1.1 To what extent did the 13A change the position of ex-slaves? Flashcards
Reason for 13A
- 13A was need cause Emancipation Proc issued by Lincoln, Jan 1863 Did not END slavery. - Enslaved in borders states
- 2nd confiscation Act - EP- 13A
- CW more about pressuring union BUT slavery was factor North Vs South
- Jan 1865 13A passed by 2 votes to ensure 2/3 majority 119 to 56 votes
Importance of 13A
- Created 4 million new free men
- ended the division of free vs slave
- Weakened the south = at North mercy
- led to –> other rights in North = black witnesses allowed in fed courts cases, could be postal workers, ride on street cars in wash DC
- confidence, hope = that fed gov could pass other leg to help B.A
- It wiped out $2 billion of property
What was William T Sherman’s contribution to the economic position of ex-slaves?
- 16th January 1865 – William T Sherman issued a Special Field Order No. 15 to confiscate a strip of coastal land as federal property
o 400,000 acres
o Split into sections of 40 acres each, for ex-slaves
o Large scale distribution did not take place despite a law passed by US Congress to establish it
What were the problems with sharecropping?
- BY 1880- 80% of land in cotton - producing areas farmed by share- croppers
★ Cycle of debt
Describe the Freedman’s Bureau?
• The Freedmen’s Bureau was established 1865 by Congress to help BAs and poor WAs in the south after the civil war
o Food
o Housing
o Medical aid
o Schools
o Attempted to settle former slaves on Confederate lands confiscated during the war
= Limited impact due to lack of funds = by congress in 1872
Why did the Freedman’s Bureau shut down?
• However, shortage of funds, personnel, race politics and reconstruction made in not effective
1872 pressure from Southern WAs led to it closing down by congress
What was the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction?
1863, Allowed former confed states to form a state gov if accepted reconstruction ( Tennessee, Louisiana )
any former Confederate state could form a state government when 10% of those who voted in the 1860 elections took an oath of allegiance to the USA
What was Johnson’s response to Reconstruction?
- Johnson was the president of the USA and was a War Democrat
- He was staunchly anti-Confederate and disliked the plantation owning class but believed BAs were lesser and had been a slave owner himself.
- Wanted to punish traitors so was supported by Radical Reconstruction
- requested other former confed states to hold constitutional convention to re establish elected gov = left it to states who votes
When was the general pardon to former Confederates who were willing to take an oath of allegiance to the USA?
29th May 1865
What happened after the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction?
• Johnson recognised 4 pro-union states in the former Confederacy – Virginia, Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee who had accepted the 10% plan
• He then requested the other former Confederate states to hold constitutional conventions to re-establish elected governments
o But they were allowed to choose who could vote and many decided BAs couldn’t
o They also re-elected former senior confederates in high office
♣ Georgia chose US Senator Alexander Stephens who had been UP of the former confederate states
♣ introduced black codes by f confed = tried to define and prosecute B.A
♣ Mississippi = rejected 13A
How did Radical Republicans come to power?
o RRs managed to get a 2/3 majority and override the presidential veto
o This is how the Fourteenth Amendment was passed
The RRs had strong support by the election of 1866 and were able to impeach Johnson 24th February 1868
Reaction of congress to Johnson?
o RRs managed to get a 2/3 majority and override the presidential veto
o This is how the Fourteenth Amendment was passed
The RRs had strong support by the election of 1866 and were able to impeach Johnson 24th February 1868 but failed
- Johnson vetoed 2 congress bills - freedmens - Civil rights bill but They Override PRES VETOES
- CONGRESS 14a OVERRIDE VETOE
- 1868 = House of rep 126:47 votes = Impeach Johnson = failed
Abolition of slavery led to tension?
–> creation of Bureau of refugees, freedmen’s bureau = prevented , no funding = YT southerners pressures = don’t wanna pay tax
- –> VIOLENCE = ex- slaves claimed more than 2,000 B.A ppl murdered in 1865, Taxes
- –> Ex-slaves= attempted to leave plantation = set up own farm = tension = murdered
How did the system in Southern still try to keep B.A in the cycle slavery
- Fucking Black codes
- Mississippi - forbidden B.A own property
- Vagrant former Slaves who left planation to look for work = punished if caught = fines = if no fines= sold to private service = until fine paid off
To what extent did the 13A change the position of ex-slaves?
It did in the short
for - FB 14A, 15A William T Sherman Postman,
Against (led to...) Sharecropping Black codes KKK South govs ex confed
