Essential Question: In what ways did Reconstruction begin to help African Americans in the South?

Essential Question:Essential Question:

In what ways did Reconstruction begin In what ways did Reconstruction begin to help African Americans in the to help African Americans in the South?South?

What does it What does it

mean to mean to

RECONSTRUCT RECONSTRUCT something?something?

Key QuestionsKey Questions

1. How do we1. How do webring the Southbring the Southback into the back into the

Union?Union?

1. How do we1. How do webring the Southbring the Southback into the back into the

Union?Union?

2. How do we 2. How do we rebuild the rebuild the

South after itsSouth after itsdestruction destruction

during the war?during the war?

2. How do we 2. How do we rebuild the rebuild the

South after itsSouth after itsdestruction destruction

during the war?during the war?

3. How do we3. How do weintegrate andintegrate andprotect newly-protect newly-emancipatedemancipated

black freedmen?black freedmen?

3. How do we3. How do weintegrate andintegrate andprotect newly-protect newly-emancipatedemancipated

black freedmen?black freedmen?

4. What branch4. What branchof governmentof governmentshould controlshould controlthe process ofthe process of

Reconstruction?Reconstruction?

4. What branch4. What branchof governmentof governmentshould controlshould controlthe process ofthe process of

Reconstruction?Reconstruction?

President Lincoln’s PlanPresident Lincoln’s Plan

Wade-Davis Bill (1864)Wade-Davis Bill (1864) By Radical Republicans

Wanted terms much more difficult for southern whites to accept

made it impossible for Confederate states

RESULT: Less confederate states would return to Union

SenatorBenjamin

Wade(R-OH)

Congressman

HenryW. Davis(R-MD)

13th Amendment13th Amendment Ratified in December, 1865.

Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States or any place subject to their jurisdiction.

• Abolished slavery

President Andrew Johnson

President Andrew Johnson

Elected after Lincoln was assassinated

President Johnson’s Plan (10%+)

President Johnson’s Plan (10%+) Made most Confederate states eligible for pardons if

they became loyal

Created easy terms so Confederate states could return to their place in Union

States had to hold constitutional convention

Write new constitution to void

Slavery

Ratify 13th Amendment

Stop payments of state war debts

Things didn’t work out…Things didn’t work out… Many Southern state

constitutions fell short of minimum requirements.

Revival of the South

BLACK CODES BLACK CODES

Black CodesBlack CodesPurpose:

* Guarantee stable labor

Forced many blacks to become sharecroppers

Plantation owners would rent land to black families.

Give 1/3 of crop to plantation owner

Emergence of SharecroppingEmergence of Sharecropping

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Freedmen’s Freedmen’s BureauBureau


• In what ways did the Freedmen’s Bureau In what ways did the Freedmen’s Bureau meet resistant from Southerners during meet resistant from Southerners during the beginning of Reconstruction?the beginning of Reconstruction?

Freedmen’s Bureau (1865)

Freedmen’s Bureau (1865) Congress forms the

Freedmen’s Bureau.

Counteracts the Black Codes

Called “carpetbaggers” by white southern Democrats.



Organized to help ex-slaves with

Food

medical care

resettlement

education

““Carpetbaggers”Carpetbaggers”

• Term in which Southerners gave to Northerners who moved to South during Reconstruction

• Carpetbaggers were seen as sneaky Northern outsiders with questionable objectives

Freedmen’s Bureau Seen Through Southern Eyes

Freedmen’s Bureau Seen Through Southern Eyes

Plenty to eat and

nothing to do.

Successes of Freedmen’s Successes of Freedmen’s BureauBureau

• Gained support quickly from African Gained support quickly from African AmericansAmericans

• Elected as officials by African American Elected as officials by African American votersvoters

• BuiltBuilt– SchoolsSchools– ChurchesChurches

• Modernize the SouthModernize the South

Struggles of Struggles of Freedmen’s BureauFreedmen’s Bureau

• Were accused of having ulterior motivesWere accused of having ulterior motives

• Were not looking out for the best interest Were not looking out for the best interest of African Americansof African Americans

Freedmen’s Bureau School

Freedmen’s Bureau School

Slavery is Dead?Slavery is Dead?

1866- Ku Klux KlanWhites attack on Reconstruction

Between 1868-1871 whites launched a counterrevolution against the changes of Reconstruction

Documentary:Documentary:Marshall TwitchellMarshall Twitchell

A representative of the Freedmen’s Bureau A representative of the Freedmen’s Bureau working in Louisianaworking in Louisiana

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EXIT TICKETEXIT TICKET

• Do you think the creation of the Do you think the creation of the Freedmen’s Bureau helped or hindered Freedmen’s Bureau helped or hindered the struggle for equality for African the struggle for equality for African Americans?Americans?

