us civil war - reconstruction

Question 1

what was reconstruction

Answer 1

period from 1865 to 1877 called ‘age of reconstruction’.

Question 2

what was Lincoln’s 10 percent plan

Answer 2

• southern states could be readmitted into the Union once 10% of voters swore an allegiance to the Union
• Voters could elect delegates to draft new constitutions, which must include abolition of slavery and introduction of new state governments
• from this, all southerners, except high ranking confederate army officers and government officials, would be granted a full pardon
• did not mention former slave and their voting rights

Question 3

argue why Lincoln’s ten percent plan was too lienent

Answer 3

• he had faith that south would no longer be controlled by plantation owners
• radical republicans thought since the south started the war, they should be punished accordingly

Question 4

argue why Lincoln’s ten percent plans are not too linient

Answer 4

• slavery was just ended and slaves were confiscated

-wanted ‘just and lasting peace’

• African American’s started having more equal rights

Question 5

when was Lincoln assassinated?

Answer 5

14th april 1865

Question 6

what was the Wade-Davis plan?

Answer 6

Henry Davis and Benjamin Wade, radical republicans, wanted 50% of confederate states to take an ironclad oath that they never volunarily supported the rebellion, and then they were allowed to rejoin

this was vetoed by Lincoln

Question 7

who was Andrew Johnson

Answer 7

ex democrat and ex slave owner from Tennessee

only senator from confederate states to stay loyal to union

military governor

vice president

Question 8

what problems did the south face post war?

Answer 8

1/4 of all white southern men of military age had died

economy was ruined

banking system was in chaos

large numbers were dependent on federal aid

emancipation of slaves meant they loss capital

Question 9

what were Johnson’s ideologies going to reconstruction

Answer 9

saw no alternative but to work with confederacy

was not federal government’s responsibilities to decide suffrage, and had no wish to promote ex slaves and opposed black suffrage

Question 10

what were Johnson’s actions with reconstruction?

Answer 10

• general amnesty to southerners who were willing to swear an oath of allegiance and support emancipation
• confiscated land should be returned to southeners
• rumours that southerners used bribery to win pardons
• ‘black codes’

Question 11

what was the role of congress in reconstruction?

Answer 11

• most republican congressmen were confederates, so many were not enthuastic about black suffrage
• when Congress tried to enlarge powers of Freedmen’s Bureau, he vetoed it.

Question 12

what was the civil rights act 1866

Answer 12

aimed to guarantee minimal rights to blacks

asserted right of federal government to intervene in state affairs to protect rights of US citizens

recieved support of Congressional Republicans

Johnson vetoed it, but 2/3 of congress overrode this `

Question 13

what was the 14th ammendment

Answer 13

guaranteed all citizens to be equal before the law and if any states denied this, federal government could intervene

Question 14

what were the 1866 mid term elections

Answer 14

• provided Johnson with an opportunity to strengthen his position
• but he lost his temper when confronted by hecklers
• republicans had no difficulty in campaigning against Johnson and the Democrats
• elections were a diaster for Johnson and was a triumph for Republicans, who won.

reconstruction was now up to republican dominated congress

Question 15

what was the military reconstruction act 1867

Answer 15

• no legal government could exist in any ex-confederate state
• 10 southern states were divided into 5 military districts
• southern states had to elect constitutional convetions which would accept black suffrage and 14th ammenments

Question 16

what efforts were made to try and reduce Johnson

Answer 16

• command of army act: recognised importance of the army in the reconstruction, reducing Johnson’s military powers
• tenure of office act: barred him from removing officeholders, including his own cabinet, to protect the secretary of war stanton.

Question 17

what was Johnson’s role in impeachment?

Answer 17

Republicans were convinced that Johnson had broken the law and tried to impeach him for high crimes.

This narrowed down to the removal of Stanton from office and not co-operating with Congress.

35 senators voted against him, but this wasnt enough.

