Reconstruction
1863-1877
What is the Reconstruction?
-Two definitions:
1.The period of time after the Civil War, from 1863-1877.
2.The transformation of the Southern United States afterthe Civil War.
-- the federal government “reconstructed” the Southernstates and Southern society --
Purposes of theReconstruction
-To decide how the Southern Stateswill participate in national politics
-To decide what to do with formerleaders and supporters of theConfederacy
-To determine the legal status offreed slaves
“Reconstruction must revolutionizeSouthern institutions, habits, and manners... The foundations of their institutions …must be broken up and relaid, or all ourblood and treasure have been spent invain.”
-Thaddeus Stevens, member of Congress,1865
1.Southern States andPolitics
ConstitutionalAmendments
-13th Amendment abolishedslavery
-14th Amendment declared that allpeople born in the United Stateswere US citizens, regardless of skincolor
-15th Amendment said that theright to vote cannot be deniedbased on race or skin color
Problems with Politics
Who should be in charge of the state governments?
-Former politicians in the South were also Confederateleaders; they couldn’t keep their political power or they wouldsecede again and continue to rebel
Solution:
-The Southern States were controlled by the Union militaryuntil the national government decided what to do.
-Former Confederate supporters lost the right to vote.
More Problems with Politics
Can freed slaves vote?
-Black people voting in the South would increase the South’spower in the national government, which could be bad. But ifblack people are not allowed to vote, then nobody willrepresent them in Congress.
Solution:
-Black men were allowed to vote, but not for long...
2. The South and Economy
Economic Issues
-11 major Southern cities weredestroyed during the war (Atlanta,Richmond, Charleston, etc)
-Up to 40% of farms were destroyed,and the farms that were left hadnobody to work on them
-A quarter of the Southern whiteworkforce died in the war
-The railroad system was destroyedentirely, so transportation was nearlyimpossible
-The Confederate dollar wasworthless, so people had to barter forgoods
3. The South and Society
Societal Changes
-No more slavery, so no moreplantations
-Plantations were divided intosmaller farms, run by tenantfarmers
-Many freed slaves moved to citiesto look for work. These movescaused a lot of sickness and death.
New Members ofSociety
-Freedmen: Former slaves who werenow able to vote, work, and own land
-Scalawags: Southerners whosupported the Union
-Carpetbaggers: Northerners whomoved to the South during theReconstruction to work asmissionaries, teachers, and politicians
-Ku Klux Klan (KKK): Secret terroristorganization dedicated to whitesupremacy and overthrowing the newgovernment
4. Freedmen in the South
ProblemsContinued...
-No more slavery, but many had tocontinue working on farms, andmost lived in poverty
-70% of black people were illiterate
-Violence against black people washigh, and black women wereespecially vulnerable
Jim Crow Laws
-Enacted by Southern Democrats afterthey regained control of their states
-Began with “Black Codes”: laws meantto control black people
-enforced racial segregation: “separatebut equal”
-institutionalized social, economic,educational, and politicaldisadvantages for black people
-Began to be overturned in 1954
Gerrymandering
Gerrymandering
-Example of institutionalized racismthat still exists today
-Voting districts are divided unevenlyto give one side an advantage
-Gerrymandering can effectively“cancel out” the black vote
5. End of theReconstruction
End of theReconstruction
-U.S. President Hayes removed thefederal troops from the South,allowing Southern Democrats toregain political control of their states
-Democrats began to pass laws to“restore the South”: This meantdiscriminating against black people
Was Reconstruction a Success?
-No!
-Most historians consider the Reconstruction to be a failure
-Why?:
Even though the United States became one nation again,the South became impoverished, and white Southernersbegan to oppress black Southerners through violence anddiscrimination.
The End!