Overview
This lecture covers the Reconstruction Era after the American Civil War, focusing on the challenges of reintegrating the South, the changing status of African Americans, government policies, and the eventual rollback of Reconstruction's gains.
Key Problems After the Civil War
- The US faced two main issues: the status of freed African Americans and terms for readmitting Confederate states.
- Federal troops occupied the South to enforce Reconstruction, prompting white Southern resistance.
- By 1877, most rights gained by African Americans during Reconstruction were rolled back.
African American Aspirations and Challenges
- Freed people moved to cities seeking family, work, and opportunity, which alarmed white Southerners.
- Land ownership was central to African American hopes for independence.
- Most black-owned farms were small and unprofitable; land confiscated during the war was returned to former Confederates.
Labor Systems and Sharecropping
- Plantation owners sought to control black labor post-slavery; freed people sought autonomy.
- Sharecropping emerged as a compromise but quickly became exploitative, keeping blacks in poverty.
Presidential and Radical Reconstruction
- President Andrew Johnson's Reconstruction plan (1865–1867) restored rights to most Southerners and allowed creation of new state governments.
- Black Codes in Southern states restricted the rights of African Americans.
- Congress passed the 14th Amendment (citizenship and legal equality) and the Reconstruction Act (military control of South, black voting rights).
Political Changes and Amendments
- Conflict between Johnson and Congress led to Johnson's impeachment (he survived trial).
- Ulysses S. Grant elected president in 1868; Republicans passed the 15th Amendment (voting rights for men regardless of race, but left loopholes).
- "Carpetbaggers" (Northerners in the South) and "scalawags" (Southern Republicans) were targeted by Democrats.
Violence, Resistance, and the End of Reconstruction
- The Ku Klux Klan and other groups used violence to suppress black voters and Republican leaders.
- Enforcement Acts and the Ku Klux Klan Act allowed federal intervention but were limited in effect.
- Economic depression in 1873 and political shifts eroded support for Reconstruction.
- The Compromise of 1877 ended Reconstruction by withdrawing federal troops and restoring Southern Democratic control.
Legacy and the Lost Cause
- The "Lost Cause" myth recast the South's defeat as honorable and justified white supremacy.
- Segregation and racial exclusion persisted due to Northern indifference and Southern control.
- True protection of black rights would not return until the Civil Rights Movement nearly a century later.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Reconstruction — Era (1865–1877) aiming to restore the South to the Union and define rights for freed slaves.
- Freedmen — Formerly enslaved African Americans.
- Black Codes — Laws restricting African Americans' freedoms post-Civil War.
- Sharecropping — Farming system where tenants give a share of crops to landowners as rent.
- 14th Amendment — Grants citizenship and legal equality to all born in the US.
- 15th Amendment — Prohibits denial of voting rights based on race, color, or previous servitude.
- Ku Klux Klan (KKK) — White supremacist group using violence to oppose Reconstruction.
- Carpetbaggers — Northerners who moved South after the Civil War.
- Scalawags — White Southern Republicans seen as traitors by other Southerners.
- Lost Cause — Southern narrative portraying the Civil War as a noble struggle.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review Chapter 15 on Reconstruction in the course textbook.
- Prepare notes on the 14th and 15th Amendments for next class discussion.