The Civil War and Lincoln's Reconstruction

The Civil War (1861-1865)

• The primary cause of the Civil War was slavery.
• The issue of slavery became central in 1860 with the election of Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, as president.
• Lincoln defeated John Breckinridge, a Democrat.
• The Republican Party had varying views on slavery, with the Radical Republicans being the most vocal advocates against it.
• The Democratic Party had a mix of stances, ranging from indifference to support for slavery.
• Lincoln campaigned on limiting the expansion of slavery to new territories.
• Following Lincoln's election, 11 Southern states seceded from the Union to form the Confederate States of America.
• The Civil War began on April 12, 1861, and ended on April 9, 1865.
• President Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865.

Lincoln's Reconstruction Efforts

• Presided over the passing of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States.
• Advocated for freed African-American men to have the right to vote.

Reconstruction: A Definition

• The period after the Civil War, from 1865 to 1877, focused on rebuilding the nation and determining the status of formerly enslaved people.
• Key issues included:
  • Reintegrating the Southern states into the Union.
  • Establishing the legal and political rights of African Americans.
  • Providing assistance to the newly freed population.

Presidential Reconstruction (1865-1867)

• Andrew Johnson, Lincoln's successor, took a lenient approach to Reconstruction.
• Both Johnson and Lincoln were pro-Union but Johnson was not anti-slavery and lacked sympathy for freed slaves.
• To rejoin the Union, Southern states had to:
  • Take a loyalty oath.
  • Ratify the 13th Amendment.

Johnson's Plan

• Wealthy Southerners seeking political or property rights had to obtain a personal pardon from Johnson.
• Johnson favored a quick return of Southern states to the Union without rigorous conditions.
• The plan allowed Southern states to elect former Confederate officials to Congress, including 9 congressmen, 7 state officials, 4 generals, 4 colonels, and Alexander Stephens, the Confederate Vice-President, back into government roles.

Black Codes

• These were laws passed in Southern states, distinct from Jim Crow Laws, to limit the rights of newly freed African Americans.
• The Black Codes varied between states and included restrictions such as:
  • Prohibiting African Americans from testifying against white people in court.
  • Limiting voting rights.
  • Requiring permission from white people for travel.
  • Allowing for the assignment of children to former owners.
  • Arresting African Americans for vagrancy (being unemployed).
  • Establishing curfews for African Americans.
  • Allowing for the auctioning off of people who didn't pay fines to work for white employers.

The Break Between Johnson and Congress

• The passing of the Civil Rights Bill of 1866 was a direct response to the Black Codes.
• Johnson vetoed the bill, but Congress overturned it.

Congressional Reconstruction (1867-1870)

• Congress took a more active role in Reconstruction, with the establishment of the Freedmen's Bureau - a federal agency designed to help freed slaves transition to freedom.
• The Bureau focused on:
  • Building schools.
  • Assisting with employment.
  • Providing medical aide.

Military Reconstruction Acts

• Passed in 1867, the Acts divided the South into five military districts, under the control of federal troops.
• The Acts outlined the requirements for Southern states re-admission to the Union, including:
  • Crafting new state constitutions guaranteeing black men the right to vote.
  • Ratifying the 14th Amendment.

14th and 15th Amendments

• The 14th Amendment, passed in 1868, formally made the Civil Rights Bill into a constitutional amendment.
• The 15th Amendment, passed in 1870, granted the right to vote to African-American men.

Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

• Johnson attempted to dismiss federal officials who were working on Reconstruction efforts, violating the Tenure in Office Act, a law passed by Congress.
• Johnson argued the law was unconstitutional and fired the Secretary of War, a prominent ally of the Radical Republicans.
• Congress impeached Johnson, accusing him of 'high crimes and misdemeanors'.
• The House of Representatives voted to approve the articles of impeachment, and the Senate held a trial.
• Although the Senate narrowly failed to convict Johnson by one vote, he was unable to run for office again in 1868.
• Ulysses S. Grant was elected president.