Question 18

when was president grant introduced

Answer 18

1865 - Republicans chose General Grant as their presidential candidate, and his popular majority vote was due to Southern Black Support

Question 19

what was the 15th ammendment

Answer 19

1869 - right to vote should not be denied on account of race

Question 20

how did the African American population hold power

Answer 20

• large numbers flocked to join the Union league
• black voters constitued a real majority of the electorate
• after 1867, southern blacks were elected to local, state and national office
• majority of black officeholders were local officials

Question 21

how were African Americans stopped politically?

Answer 21

• blacks were still a minority in most states
• republicans often put forward white candidates for office
• unfairly blamed politically

Question 22

who were the KKK?

Answer 22

origins: founded by confederate veterans

methods: intimidation, violence at Black freedmen, terrorist raids against AA at night, destruction of property, assualt, murder

impact: prevented AA from exercising right to vote, created fear. Freedmen’s Bureau reported 336 cases of murder in one year

Government Action:

1871 - KKK act passed allowing Grant to use military force to suppress them.

Question 23

who were the knights of the white camelia

Answer 23

origins: Louisanna in 1847 by confederate soldiers

methods: violence, intimidation, terror. they targeted republican elections and organised and conducted attacks on government institutions

impact: hindered progress of reconstruction

government action: efforts to prosecute members of the white league

Question 24

what were the red shirts

Answer 24

origins: democratic paramilitary group from south carolina in 1876.

methods: attending Republican meetings and to mislead blacks, fear, superstition and intimidation

impact: successfully detered black people from voting

Question 25

how was reconstruction ‘ended’

Answer 25

1877 President Hayes made a compromise that Southern Democrats were handed control of southern states

Question 26

what was the social impact of reconstruction?

Answer 26

• white community kept to themselves and seperated themselves from the freedmen
• highly divided

Question 27

what was the economic impact of reconstruction?-

Answer 27

• north’s economy had been stimulated by war
• south had high levels of destruction
• economic crisis of 1873, many in north refocused to this
• Grant’s adminstration was damaged by accusations of corruption
• sharecropping emerged where typically former slaves would work the land growing crops and they would get a portion of sale price.
• african american sharecroppers were often exploited and could end up in debt

Question 28

what was the politcal impact from reconstruction?

Answer 28

• imposed ‘black codes’ by democrats, but from republicans, significant number of AA representatives elected to state legislatures
• south had been divided into 5 military districts
• loss of black political rights in the south was immediate
• poll taxes, literacy tests were used to stop black people from voting

Question 29

what was the presidential election in 1876

Answer 29

republican rutherford hayes ran against democrat Samuel Tilden

no clear winner since South Carolina, Florida and Louisanna were unclear

Electoral Comission Act of 1877 gave a comission of 5 senators to decide on what votes to count

Hayes won the votesu

Question 30

successes of reconstruction

Answer 30

AA had the vote and they had more political representation

Civil Rights Act

13, 14, 15th ammendments

Freedemen’s Bureau helped freedmen

Question 31

failures of reconstruction

Answer 31

wade davis plan - radical opposition

riots - many AA died in riots against the president

Johnson was put in charge - vetoed everything and was racist, gave land back to southerners from freedmen

pardoned a lot of southerns - too lenient??

black codes, few top positions went to African Americans

society was still segregated and divided on race

sharecroppers had poor conditions and pay

economic crisis in 1873 meant economy was crumbling

Question 32

historiography for reconstruction

Answer 32

Johnson’s reconstruction policies were essentially right, his main failure being his inability to carry them out’- Andrew Johnson

James M. McPherson- “Abraham Lincoln’s role in preserving the Union and ending slavery has secured his place as one of America’s greatest presidents.”- Lincoln

Harold Holzer- A powerful, inaccurate and unfortunate counter-myth percolates in both our curricula and culture that Lincoln was indifferent to slavery. Not true. Lincoln said- “I am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. “- Lincoln