnson
 Defining feature was that the south could reenter the union under very easy terms.
Basically, unless you were a high ranking former confederate or major land owner,
you could simply become a citizen again by swearing an oath. Minimal, man.
 State govts just had to ratify the 13 th amendment, too. oooOOOooo. After these
things happened, the states could start sending politicians to Washington
o Only one confederate waS executed for treason: The commandant of the
Andersonville prison.
 Under pres recon,
o We see the south passing “Black Codes”
 Laws designed to restore slavery in all but name.
 One stipulated that if your grandfather was a slave, you couldn’t
participate in politics.
 Deny right to serve on a jury.
 Etc
 Through these black codes, you see the local govts in the south
trying to circumvent the 13th amendment.
o Radical republicans began to take action against these codes and the
rejoining of the south became
 RADICAL RECONSTRUCTION
o It was demanded that the freedmen must be treated as full citizens.
Instituted military rule in the south.
o =south divided into five military districts.
o This prevented them from sitting in congress.
o The basic aim of Rad Recon was
 Disenfranchise south’s pre war leadership.
 Generals ensured that laws were passed to ensure that ex slaves
could vote.
 Mobilize the black electorate.
 Oversee elections.
  Oversaw the drafting of new state consitutions that would
guarantee black sufferage.
o So, we begin to see new govts forming into these
states.
o If they ratified the 14th amendment, they could
ReRejoin the union.
 (14th is national citizenship)
 Prohibited states from denying civil rights or
equal protection under the law.
 14th amdendmen ensured that bill of rights
applied to state govts, too.
 15th amendment was the third big recon
amendment
 It prevented states from denying
right to vote based on race or the
previous condition of servitude. No
grandfather clause, baby. Passed in
1869.
 So, once these states reentered the union…
o Between 1868-70, all the former states of the confederacy reenter the
union. All three amendments had been ratified.
o By 1870, John Brown was seen as a hero, not a slave loving traitor. John
Brown’s body lies a mouldering in the grave.
o Also by 1870s, more and more ex confederates can join in politics.
 See more efforts to screw blacks.
 Democratic party begins to campaign against “black rule” , against
people like Hiram Rebels.
 Became known as the “redeemers,” trying to redeem the old south
 Violent arm of this movement was the Ku klux Klan, form in 1866 in
TN.
 Murdered local republicans
 Burn black churches and schools
 Mobilize white voters
 Founded by Nathan Bedford forrest
o Before cvil war, made living as a slave breaker. Shit,
didn’t know that.
o Became a confederate general.
 So, we begin to see politicans elected to southern office who had
strong opposition to Reconstruction policies
 In the 1870s, we start seeing repercussions, too.
 Econ of the north hits a downturn.
 To many northerners, plight of former slaves just wasn’t as
urgent.
 Add to that a series of scandals in the presidency of US
Grant.
 All comes to a head of the prez election of 1876
o Republican candidate was Ruthorford B Hayes
 o Democrat was Samual Tildman.
 The election ends up being contentious and controversial…mostly
because lots of southern states had two sets of electoral votes
because they were divided.
 Florida caused the real problem, here. Again. For the first
time.
 So, constitutional crisis comes up.
 Two sides strike a deal
o Give pres to Hayes
o Dems demand that Reconstruction End. This is
agreed upon .
o Recon ends in 1877.
o Republicans sold out, man. There was a loss of
momentum.
 The failure of recon set the groundwork for Jim Crow South.
 Wasn’t until the 1950s/60s do you see political changes take place to end these
unequal treatments.
 Still with us today via the 14th amendment
o Ensure bill of rights stick to states as well as the fed.