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The American Nation: 

The American Nation Chapter 18 Reconstruction and the Changing South, 1863–1896 Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved.

The American Nation: 

The American Nation Copyright © 2003 by Pearson Education, Inc., publishing as Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. All rights reserved. Section 1: Early Steps to Reunion Section 2: Radical Reconstruction Section 3: The South Under Reconstruction Section 4: The End of Reconstruction Chapter 18: Reconstruction and the Changing South, 1863–1896

Early Steps to Reunion: 

Chapter 18, Section 1 Early Steps to Reunion Why were postwar problems more severe in the South than in the North? What early steps were taken toward reconstruction? How did the assassination of Lincoln and the inauguration of a new President lead to conflict?

Postwar Problems: 

Chapter 18, Section 1 Postwar Problems

The Postwar Nation: 

Chapter 18, Section 1 The Postwar Nation

Early Steps Toward Reconstruction: 

Chapter 18, Section 1 Early Steps Toward Reconstruction Reconstruction—the rebuilding of the South Lincoln’s Plan, called the Ten Percent Plan A southern state could form a new government after 10 percent of its voters swore an oath of loyalty to the United States. The new government had to abolish slavery. Voters could then once again elect members of Congress. The plan offered amnesty, or a government pardon, to Confederates who swore loyalty to the Union. Former Confederate leaders could not be given amnesty, however. Wade-Davis Bill, a rival Republican plan. Lincoln refused to sign the bill. A majority of white men in each southern state had to swear loyalty to the Union. Anyone who had volunteered to fight for the Confederacy would be denied the right to vote or hold office.

The Freedmen’s Bureau: 

Chapter 18, Section 1 The Freedmen’s Bureau Congress and the President did agree on one plan. One month before Lee surrendered, Congress passed a bill creating the Freedmen’s Bureau, a government agency to help former slaves. The agency helped poor whites as well. Gave food and clothing to former slaves. Tried to find jobs for freedmen. Provided medical care. Set up schools. Most of the teachers were volunteers from the North. The Bureau created colleges for African Americans, including Howard, Morehouse, and Fisk.

Lincoln’s Assassination and Johnson’s Inauguration Lead to Conflict: 

Chapter 18, Section 1 Lincoln’s Assassination and Johnson’s Inauguration Lead to Conflict President Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865. Andrew Johnson became President. He proposed a Reconstruction plan: A majority of voters in each southern state had to pledge loyalty to the Union. Each state had to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment, which banned slavery throughout the nation. The southern states quickly met Johnson’s conditions. The President approved their new state governments in late 1865. Southern voters elected representatives to the Senate and House. Republicans in Congress were outraged that many of those elected had held office in the Confederacy. No southern state allowed African Americans to vote. Congress refused to let southern representatives take their seats. Instead, they set up a Joint Committee on Reconstruction to form a new Reconstruction plan.

Early Steps Toward Reconstruction: 

Chapter 18, Section 1 Early Steps Toward Reconstruction Reconstruction—the rebuilding of the South Lincoln’s Plan, called the Ten Percent Plan A southern state could form a new government after 10 percent of its voters swore an oath of loyalty to the United States. The new government had to abolish slavery. Voters could then once again elect members of Congress. The plan offered amnesty, or a government pardon, to Confederates who swore loyalty to the Union. Former Confederate leaders could not be given amnesty, however. Wade-Davis Bill, a rival Republican plan. Lincoln refused to sign the bill. A majority of white men in each southern state had to swear loyalty to the Union. Anyone who had volunteered to fight for the Confederacy would be denied the right to vote or hold office.

The Freedmen’s Bureau: 

Chapter 18, Section 1 The Freedmen’s Bureau Congress and the President did agree on one plan. One month before Lee surrendered, Congress passed a bill creating the Freedmen’s Bureau, a government agency to help former slaves. The agency helped poor whites as well. Gave food and clothing to former slaves. Tried to find jobs for freedmen. Provided medical care. Set up schools. Most of the teachers were volunteers from the North. The Bureau created colleges for African Americans, including Howard, Morehouse, and Fisk.