The Road to EqualityThe Road to Equality


• How did the 14How did the 14thth and 15 and 15thth Amendment Amendment allow for change during the Reconstruction allow for change during the Reconstruction Era?Era?

14th Amendment14th AmendmentRatified in July, 1868.

* Provide a constitutional guarantee

* for rights of freed people.

Southern states would be punished

denying the right to vote to black citizens!

15th Amendment15th Amendment Ratified in 1870.

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.

It gives black males the right to vote.

WORD SPLASHWORD SPLASH• Amnesty ActAmnesty Act• Compromise of 1877Compromise of 1877• Andrew JohnsonAndrew Johnson• Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln• 1414thth Amendment Amendment• 1515thth Amendment Amendment• Freedmen’s BureauFreedmen’s Bureau• Military Military

Reconstruction Act of Reconstruction Act of 18671867

•Carpetbaggers

•Scalawags

•Ku Klux Klan

•sharecroppers

•Tenant farmers

•Rutherford Hayes


• What were the political, social and What were the political, social and economic changes that occurred during economic changes that occurred during the Reconstruction Era and how did these the Reconstruction Era and how did these reforms impact African Americans and reforms impact African Americans and white southerners?white southerners?

The First Steps…PoliticalThe First Steps…Political

• Three Reconstruction Acts are Three Reconstruction Acts are passed.passed.–Military Reconstruction ActMilitary Reconstruction Act–Command of Army ActCommand of Army Act–Tenure of Office ActTenure of Office Act

Reconstruction Acts of 1867


Military Reconstruction Act (1st)

* Divide the 10 “unreconstructed states”

* into 5 military districts.



Command of the Army Act (2nd)

* President issue all Reconstruction

orders through

• the commander of the military

Tenure of Office Act (3rd)

* The President could not remove any officials without the Senate’s

consent

• Designed to protect radicalmembers of Lincoln’s government.

Black Senate & House Delegates

•African Americans began to be elected to public offices

Black Senate & House Delegates

•African Americans began to be elected to public offices

Social Steps…Social Steps…• Organized conventions to fight forOrganized conventions to fight for

– Right to voteRight to vote– Equal access to schoolsEqual access to schools– TransportationTransportation– And to use public facilitiesAnd to use public facilities

• Slave marriages began to have legal Slave marriages began to have legal standingstanding

• Maintained strong family tiesMaintained strong family ties– through churchesthrough churches

Economic Steps…Economic Steps…• Type of work didn’t really change…Type of work didn’t really change…

• African Americans found African Americans found

jobs injobs in– CitiesCities– Women became Women became

domestic servantsdomestic servants

• SharecroppingSharecropping

John R. Lynch and LegislationJohn R. Lynch and Legislation

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• Wrap up 3-2-1Wrap up 3-2-1

• Write down Write down – 3 ways that life improved for African 3 ways that life improved for African

AmericansAmericans– 2 problems African Americans still faced2 problems African Americans still faced– 1 reason that white southerners were upset1 reason that white southerners were upset


• What ways did Reconstruction begin to What ways did Reconstruction begin to end?end?

The “Invisible Empire of the South”

The “Invisible Empire of the South”

The Failure of Federal Enforcement

The Failure of Federal Enforcement Enforcement Acts of 1870 &

1871 [also known as the KKK Act].

“The Lost Cause.”

Gave federal government

power to punish violators.

The Amnesty Act of 1872The Amnesty Act of 1872

• It removes the restrictions placed on It removes the restrictions placed on Confederate office-holders. Confederate office-holders.

The Civil Rights Act of 1875The Civil Rights Act of 1875

Prohibited discrimination for any reason

Shortcoming lacked a strong enforcement mechanism.

No new civil rights act was attemptedfor 90 years!

1876 Presidential Tickets1876 Presidential Tickets

Hayes PrevailsHayes Prevails

A Political Crisis: The “Compromise” of 1877A Political Crisis: The “Compromise” of 1877

•Southern Democrats wanted Federal Troops out of South

•Federal Troops pushed and continued Reconstruction

•Southern Democrats wanted Reconstruction to end

The “Compromise” of 1877The “Compromise” of 1877

• Presidential election between Hayes and Presidential election between Hayes and TildenTilden

• Tilden wonTilden won• However Hayes promised if he was However Hayes promised if he was

President he would remove federal troops President he would remove federal troops from southern statesfrom southern states

• Democrats allowed for Hayes to become Democrats allowed for Hayes to become PresidentPresident

• Federal troops left the SouthFederal troops left the South


• If there really was an end to If there really was an end to Reconstruction and African Americans Reconstruction and African Americans were given the same rights as whites, why were given the same rights as whites, why was there a Civil Rights Movement almost was there a Civil Rights Movement almost 90 years later?90 years later?

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Essential Question: In what ways did Reconstruction begin to help African Americans in the South?