Lecture 36 Flashcards
(20 cards)
1
Q
Lincoln’s “10% plea” and Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction.
A
- 1863.
- If 10% of voters in a (former CSA) state accepted the emancipation proclamation and swore loyalty to the US, they could return to the Union.
2
Q
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
A
- He is killed while watching “Our American Cousin” in Ford’s theater.
- By John Wilkes Booth bc. Booth thinks Lincoln is being too lenient on the former CSA.
3
Q
Expectations of Freedmen.
A
- Education as well as “40 acres and a mule” was a program for assisting freedmen in becoming self sufficient.
- Generally expected employment and equality.
4
Q
Andrew Johnson
A
- Became President after Lincoln.
- From Tenn. Only Southern Senator to not leave the Union after secession, which is why he was Lincoln’s VP.
- He was more lenient on the South than Lincoln; issued 13000 pardons for former CSA high ranking officers who had been charged with war crimes.
5
Q
Black codes
A
- Directed at freedmen.
- Limited their rights; incl. harassment of blacks, barring them from leaving plantations they had previously labored at, restrictions regarding miscegenation, no jury, sometimes had to carry docs, couldn’t own guns or be in certain occupations, and were charged and put back into defacto slavery on occasion.
6
Q
Explain “negro catchers” and the auctioning of freed slaves.
A
- Blacks would be charged for breaking ridiculous laws and fined.
- If they couldn’t pay the court fines, they were literally sold to get the fines paid.
- As “punishment,” auctions were used to sell the labor blacks would be forced to perform.
- Led to blacks working on plantations and in road crews just as a new form of slavery.
- Judges would also threaten custody of children based on these peccadilloes.
7
Q
What was the relation between Andrew Johnson and black codes, court auctions, and general South discriminatory laws?
A
- Johnson didn’t do anything to combat black codes or court auctions.
- He also vetoed the freedmen’s bureau, which was intended to build schools, unite families, and provide aid to newly freed blacks.
- The freedmen’s bureau was specifically limited by funding, which Johnson restricted, effectively nullifying it.
8
Q
Civil Rights Act of 1866.
A
- Said civil rights are guaranteed to all.
- Federal law can overall state law here.
- Vetoed by Johnson.
- The veto was overridden by Congress, which was the first time that had happened in history.
9
Q
The impeachment of Andrew Johnson.
A
- He was really impeached because of his veto of the Civil Rights Act of 1866.
- Technically it was for violating the Terms of Office Act, which said a President couldn’t remove certain officeholders without Senate consent, and this was violated by Johnson when he fired the secretary of war.
- In reality Republicans were just mad that he blocked civil rights.
- He was impeached but not removed from office. It did destroy all of his power and allowed Congress to basically take over to perform “reconstruction,” or the period of putting the US back together.
10
Q
Reconstruction Acts.
A
• Former CSA states were occupied by US forced, except Tennessee, and states were only allowed to rejoin the Union if they ratified the 14th amendment.
11
Q
New amendments after the Civil War.
A
- 13 says no slavery.
- 14 says all citizens have equal treatment under the law.
- 15 gives right to vote to black citizens.
12
Q
Under the military occupation resulting from reconstruction, what generally happened in the South?
A
- Southern gov’ts were created, but the military made sure blacks got to vote.
- Voter participation was like 90%.
- Around 600 black legislators held office by 1867.
- Reforms for debt relief and child support were enacted.
- Public schools were created and legal aid was provided to defendants.
- Taxes were raised to pay for the mew programs.
13
Q
Counter-reconstruction.
A
- By 1870, disunity in the Republican Party arose, and Dems tried to bait people into racial violence.
- The Ku Klux Klan, White Citizens’ Council, and other white supremacy groups arose.
- These organizations were about intimidating blacks and blocking them from voting.
- The North was largely complacent.
14
Q
Ku Klux Klan.
A
- “Night patrols.”
- Founded in 1866 by 6 CSA vets.
- Goal is to intimidate blacks and harass them, although lynching was a common policy, as well as raiding homes.
15
Q
North complacency in counter-reconstruction and scientific racism.
A
- Scientific racism was a focal point for complacency in the North.
- Generally thought Irish and blacks were inferior.
- Was a feeling that Southern politicians were just hopelessly corrupt and wealthy republican politicians in the South just took advantage of promoting blacks to further themselves. So generally a complacency for the blocking of blacks voting was seen as inevitable or perhaps right.
16
Q
Election of 1872.
A
- Ulysses S. Grant is the Republican candidate who wins because of the black vote.
- Democratic candidate was Horace Greeley.
17
Q
Redeemers.
A
- White racists in the South who say blacks have no place in politics and society.
- Used violence, intimidation, etc. to endure blacks “know their place” and don’t vote.
18
Q
The White League and revolt.
A
- In New Orleans, in 1874, they assembled 85000 troops to overthrow Louisiana governor William P. Kellogg.
- Inspired White “Liners?” in Mississippi to demand resignation of all black officials around Vicksburg.
- The Sheriff got approval from the governor of Mississippi to form a militia—which included many blacks—to defend the legislators; white liners harass them for 10 days and shooting happened?
- Fed does little to stop this.
19
Q
Election 1876 and the Compromise of 1877.
A
- Samuel Tilden was the Democratic candidate, and Rutherford B. Hayes was the Republican.
- Tilden won the popular vote but didn’t get enough electoral votes to win.
- So the compromise of 1877 occurred: 7 dems and repubs met in Wormleg? Hotel. Republicans promise to end occupation of the South and in exchange dems will give the necessary votes to secure Hayes as the next President.
20
Q
Share cropping.
A
- After reconstruction, only 14000 of the 4 million slaves took advantage of land distribution; many went North where they weren’t welcome, insinuating race riots.
- Vast numbers of freedmen ended up sharecropping to survive: this was defacto slavery where many ended up on the same plantations they had just left. A planter would give blacks subsistence and a plot of land to grow stuff, but 50% of the crop went to the planter and the rest was given to the black laborers for them to sell and pay off debt.
- However, the debt accumulated was set up so it couldn’t be paid off, and in addition, blacks couldn’t leave the plantation until the debt was gone.