Lincoln’s Assassination and Johnson’s Inauguration Lead to Conflict: 

Chapter 18, Section 1 Lincoln’s Assassination and Johnson’s Inauguration Lead to Conflict President Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865. Andrew Johnson became President. He proposed a Reconstruction plan: A majority of voters in each southern state had to pledge loyalty to the Union. Each state had to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment, which banned slavery throughout the nation. The southern states quickly met Johnson’s conditions. The President approved their new state governments in late 1865. Southern voters elected representatives to the Senate and House. Republicans in Congress were outraged that many of those elected had held office in the Confederacy. No southern state allowed African Americans to vote. Congress refused to let southern representatives take their seats. Instead, they set up a Joint Committee on Reconstruction to form a new Reconstruction plan.

Section 1 Assessment: 

Chapter 18, Section 1 Section 1 Assessment One task the Freedmen’s Bureau accomplished was to a) set up schools for former slaves. b) try to move as many former slaves as possible to the North. c) get former slaves to rebuild the plantations where they had lived. d) help Confederate soldiers adjust to returning home. Many Republicans in Congress were outraged with Johnson’s Reconstruction plan because a) only 10 percent of southern voters had to swear an oath of loyalty to the Union. b) it called on the southern states to abolish slavery. c) it denied the right to vote or hold office to former Confederate soldiers. d) it allowed former Confederate officials to be elected to Congress. Want to connect to the American History link for this section? Click here.

Section 1 Assessment: 

Chapter 18, Section 1 Section 1 Assessment One task the Freedmen’s Bureau accomplished was to a) set up schools for former slaves. b) try to move as many former slaves as possible to the North. c) get former slaves to rebuild the plantations where they had lived. d) help Confederate soldiers adjust to returning home. Many Republicans in Congress were outraged with Johnson’s Reconstruction plan because a) only 10 percent of southern voters had to swear an oath of loyalty to the Union. b) it called on the southern states to abolish slavery. c) it denied the right to vote or hold office to former Confederate soldiers. d) it allowed former Confederate officials to be elected to Congress. Want to connect to the American History link for this section? Click here.

Radical Reconstruction: 

Chapter 18, Section 2 Radical Reconstruction How did Congress react to the passage of black codes in the South? How did Radical Republicans gain power in Congress? Why was President Johnson impeached?

Congress Reacts to Black Codes: 

Chapter 18, Section 2 Congress Reacts to Black Codes black codes—laws passed by southern states that severely limited the rights of freedmen How did black codes affect freedmen? Black codes granted some rights. African Americans could marry legally and own some property. Black codes kept freedmen from gaining political and economic power. They forbade freedmen to vote, own guns, or serve on juries. In some states, African Americans could work only as servants or farm laborers. In others, they had to sign contracts for a year’s work. How did Congress react to black codes? Angered by black codes, Republicans charged that Johnson’s lenient Reconstruction plan had encouraged the codes. Republicans were also angered by southern white violence against freedmen.

Congress Reacts to Black Codes: 

Chapter 18, Section 2 Congress Reacts to Black Codes How did Congress react to black codes? The Joint Committee on Reconstruction accused the South of trying to “preserve slavery . . . as long as possible.” When President Johnson ignored the report of the Joint Committee, members of Congress who were called Radical Republicans vowed to take control of Reconstruction.

Radical Republicans Gain Power: 

Chapter 18, Section 2 Radical Republicans Gain Power Radical Republicans had two main goals. Break the power of wealthy planters who had long ruled the South. Ensure that freedmen received the right to vote. Radical Republicans needed the support of moderate Republicans. Most southerners were Democrats. Republicans could control both houses if southerners were barred from Congress. To combat the black codes, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act in April 1866. It gave citizenship to African Americans. Republicans proposed the Fourteenth Amendment, which granted citizenship to all persons born in the United States. It guaranteed citizens “equal protection of the laws” and said that no state could “deprive any person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law.”

Radical Republicans Gain Power: 

Chapter 18, Section 2 Radical Republicans Gain Power In the Election of 1866, President Johnson opposed the Fourteenth Amendment and urged voters to reject the Radicals. Southern violence convinced many northerners that strong measures were needed, so they backed the Republicans. Republicans won majorities in both houses of Congress. The period that followed the election is often called Radical Reconstruction. Congress passed the first Reconstruction Act in March 1867. It threw out state governments that had refused to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment.

