History
Willy Ben Chen
2.pptxThe Post Bellum Era: Reconstruction After the Civil War.
The American Civil War was the most devastating conflict the United States was involved in. Nearly 750,000 soldiers were killed on both sides of the conflict with no accurate data as to the number of civilian casualties.
By the conclusion of the war, what little southern industry that existed before the war was decimated, farmlands and rail lines were destroyed, and the city of Atlanta was razed.
The Post Bellum Era: Reconstruction After the Civil War
In addition to the human and material damage of the war, southern society itself was also irrevocably changed by the abolition of slavery. Many southerners lost their livelihood and superior social status to the newly enfranchised African American community, leading to deep-seated resentment towards the former slaves and the north.
Meanwhile, emancipated slaves looked to establish themselves and protect their rights while northern opportunist (known as carpet-baggers) sought to gain wealth and notoriety by furthering the Republican agenda in the south.
The Post Bellum Era: Reconstruction After the Civil War
Though many gains were made during the Reconstruction era, it is ultimately viewed as a failure.
In the words of the historian Eric Foner, "What remains certain is that Reconstruction failed, and that for blacks its failure was a disaster whose magnitude cannot be obscured by the genuine accomplishments that did endure."
The Post Bellum Era: Reconstruction After the Civil War.
The constitution was amended three times between the conclusion of the Civil War and the end of Reconstruction. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments aimed to eliminate the question of slavery once and for all while also protecting the emancipated with the weight of the constitution itself. The Amendments were passed in 1865, 1868, and 1870, respectively.
The 13th Amendment
This amendment abolished slavery in the United States, formally ending the practice in 1865. Ratification of this amendment was a prerequisite for the rebellious states to regain representation.
The 14th Amendment
This amendment extended citizenship to all persons “born or naturalized” in the US. Likewise, it reserved for congress the right to punish states who abridged the right to vote and enforce this amendment via laws.
The 15th Amendment
This amendment prohibited states from disenfranchising voters on the basis of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” While this amendment opened the road to equality, it did not protect against literacy tests, poll taxes, and other ways of disenfranchising African Americans.
The Post Bellum Era: Reconstruction After the Civil War.
Immediately following the end of the war, southern states attempted to reinstate white supremacy via local laws known as Black Codes.
Though these laws took many forms, though one outstanding feature was vagrancy laws, which allowed local authorities to arrest freed people and commit them to involuntary labor.
Freedmen’s Bureau
Meanwhile, the federal government established the Freedmen’s Bureau to aid the newly emancipated by providing them relief, education, legal help and assistance in obtaining land or employment.
Though originally chartered for a year, Congress recognized the difficulty in the Bureau’s mission and renewed their charter in 1866.
Andrew Johnson
The 1866 Congressional election was incredibly important to setting the tone for the remainder Reconstruction. Republicans in favor of harsh penalties on the South and rapid enfranchisement of freedmen swept in Congress, giving them a free hand to enact legislation as they saw fit.
President Andrew Johnson, who favored slow integration of African Americans and a consolatory policy towards the south, was opposed to Congress’ approach to reintegrating the south.
Andrew Johnson
The Civil Rights Act of 1866 nullified the Black Codes and guaranteed to freemen "full and equal benefit of all laws and proceedings for the security of person and property as enjoyed by white citizens."
President Andrew Johnson vetoed it, but the Act had 2/3 majority, which overrode the President's veto.
The Post Bellum Era: Reconstruction After the Civil War.
1866 also saw the creation of the Ku Klux Klan. Founded in Tennessee by disillusioned Confederate veterans, its goals were to disfranchise African Americans, stop Reconstruction, and restore prewar social order of the South.
The Klan relied on terror and mob violence to achieve their aims. Though it began as a small organization, it was emulated throughout the South, making it a major threat to the African American community and republican sympathizers.
Military Reconstruction Act
Congress passed the 1867 Military Reconstruction Act to aid in the administration of the formerly rebellious states.
This Act divided the Confederate states into 5 districts: Virginia: first district, North Carolina and South Carolina: second district, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida: third district, Mississippi and Arkansas: fourth district, and Louisiana and Texas: fifth district.
Military Reconstruction Act
With army supervision, new elections would be held, where blacks and whites would elect new governments, select new national officials, and write new state constitutions.
Johnson again tried to veto this act, however Congress overrode the veto.
Fourteenth Amendment
The passage of the Military Reconstruction Act allowed the Republicans enough clout in Congress to pass the 14th Amendment.
Ratified during the end of the Johnson administration (1868), the president attempted to block it on the grounds that the rebellious states were ineligible to vote on it.
The amendment provided citizenship to ex-slaves after the Civil War and constitutionally protected equal rights under the law for all citizens.
Impeachment of Andrew Johnson
Fed up with his interference, the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to impeach Johnson and he was placed on trial before the Senate.
Johnson was ultimately acquitted by one vote. Congress was frustrated by Johnson objections to Reconstruction legislation.
What caused impeachment charges to be brought up was his dismissal of Edward Stanton as Secretary of War.
The Post Bellum Era: Reconstruction After the Civil War.
Former Commanding General of the United States Army Ulysses Grant won the 1869 presidential election. Grant’s presidency remains highly controversial mixed bag of success and failure.
As a staunch supporter of reconstruction policies, his administration oversaw the passage of the Fifteenth Amendment as well as the elimination of the Ku Klux Klan.
Likewise, he helped entrench (for a time) Republican power in the South. However, he unsuccessfully attempted to annex the Dominican Republic and fostered an economic policy that resulted in the Panic of 1873.
Enforcement Act
The 1871 Enforcement Acts were later passed by Congress so the federal government could hunt down the Klan and eradicate the group.
Though it was ultimately successful, the legacy of the Klan lived on and has seen a number of resurgences since then.
Fifteenth Amendment
Responding to the disenfranchisement of black voters in the south, Congress passed the 15th Amendment in 1870.
The amendment prohibited any state from denying male citizens the right to vote because of race color, or previous condition of servitude.
Mississippi Plan
Southerners decided to respond to the new amendments with terror and murder.
In Mississippi, the Democrats organized to browbeat and attack blacks and white Republicans (the latter also known as scalawags), creating an effective engine to suppress voter turn out.
Known as the Mississippi Plan, it was later adopted by other southern states.
Mississippi Plan
The Mississippi Plan made crude appeals to white supremacy. White Leagues organized campaigns of violence and intimidate to keep African Americans away from the polls.
Republicans were beaten, forced to flee the state and even murdered. In the end, African Americans were kept from the polls.
Civil Rights Act of 1875
Responding to the deteriorating situation in the South, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1875. Originally introduced by Charles Sumner, but the bill only passed after being watered-down.
This act prohibited discrimination against African Americans in public accommodations, such as theaters, parks and trains and guaranteed the right to serve on juries.
Most judges, however, either interpreted narrowly or declared it unconstitutional. The Supreme Court overturned it in 1883.
