🎖️Civil War and Reconstruction Unit 7 – Presidential Reconstruction

Key Players and Context

• Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States, led the country during the Civil War and initiated early Reconstruction efforts
• Andrew Johnson, Lincoln's Vice President and successor, took over Reconstruction after Lincoln's assassination in April 1865
• Radical Republicans, a faction within the Republican Party, pushed for more stringent Reconstruction policies and greater protection of freed slaves' rights
• Southern states, defeated in the Civil War, resisted Reconstruction efforts and sought to maintain white supremacy and control over the newly freed Black population
• Freed slaves, approximately 4 million African Americans, faced numerous challenges during Reconstruction, including poverty, discrimination, and violence
  • Many freed slaves sought education, economic opportunities, and political participation
• Union Army played a crucial role in enforcing Reconstruction policies and protecting freed slaves in the South

Lincoln's Approach to Reconstruction

• Lincoln prioritized the preservation of the Union and reconciliation between the North and South
• Believed in a lenient Reconstruction process to encourage Southern states to rejoin the Union quickly
• Issued the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction in December 1863, offering pardons to Confederates who took an oath of loyalty to the United States
  • Excluded high-ranking Confederate officials and those who mistreated Union prisoners of war
• Encouraged the formation of loyal state governments in the South once 10% of the state's 1860 voting population took the loyalty oath
• Opposed the confiscation of Confederate property and the redistribution of land to freed slaves
• Assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 14, 1865, just days after the Civil War ended, leaving Reconstruction in the hands of his successor, Andrew Johnson

The Ten Percent Plan

• Proposed by Abraham Lincoln in December 1863 as part of his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction
• Required 10% of a state's 1860 voting population to take an oath of loyalty to the United States to establish a new state government
• Offered pardons to most ex-Confederates, except high-ranking officials and those who mistreated Union prisoners of war
• Allowed the newly formed state governments to determine the rights of freed slaves
• Faced opposition from Radical Republicans who believed the plan was too lenient and did not sufficiently address the rights of freed slaves
  • Radical Republicans countered with the Wade-Davis Bill, which required a majority of a state's white male citizens to take the loyalty oath and guaranteed African American equality
• Lincoln pocket vetoed the Wade-Davis Bill, leading to increased tensions between the President and Radical Republicans

Wartime Reconstruction Efforts

• Reconstruction began during the Civil War as Union forces gained control of Southern territories
• Union-occupied areas in the South, such as New Orleans and parts of Tennessee, experienced early Reconstruction efforts
• The Emancipation Proclamation, issued on January 1, 1863, declared slaves in Confederate states free and laid the groundwork for the 13th Amendment
• Union Army established the Freedmen's Bureau in March 1865 to provide aid and assistance to freed slaves and displaced whites in the South
• Lincoln's Ten Percent Plan, announced in December 1863, outlined his vision for a lenient Reconstruction process
• Radical Republicans in Congress pushed for a more stringent approach to Reconstruction, focusing on ensuring the rights and protection of freed slaves
• Wartime Reconstruction efforts faced numerous challenges, including Southern resistance, the need to rebuild infrastructure, and the question of how to integrate freed slaves into society

Johnson's Presidency and Reconstruction

• Andrew Johnson, a Southern Democrat from Tennessee, became President after Lincoln's assassination in April 1865
• Johnson favored a lenient approach to Reconstruction, similar to Lincoln's Ten Percent Plan
• Issued proclamations of amnesty and pardon to ex-Confederates who took an oath of loyalty, excluding high-ranking officials and wealthy landowners
• Allowed Southern states to hold constitutional conventions and elect new state governments without federal oversight
• Approved the Black Codes, state laws that restricted the rights and freedoms of African Americans, enacted by Southern states in 1865-1866
• Clashed with Radical Republicans in Congress over the course of Reconstruction, leading to the passage of the Reconstruction Acts of 1867
  • The Reconstruction Acts divided the South into five military districts and required states to ratify the 14th Amendment and grant voting rights to African American men
• Faced impeachment in 1868 for violating the Tenure of Office Act, but was acquitted by one vote in the Senate trial

The Freedmen's Bureau

• Established by Congress in March 1865 as the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands
• Provided aid and assistance to freed slaves and displaced whites in the South during Reconstruction
• Distributed food, clothing, and medical supplies to those in need
• Established schools and provided education for freed slaves
  • By 1870, the Freedmen's Bureau had established over 1,000 schools serving approximately 100,000 students
• Helped freed slaves negotiate labor contracts and resolve disputes with white landowners
• Played a crucial role in protecting the legal rights of African Americans and investigating reports of violence and discrimination
• Faced numerous challenges, including limited resources, opposition from white Southerners, and the vast scale of the task at hand
• The Bureau's activities were gradually phased out, and it was officially disbanded in 1872

Black Codes and Southern Resistance

• Black Codes were state laws enacted by Southern states in 1865-1866 that restricted the rights and freedoms of African Americans
• These laws were designed to control the labor and movement of freed slaves and maintain white supremacy in the South
• Common provisions of the Black Codes included:
  • Requiring African Americans to sign yearly labor contracts, often with their former masters
  • Restricting the ability of African Americans to own property, bear arms, and testify in court against whites
  • Imposing harsh vagrancy laws that allowed the arrest and forced labor of unemployed African Americans
• The Black Codes were met with outrage in the North and led to increased support for Radical Reconstruction policies
• Southern resistance to Reconstruction took many forms, including:
  • The formation of white supremacist organizations, such as the Ku Klux Klan, which used violence and intimidation to suppress African American rights and political participation
  • The election of former Confederates to state and local offices, who worked to undermine Reconstruction efforts
  • Economic pressure and discrimination against African Americans, such as sharecropping and tenant farming systems that kept many in poverty

Legacy and Debates

• Reconstruction had far-reaching impacts on American society and politics, with many of its issues still resonating today
• The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, ratified during Reconstruction, abolished slavery, granted citizenship to African Americans, and prohibited racial discrimination in voting
  • However, the promise of these amendments was not fully realized due to Southern resistance and the eventual abandonment of Reconstruction efforts
• Reconstruction saw the first significant participation of African Americans in American politics, with the election of Black representatives to state legislatures and Congress
• The failure of Reconstruction to ensure long-term equality and protection for African Americans led to the rise of Jim Crow laws, segregation, and continued racial discrimination in the South
• Debates over the success and failures of Reconstruction continue among historians, with some arguing that it was a noble but flawed attempt to create a more equal society, while others see it as a missed opportunity to fundamentally transform race relations in America
• The legacy of Reconstruction can be seen in ongoing struggles for civil rights, racial justice, and the continued impact of systemic racism in the United States