Reconstruction Plans: 

Chapter 18, Section 2 Reconstruction Plans

Andrew Johnson Impeached: 

Chapter 18, Section 2 Andrew Johnson Impeached Because Johnson tried to limit the effect of Radical Reconstruction, Congress tried to remove him from office. On February 24, 1868, the House of Representatives voted to impeach, or bring formal charges against, Johnson. The President could be removed from office if two thirds of the Senate found him guilty of “high crimes and misdemeanors.” During Johnson’s trial, it became clear that he was not guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors. In the end, the Senate vote was 35 to 19 against Johnson—just one vote shy of the two thirds needed to convict him.

The Civil War Amendments: 

Chapter 18, Section 2 The Civil War Amendments

Section 2 Assessment: 

Chapter 18, Section 2 Section 2 Assessment Angered by the South’s response to Johnson’s Reconstruction plan, Republicans in Congress accused the South of a) trying to preserve slavery as long as possible. b) moving too fast to find work for former enslaved African Americans. c) refusing to give any rights to freedmen. d) letting freedmen work without signing contracts. To “impeach” a President means that a) the House of Representatives finds the President guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors. b) the House of Representatives brings formal charges against the President. c) the Senate finds the President guilty of the charges the House brought. d) the Senate officially removes the President from office. Want to connect to the American History link for this section? Click here.

Section 2 Assessment: 

Chapter 18, Section 2 Section 2 Assessment Angered by the South’s response to Johnson’s Reconstruction plan, Republicans in Congress accused the South of a) trying to preserve slavery as long as possible. b) moving too fast to find work for former enslaved African Americans. c) refusing to give any rights to freedmen. d) letting freedmen work without signing contracts. To “impeach” a President means that a) the House of Representatives finds the President guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors. b) the House of Representatives brings formal charges against the President. c) the Senate finds the President guilty of the charges the House brought. d) the Senate officially removes the President from office. Want to connect to the American History link for this section? Click here.

The South Under Reconstruction: 

Chapter 18, Section 3 The South Under Reconstruction What groups of people made up the new forces in southern politics? How did southern Conservatives resist Reconstruction? What challenges did Reconstruction governments face? How did many southerners become locked into a cycle of poverty?

New Forces in Southern Politics: 

Chapter 18, Section 3 New Forces in Southern Politics

Southern Conservatives Resisted Reconstruction: 

Chapter 18, Section 3 Southern Conservatives Resisted Reconstruction Conservatives—white southerners who had held power before the Civil War and who resisted Reconstruction; they wanted the South to change as little as possible. A few wealthy planters tried to force African Americans back onto plantations. Many small farmers and laborers wanted the government to take action against freedmen to stop them from competing for land and power. Some white southerners formed secret societies to help them regain power. The most dangerous was the Ku Klux Klan, or KKK. They conducted a campaign of terror and violence to keep African Americans and white Republicans out of office.

The Challenges Reconstruction Governments Faced: 

Chapter 18, Section 3 The Challenges Reconstruction Governments Faced Despite their problems, Reconstruction governments tried to rebuild the South. They built public schools for both black and white children, gave women the right to own property, and rebuilt railroads, telegraph lines, bridges, and roads. In rebuilding the South, Reconstruction governments met several challenges. To pay for rebuilding, Reconstruction governments raised taxes sharply. This created discontent among southern whites. Some Reconstruction officials were corrupt, which angered southerners.

A Cycle of Poverty: 

Chapter 18, Section 3 A Cycle of Poverty Some Radical Republicans talked about giving each freedman “40 acres and a mule” to help them get started, but that never happened. A few freedmen were able to buy land. Many freedmen and poor whites went to work on large plantations. These sharecroppers rented and farmed a plot of land. The planters provided seed, fertilizer, and tools in return for a share of the crop. Most sharecroppers and small landowners bought supplies on credit in the spring. In the fall, they had to repay what they had borrowed. If the harvest did not cover what they owed, they sank deeper into debt.

Section 3 Assessment: 

Chapter 18, Section 3 Section 3 Assessment Many white southern Conservatives resisted Reconstruction because they wanted a) to forget the war and get on with rebuilding the South. b) the South to change as little as possible. c) African Americans to hold important offices. d) to cooperate with the Republicans. One accomplishment of the Reconstruction governments was a) breaking up plantations to give land to freedmen. b) ending all corruption. c) disbanding the Ku Klux Klan. d) rebuilding thousands of miles of railroad track. Want to connect to the American History link for this section? Click here.

