U.S. History Chapter 18 Reconstruction Notes PDF

U.S. History Chapter 18 Notes 18.1 Planning Reconstruction: Reconstruction: the rebuilding and readmitting of the former confederate states to the Union. Lincoln’s 10% plan- His plan required that voters in each Southern state take a pledge of loyalty to the U...

U.S. History Chapter 18 Notes 18.1 Planning Reconstruction: Reconstruction: the rebuilding and readmitting of the former confederate states to the Union. Lincoln’s 10% plan- His plan required that voters in each Southern state take a pledge of loyalty to the Union. Once the state had reached 10% in which the voters had taken the oath they could form a new state government and state constitution which banned slavery. Lincoln didn't want to punish the Southern States after the war had ended. Some Republicans thought that he wasn't being harsh enough. Those that thought the plan was not harsh enough were known as the Radical Republicans. Three states set up new governments under Lincoln's plan, Louisian, Arkansas, and Tennessee. The Radical Republicans though refused to seat their representatives and senators. Freedmen's Bureau- was set up to help African Americans adjust to life after slavery.It helped them with food, clothing, medical and it set up schools, helped them get their own land to farm or find work. On April 14, 1865 Linclon was assassinated at Ford's theater by John Wilkes Booth. Vice President Andrew Johnson became President. Johnson's plan included amnesty for most southerners except for high ranking officers who could only receive pardon from the POTUS. He also required the ban of slavery through the ratification of the 13th amendment. 13th amendment- the ban of all slavery. By the end of 1865 all southern states had rejoined the union except Texas. 18.2 The Radicals Take Control: When the new representatives from the southern states arrived in D.C. the radical republicans would not seat them. They were determined to make the former Confederate states' readmittance more difficult. By early 1866 southern states had passed black codes. These laws were designed to help control the newly freed African Americans. To combat the black codes the Radical republicans passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 through congress. This act granted power to the federal government to get involved in state affairs to protect African Americans’ rights. Johnson vetoed the bill saying it was unconstitutional but the republican led congress overrode the president's veto. The 14th amendment was ratified in 1868 which proposed that all persons born or naturalized are citizens of the U.S. The Reconstruction acts. The Radical Republicans came up with some measures to make it more difficult on white southerners. With 10 states not having ratified the 14th amendment they divided them into 5 military districts. They also required them to form new governments, former confederate leaders were banned from serving in these new governments, and they had to submit a new state constitution to Congress for approval. As well as the ratification of the 14th and 15th amendment. In 1868 The House of Representatives impeached or formally charged him with wrongdoing. The case went to the Senate for trial. The Senate did not get the 2/3rds majority needed. Johnson was found not guilty. Ulysses S. Grant won the presidential election of 1868 as a republican. The 15th amendment- This amendment guaranteed the right to vote to all male citizens regardless of race, or color. 18.3 The South During Reconstruction Republicans controlled Southern politics during Reconstruction. African Americans played important roles as voters and as elected officials. Between 1869 and 1880 16 served in the House and 2 served in the Senate. White southerners accused the Reconstitution government of corruption, yet the evidence of corruption was more evident in the South. Life during the reconstruction for African Americans was difficult. Most southern whites did not want them to have more rights. White landowners often refused to rent land to freed people, store owners refused them credit, and many employers would hire them. The Ku Klux Klan was also a great danger to African Americans. The KKK was a secret society that disguised themselves with white hoods and used fear and violence to deny them any rights. In 1870 and 1871 Congress passed several laws to try and stop the growth of the KKK but were unsuccessful. Reconstruction Government built public schools for both races soon about 50% white and 40% african American races attend school in the south. African Americans also made gains in Higher education. Some of these universities included Howard and Morehouse College. These became known as Historically Black Colleges (HBCUs). African Americans and white attend different schools; few states had laws requiring schools to be integrated. African Americans wanted to own Land but most often their only option was sharecropping which was only a little better than slavery. 18.4 The Post Reconstruction Era Grant was elected in 1868 and reelected in 1872 but his presidency was plagued by scandals and corruption. As well as a financial crisis in his second term. Election of 1876 was heavily disputed but Republican Rutherford B. Hayes won the election by one electoral college vote. To make sure Congress accepted the outcome Republicans promised the Democrats that they would withdraw troops in the South that had been stationed there since the end of the Civil War. The Rise of the “New South” Some southerners believed that they had lost the Civil War due to their lack of industry. In the 1880’s south made great gains. They would have industries based on the regions coal, iron, tobacco, cotton, and lumber. They also began to rebuild the railroad that had been destroyed by the war. By 1870, it was nearly rebuilt and between 1880-1890 the track mileage had more than doubled. In Spite of this the South's Industrial economy still didn't rival that of the North’s. Agriculture remained the main economic activity. White Southern Leaders found a way to get around the 15th amendment with a poll tax, or a fee required for voting. Most African Americans couldn't afford to pay the tax. They also denied them the right to vote via the literacy test. This required voters to read and explain difficult parts of the constitution. Most failed due to their lack of education. Both the poll tax and literacy prevented some whites from voting so they passed the grandfather clause. The grandfather clause allowed the people to vote if their fathers or grandfathers had voted before. Because African Americans couldn't vote until 1867, they were excluded. In the 1800’s Segregation was common across the South. Segregation is the separation of races. The south passed Jim Crow laws that required whites and blacks to be separated. In 1896 the supreme court upheld segregation with Plessy v Ferguson which ruled “separate but equal.” Violence also rose in the form of lynching, when an angry white mob would kill people by hanging them. Reconstruction was a success in some ways but a failure in others.