Reconstruction 1865-1876
- Created by: Ashleigh Owens
- Created on: 11-05-13 15:09
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- Reconstruction 1865-1876
- 1865- 13th Amendment
- Outlawing slavery
- 1868- 14th Amendment
- Guaranteeing full citizenship for all Americans.
- 1870- 15th Amendment
- Providing universal suffrage for all men.
- Theoretically guaranteed the voting rights of A.A's; However intimidation strategies disenfranchised many for a long time.
- Providing universal suffrage for all men.
- Civil Rights Acts
- Civil Rights Act 1875
- Promoted the ending of segregation in all public areas except schools.
- In retaliation to 'reconstruction and the C.R acts etc- KKK was established.
- KKK (Klu Klux Klan)
- KKK white racist group CONTEXT: many like this were set up in 1866 in ex-confederate states.
- Established in Tennessee by General Nathan Bedford Forest.
- The Klan grew rapidly from 1868-71. estimated 400,000 membersin Tennessee alone and roughly 1/2 million across S.
- Southern Democrats encouraged and colluded in Klan terrorism targeted at black official, schools, churches etc.
- Republican state officials tried to enforce laws that would stop KKK..
- BUT- Klansmen gave each other alibis (covered for each other) and were frequently jurors.
- Gov Holden N Carolina used state militia against Klan and was condemned for subverting liberty of KKK.
- Infer- government corrupt and racist in S even though US run by Republican.
- 1870- Force Acts
- In response to appeals for help from several states- Pres Grant passed 3 force Acts.
- This gave President Grant legal and military power to crush the Klan.
- These Acts crushed most of the violence,
- However, ex-Confederate states continued to use violence (particularly lynching) and intimidation against Republicans and blacks.
- In response to appeals for help from several states- Pres Grant passed 3 force Acts.
- KKK (Klu Klux Klan)
- Civil Rights Act 1866
- Promoted political equality.
- Civil Rights Act 1875
- TIME LINE-
- 1852: Publication of Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery novel 'Uncle Tom's Cabin'. Her passive 'Uncle Tom' would be used in 1960's for A.A's prepared to make compromises in struggle for equal rights.
- 1859- John Brown raided the federal arsenal at Harper's Ferry, Virginia, to gain weapons and ammunition for a slave revolt. Brown was hanged but became a martyr to the cause of emancipation and a role model for those supporting a more physical approach in the struggle for equal rights.
- 1865- End of the American Civil War. Ratification of 13th Amendment outlawing slavery.
- 1866- 1866 C.R Act gave A.A's full citizenship + equal rights. Memphis massacre- 46 A.A's were killed + many homes, schools, churches etc, were burned to ground by white mob and police.-Founding of the KKK.
- 1867- 'Reconstruction' with acts passed granting vote to freed slaves in Southern states.
- 1868- 14th Amendment, Ratified; giving full citizenship to all born or naturalised Americans. Louisiana massacre- 250 A.A's killed.
- 1870- Ratification of 15th Amendment; enfranchising A.A's.
- 1875- Clinton Massacre; over 200 A.A's killed in Mississippi. 1875 C.R Act prohibits segregation in all public places except schools.
- Reconstruction- Period of reform and reconstruction after American Civil War; promoted racial equality. Primarily through three amendments.
- 1st Reconstruction 1865- 'Confederate Style'. (President Johnson + Southern elite.)
- Social position of blacks-
- Social gains from Reconstruction for blacks:
- Freedom of movement-those who desired moved to S cities (1865-70- black population in S 's 10 largest cities doubled.) or the N or the West.
- Reconstruction gave blacks confidence to build and benefit from their own institutions.
- Black churches and federal Freedmen's Bureau (1865-72) made education more widely available to blacks and a few businessmen,lawyers, doctors, political leaders etc. emerged.
- Black churches became popular and influential although naturally they served to racial divisions as whites attended separate churches. In many ways both blacks and whites preferred to be separate.
- Educational institutions founded during Reconstruction: Howard (Washington DC) and Fisk (Tennessee) provided some leaders of mid-twentieth century C.R movement.
- Black churches and federal Freedmen's Bureau (1865-72) made education more widely available to blacks and a few businessmen,lawyers, doctors, political leaders etc. emerged.
- The % of illiterate blacks was falling. 90% 1860, 70% 1880.