Section 3 Assessment: 

Chapter 18, Section 3 Section 3 Assessment Many white southern Conservatives resisted Reconstruction because they wanted a) to forget the war and get on with rebuilding the South. b) the South to change as little as possible. c) African Americans to hold important offices. d) to cooperate with the Republicans. One accomplishment of the Reconstruction governments was a) breaking up plantations to give land to freedmen. b) ending all corruption. c) disbanding the Ku Klux Klan. d) rebuilding thousands of miles of railroad track. Want to connect to the American History link for this section? Click here.

The End of Reconstruction: 

Chapter 18, Section 4 The End of Reconstruction What events led to the end of Reconstruction? How were the rights of African Americans restricted in the South after Reconstruction? What industries flourished in the “New South”?

The End of Reconstruction: 

Chapter 18, Section 4 The End of Reconstruction By 1870, Radical Republicans were losing power. Northerners were growing tired of trying to reform the South. In addition, disclosure of widespread corruption turned people against the Republican party. In 1872, Congress passed the Amnesty Act. It restored the right to vote to nearly all white southerners. They voted solidly Democratic and kept many African Americans from voting. The election of 1876 ended Reconstruction. After a dispute in the Electoral College, a special commission set up by Congress settled the election. The commission awarded the election to Rutherford B. Hayes. Although he was a Republican, he had privately agreed to end Reconstruction once in office.

The End of Reconstruction: 

Chapter 18, Section 4 The End of Reconstruction

Restricted Rights for African Americans in the South: 

Chapter 18, Section 4 Restricted Rights for African Americans in the South Voting restrictions Many southern states passed poll taxes, requiring voters to pay a fee to vote. Poor freedmen could rarely afford to vote. States also passed literacy tests that required voters to read and explain part of the Constitution. Since most freedmen had little education, such tests kept them from voting. Many poor whites could not pass literacy tests, so states passed grandfather clauses. These laws stated that if a voter’s father or grandfather could vote on January 1, 1867, then the voter did not have to take a literacy test. (No African Americans could vote before 1868.) Segregation, or legal separation of races In southern states, Jim Crow laws separated blacks and whites in schools, restaurants, theaters, trains, streetcars, playgrounds, hospitals, and even cemeteries. In the case of Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation was legal so long as facilities for blacks and whites were equal. In fact, facilities were rarely equal.

Industry in the “New South”: 

Chapter 18, Section 4 Industry in the “New South” “New South”—Atlanta journalist Henry Grady talked of a “New South”— a South that used its resources to build up its own industry and not depend on the North. Agricultural resources Southern communities started building textile mills to turn cotton into cloth. New machinery revolutionized the manufacture of tobacco products. New industries Alabama made use of its large deposits of iron ore and coal to become a center of the steel industry. Oil refineries sprang up in Louisiana and Texas. Other states produced copper, granite, and marble. Southern factories turned out cypress shingles and hardwood furniture.

Section 4 Assessment: 

Chapter 18, Section 4 Section 4 Assessment For African Americans in the South, the end of Reconstruction meant that a) the political rights promised in the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments were finally secure. b) they steadily lost the ability to exercise their political rights. c) their businesses could compete on an equal basis with white businesses. d) at last they were free to vote in local elections, as well as national elections. When people spoke of a “New South,” they meant that a) African Americans and whites would now work side by side. b) the South would turn to agriculture and let the North do all the manufacturing. c) the South would use its natural resources to build up its own industries. d) cotton would replace all other crops. Want to connect to the American History link for this section? Click here.

Section 4 Assessment: 

Chapter 18, Section 4 Section 4 Assessment For African Americans in the South, the end of Reconstruction meant that a) the political rights promised in the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments were finally secure. b) they steadily lost the ability to exercise their political rights. c) their businesses could compete on an equal basis with white businesses. d) at last they were free to vote in local elections, as well as national elections. When people spoke of a “New South,” they meant that a) African Americans and whites would now work side by side. b) the South would turn to agriculture and let the North do all the manufacturing. c) the South would use its natural resources to build up its own industries. d) cotton would replace all other crops. Want to connect to the American History link for this section? Click here.