8/30/12Reconstruction 1865-1877The Civil War-U.S. Grant on April 9, 1865 rode through Union lines into the small village of Appomattox to meet Robert E. Lee, who surrendered/ended war.-One soldier said: “I’ll be damned if I ever love another country.” This quote expressed the emotional toll of this war in that people were losing their way of life.Reconstruction-Problems-Economic: plantations and factories were ruined, no one was working them-Political: Southern states had to somehow be brought back into the union-Social: atmosphere of hate, status of the 4 million newly freed Blacks had to be clarified-Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands-This bureau, AKA Freedman’s Bureau, was created by Congress in March 1865 to help newly freed Blacks and also poor whites-Led by General O.O. Howard-Issued rations (clothes, medicine, food): of 21 million rations, 6 million were given to poor whites.-Supervise labor system-Many Freedmen’s Bureau agents were former Union soldiers-Secured land for Blacks-Justice in courts (special courts set up)-Medical care (40 hospitals established, ½ million treated)-Set up Mission Persons Bureau to reunite families-Most importantly, set up with the help of the American Missionary Association an extensive system of schools for Blacks. Blacks sought education more than anything else despite the still present laws against Blacks learning to read and write.-The American Missionary Association sent thousands of white, mostly female, teachers to open the schools. These women were ostracized, made to live in the Black side of cities, and even beaten and killed by people who believed Blacks should not be educated.-Sometimes, these schools were burned down.-Many of these “colleges” that were not really colleges/universities at the time, but rather were preparing students for college level curriculum, are still open…-Hampton University (Hampton, Virginia)-Fisk College (Nashville, Tennessee)-Atlanta University (Atlanta, Georgia)-Dillard University (New Orleans, Louisiana)-Tougaloo College (Jackson, Mississippi)-Talladega College (Talladega, Alabama)-Elderly Blacks wanted education so they could read the Bible.-Children would come home from school and teach their families what they learned.-“New South”-The declining economy in the South following the end of the Civil War resulted in:-Declining farm values-Mounting debts-Shortage on cash-Shortage on labor-Worldwide need for cotton-These things came about by sharecropping and tenant farming. Large plantations split upinto smaller units and were sold to new farmers who would then hire workers or rent landto tenant farmers.-Share cropping: owner provided all materials except the sharecropper provided labor. At the end of the season, the owner took a fixed share of the crop, which was always cotton or tobacco, and the sharecropper took the rest.-While this provided an immediate solution to getting the land back into cultivation, it had harmful long term effects.-Sharecropping’s Harmful Effects-Sharecroppers might have a “subsistence garden” but could not get everything they needed from that and were forced to buy things from stores run by white menon credit. Once the crop was harvested, they would not have enough to cover theirdebt. White men would say they owed more than they actually did and black men could not argue with them. The black men would then have to pledge labor.-This made it so things hadn’t changed very much since the end of the Civil War. Blacks were left somewhere between slavery and freedom, although they were no longer slaves to individuals, but to society.-Soil exhaustion: cotton and tobacco both take nutrients out of the land and return nothing-Poverty for black and white tenant farmers both-This system did not begin to fall apart until the Great Depression.-Abraham Lincoln-Lincoln’s Ten Percent Plan (1863)-Believed Southern states should be let back into the Union as full and equal states as quickly as possible and with little penalty. He considered them “erring sisters,” – rebellious little states who deserved forgiveness.-Plan provided pardons for Southerners who pledged allegiance to the Union (for common people, not political/military leaders)-Whenever…-10% of the # of voters who had voted in that state in 1860 had pledged allegiance-State had abolished slavery-State had repudiated succession…a civil government could be established.-Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Virginia did this with no problem.-Most of Lincoln’s (Republican) Party was doubtful of Lincoln’s trusting attitude, didn’t trust the Southern States, and held them responsible for the War and 600,000+ deaths.-Congress-Congress believed it was its duty, not Lincoln’s, to readmit states, and came up with its own plan of Reconstruction.-Wade-Davis Bill (1864)-Provisional/temporary governor in each conquered state-Every citizen must take oath-Once majority of citizens took the oath, Constitutional Convention wouldbe called.-State had to… -Abolish slavery-Outlaw Confederate debts-Disfranchise high ranking officers…and then could write a new Constitution to be voted by majority.-Lincoln pocket vetoed the Wade-Davis Bill.-Battle between Lincoln/Congress did not last long. April 14, 1865: John Wilkes Booth @ 10:00 PM assassinated Lincoln, who died the next morning @ 7:22 AM.-Andrew Johnson-From North Carolina, tailor by trade, senator in Tennessee, known for hating large plantation owners and being vindictive towards them.-Radical Republicans, who were liberal, especially regarding race, and wanted to punish the South and protect Blacks, thought Johnson was the perfect President initially.-Johnson instead became almost as generous with the South as Lincoln was.-Johnson’s Plan of Reconstruction (1865)-4 states forgiven until Lincoln still ok-Provisional governor in each conquered state-Citizens must take oath of allegiance (did not specify which % required before Constitutional Convention)-≥$20,000 property owners disfranchised (could not vote, run for office, etc.) must apply for personal pardon from President-State must-Invalidate ordinances of secession-Abolish slavery-Repudiate confederate debts**One thing all three plans have in common that was important is that, although they all promotethe abolition of slavery, none of them say anything else about the status of Blacks.-Congress, which had not been in session during the creation of the Andrew Johnson Plan of
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