Reconstructing the Nation Window of Opportunity for expanded citizenship American citizenship in the wake of the civil war Reconstruction the Constitution began during the civil war and formally ended in 1867 an effort fundamentally to transform Efforts by political leaders manly republican sought to use the power of a strong government reconstruction was meant to all men in freedoms economic opportunities0 Reconstruct the constitution and first task was to guarantee political freedom to African Americans 13th Amendment February 1865 December 1865 give political freedom to African Americans and outlawed o began passing black codes denied basic freedom to former slaves Civil Rights Act of 1866 all persons born in US excluding Indians was a citizen entitled to full and equal benefit of all laws Andrew Johnson vetoed bill Congress overruled first time congress had overturned a president and first time legislation statutorily overruled 14th Amendment 1868 started in 1866 intended to remove any doubts whether act of 1866 was slavery unconstitutional o Section 1 declared all persons born in US are citizens no state could abridge the privileges or deprive of life liberty or property or deny equal protection of the laws o Radical republicans believed there needed to be a lot more to be done pushed through reconstruction act Reconstruction Act 1867 and Radical Reconstruction 10 southern states except Tennessee placed under federal military rule occupied governments of southern states were to be democratized and elect delegates to make new constitutions and had to accept 14th amendment and all male suffrage black and white then could send representatives to national congress 15th Amendment 1870 7 states were readmitted to the union Georgia Virginia Mississippi began to solidify no state government could restrict the right to vote by race color or previous race Did little to let blacks hold office did not provide women to vote Reconstruction transformed the constitution became a proactive tool Republicans used legislation not just the constitution provide new social opportunities New Opportunities Freedman s Bureau March 1865 created to uplift and reform southern society created courts to deal with conflicts and draw contractions with landholders and laborers establishing schools by 1869 there were 3000 schools schooling 150 000 students The next best thing to liberty referencing to education o o mobilize black voters racist democrats boycotted these elections Elections and black officeholders 20 African Americans served as governors 600 served as state legislatures 16 Women s rights Elizabeth Cady Stanton women activist saw as potential moment sought new opportunities at are national legislatures the ballot box States constitutions allowed married women to own properties wonderful reform for the cause of Suffrage concerned that the 15th amendment did not give women the right to vote 1866 white wealthy education women deserve the right to vote just as much as the African Americans o o o women s rights Stanton Nature of the Federal Government bring freedom power of president vs power of congress has always been a contested issue of our government was it a threat or protector Expansion during Civil War Expanded federal taxation paying for the war not paid by Americans until WWII Expanded national economy opened up lands for homesteaders establish colleges Republican Hapeus corpus can not arrest you unless warrant but cut off during war Johnson s Reconstruction Plans developed his own approach to reconstruction president should be in control of Constitution as it was and the Union as it was Johnson wanted to reform the Union used powers to reestablish Pardons had to swear an oath of loyalty to the union used this tool to open up new social system in the south reconstruction not Congress construction and loyalty oaths Congress s Reconstruction Plans Responding to Black Codes formal exercises to exert control of newly freed blacks substitute freedmen for slaves formed slaves to carry passes curfews and stay in certain homes free people would find it very difficult to leave properties o Blamed Johnson for all of this Thaddeus Stevens and Radical Republicans convinced that the Union had won the war created a golden opportunity for finalizing equal rights for all committed to confiscating the and dividing it amongst the slaves declared the whole fabric of society must be changed to make a true republic o Result in battle resulting in impeachment Impeachment Crisis Johnson continued to infuriate congress in 1868 he removed his own secretary of war of office Congress had just passed a law saying don t do that Johnson was equated by one vote and NOT put out of office Recruiting a Nation Binding up the nations wounds Abe Lincoln can the United States truly be united Southern Devastation lost many men to death major southern cities had been burned to the ground railroads ripped to stop transportation of necessities recovery was slow late as 1870 GA many million of farming supplies destroyed Free Labor Ideal o Special Field Order 15 40 acres a mule Jan 12 1865 land given to former slaves Garrison Frasier Place us where we could reap the fruit of laborers and have land to toil ourselves o Land redistribution land would be confiscated Johnson declared all land returned to owners most rural poor people remained property less carpetbaggers used by white southerners sneer at northerners that headed south after war actually well educated and believed it was harder for them to do business with southern democrats turned into republicans and scalawags traitors The questions were not settled by the mid 1870s reconstruction was doomed By 1877 the project was abandoned Compromise Cotton would no longer be king the blacks and whites would live together known as the New South The New South Henry Grady s New South editor of Atlanta Constitution went to UGA 1886 New South Speech advocated for industrial development it would be a path to the social and economic program widely received and became the part owner of Atlanta Constitution spent most of his life advocating the New South Gave the speech in NYC gained him national attention o The US was no longer two separate nations now a south of union and freedom and living and breathing every hour thrilling with power and prosperity The southern economy was industrializing o o Race relations had changed the negroes of the south are very prospering By 1870 Northerners were
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