- Social losses for blacks-
- Although blacks came nowhere near equality and social acceptance after the Civil war. Whites still remained hostile and fearful. White said- 'sambo' should stay in his place.
- Future president Theodore Roosevelt said- 'A perfectly stupid race [blacks] can never rise to a very high plane.'
- A group of Southern politicians created a crusading anti-***** group. (1890s)
- Social gains from Reconstruction for blacks:
- Political position of blacks-
- Black voters and Black officials
- After civil war, 700,000 blacks were registered to vote in S. compared to 600,000 whites.Radical Republicans had supported equal voting rights so they got black votes.
- Southern Democrats and some historians criticized Republican rule in the south as corrupt and dominated by blacks,
- Black politicians blamed for this corruptness but they were no less to blame than their white contempories who dominated S + N politics.
- Southern Democrats and some historians criticized Republican rule in the south as corrupt and dominated by blacks,
- There were very few black officials and most were in local; only 2 US black senators. both in Mississippi (50% black). 1 Charles Caldwell shot by whites in Tavern.
- Why were blacks unable to dominate Southern politics?
- Blacks lacked education, organisation and experience.
- Blacks were accustomed to white rule leadership and domination.
- The black community was divided. Ex-slaves resented free-born blacks who saw themselves as superior.
- Blacks were a minority in most states.
- Sure of the black vote, the Republican party usually put forward white candidates in hope of gaining more white votes.
- White Republicans usually considered blacks less able to govern than whites.
- Southern black leaders didn't want to rock the boat by excluding ex-confederates from office.
- How and why black voting was stopped by the 1890s.
- Mississippi successfully introduced income and literacy qualifications that stopped blacks voting: 1890.
- Only 3 percent of blacks could vote in S by 1900. Thus Reconstruction failed to bring lasting political gains for blacks.
- White supremacist groups used violence to stop blacks voting. In Louisiana; White League assassinated several Republican officials in 1874.
- Why: S's believed in the arguments that justified slavery even though it was now abolished.
- S's depicted Reconstruction as an era of black rule **** arson etc. They made this an excuse for disenfranchisement of blacks.
- Some whites believed blacks were immature, irrational and incapable of possessing the right of citizenship.
- Mississippi successfully introduced income and literacy qualifications that stopped blacks voting: 1890.
- After civil war, 700,000 blacks were registered to vote in S. compared to 600,000 whites.Radical Republicans had supported equal voting rights so they got black votes.
- Black voters and Black officials
- Economic position of blacks-
- Reconstruction failed to bring economic gain to blacks. Freed slaves ability of movement but lacked wealth thus remained in S and farmed.
- Most then remained trapped by poverty, working as sharecroppers for white elite. (basically slavery)
- Cotton farmin suffered in 1870s so S was 50% income less than N.
- Lack of economic power kept southern black progress slow.
- Cotton farmin suffered in 1870s so S was 50% income less than N.
- Most then remained trapped by poverty, working as sharecroppers for white elite. (basically slavery)
- Reconstruction failed to bring economic gain to blacks. Freed slaves ability of movement but lacked wealth thus remained in S and farmed.
- 1865- 13th Amendment
- 2nd Reconstruction 1866- 'Black Reconstruction.' (After Congress rejected 'Reconstruction Confederate style'.)
- 1st Reconstruction 1865- 'Confederate Style'. (President Johnson + Southern elite.)
- END OF RECONSTRUCTION-
- Amnesty Act -Helped to restore political power to ex-Confederates. 1872
- Helped restore voting and office holding rights to 150,000 ex-confederates.
- Civil Rights Act trying to prevent discrimination in public places. 1875
- Last federal attempt to help S blacks.
- End of Reconstruction - 1877
- President Hayes withdraws all federal troops from South 1877.
- Supreme court decisions indicated that civil rights were individual state <<concerns.
- South effectively became a 1 party state- left to Democrats. Their white supremacy beliefs united democrats in S.
- This control meant control over voting rights and education.
- South effectively became a 1 party state- left to Democrats. Their white supremacy beliefs united democrats in S.
- Supreme court decisions indicated that civil rights were individual state <<concerns.
- President Hayes withdraws all federal troops from South 1877.
- Indicative of loss of N interest in S blacks- collapse of Freedmen's Bureau.
- Amnesty Act -Helped to restore political power to ex-Confederates. 1872
- Civil Rights Act 1866
- Promoted political equality.
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