Free at last 1865-77 Flashcards
when was the American declaration of independence
American declaration of independence 1776
when was the American constitution
The American Constitution 1787
how many of black Americans lived in the south
over 90% of black Americans lived in the South
what did north and south disagreements about the expansion of slavery lead to
Northern and Southern disagreements over the continued expansion of slavery led to the American civil war
when was the emancipation proclamation issued
Emancipation Proclamation (September 1862)
what did the Emancipation Proclamation state
The Emancipation Proclamation stated:
- Slavery could continue in states that returned to the Union before January 1863
- All slaves in enemy territory conquered by Union armies would be free
what did Lincoln state the civil war was about in 1863
Lincoln proclaimed that the freedom of all slaves in enemy territory was now a union war aim
why did Lincoln issue the emancipation proclomation
Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation because:
- Union commanders needed clarification on the status of the 500,000 refugee slaves in Northern army camps
- The Union could use freed slaves and more slaves would be encouraged to flee thereby weaken the Confederacy
- It might halt British aid to the Confederacy
when did congress approve the 13th amendment
Congress approved the 13th Amendment during 1864-65
when had enough states ratified the 13th amendment
December 1865, sufficient states had ratified the 13th amendment
what were the reasons for the 13th amendment
There were several reasons for the 13th amendment:
- Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation did not end slavery
- Lincoln was worried about the constitutional status of slavery
- Republicans felt that slavery had caused terrible conflict and might do so again if retained
- Many slaves had run away during the civil was so the restoration of slavery was impossible
- Many Northerners recognised the freed slaves contribution to the union war effort and did not want to see them to return to slavery
why did Lincoln worry about the constitutional status of slavery
Lincoln was worried about the constitutional status because the Constitution of 1787 recognised slavery and his emancipation was only a war time measure and might not be constitutional in peace time.
What did the Women’s National Loyal League petition for
The Women’s National Loyal League petitioned for a constitutional amendment to end slavery
How many signatures did the Women’s National Loyal League’s petition get
The Woman’s National Loyal League’s petition for an amendment had 500,000 signatures
what downsides for the 13th amendment were there for black people
The 13th Amendment created black economic, social and political inequality
what did slaves become when freed
When slaves were freed plantation owners had no workers and ex-slaves only knew how to farm so they became share croppers
what was the relationship between landlords and sharecroppers
White landlords provided land and equipment, the sharecropper did the work, and both shared the crop profits
what did sharecropping sustain
sharecropping sustained black poverty and economic inequality`
what social tensions did the 13th amendment create between the white southerners and the blacks
The 13th amendment generated social tension because southern whites were bitter at the loss of the war and resentful of freed blacks, particularly when they demanded greater equality
what is an example of increased violence when blacks demanded more rights
A Memphis mob killed over 40 black men in race riots of the summer of 1866.
what were southerners views on black Americans voting
White Southerners did not want blacks to be able to vote
what were Northerners views on blacks voting and why
Northerners were more sympathetic especially Republicans, who knew black voters would vote republican
when was Lincolns assasination
Lincolns assassination was in April 1865
who was president after Lincoln
Vice President Andrew Johnson became president after Lincoln
what was the rebuilding of the South called
The rebuilding of the south was called the Reconstruction
Why did Johnson side with the old confederate elite
Johnson sided with the old confederate elite because:
- He was a Southerner
- He wanted to ensure Southern white loyalty to the US
- He believed in states’ rights
- He considered black Americans inferior
- He thought the restoration of the old Confederate elite would ensure his own re-election
what did Johnson make southern states do to be allowed back into the union
He allowed many Southern states that accepted the end of slavery to return to the Union
how did southern whites reassert their supremacy over the blacks
Southern whites maintained there supremacy through the black codes
what did the black codes do to blacks
Black Codes were designed to make it impossible for black Americans to:
- Purchase or rent land
- Vote
- Obtain an educate
- Receive meaningful protection from the law
When did President Johnson want the south to be back in the union by
President Johnson had hoped to restore the South to the Union before Congress met in December 1865
Who were the new Southern representatives elected
Newly elected Southern representatives included the Vice President of the Confederacy, 58 Confederate congressmen and four Confederate generals
What was the republicans reaction to ‘Presidential Reconstruction’
The Republican majority:
- Refused to allow those members of the old Confederate elite to take their seats in the Congress
- Refused to recognise the new Southern state governments ( these were also dominated by the old Confederate elite)
- Soon clashed with Johnson over the 14th Amendment
When was the 14th Amendment passed
The 14th Amendment was passed in 1866
What was the aim of the 14th amendment
The aim of the 14 amendment was to reinforce the civil rights act
When was the civil rights act passed
The civil rights act passed in 1866
What did the Civil right act and the 14th amendment state
The civil right act and the 14th amendment:
- Struck down the Black Codes
- Guaranteed all citizens equality before the law
- Allowed federal government intervention if any states denied citizens their rights
- Banned most of the old Confederate elite from holding office
What was the South’s reaction to the 14th amendment
The old Confederate States refused to ratify the 14th amendment
Why were Northerners disgusted at South reaction to the 14th amendment
Northerners were disgusted by a combination of:
- The Southern states rejection of the 14ty amendment
- The summer of 1866 race riots in Southern cities e.g. Memphis, New Orleans
- The growth of violent white supremacist organisations, e.g. the Ku Klux Klan
How was congressional reconstruction imposed on the south
Congressional reconstruction was imposed on the south through the provisions of the Military Reconstruction Act
When was the Military Reconstruction Act introduced
The Military Reconstruction Act was introduced in 1867
What were the three main provisions of the military Reconstruction act
The military Reconstruction Act had three main provisions
1: It removed the old white Confederate elite from the US Congress and from state governments
2: It said the southern states could only return to the Union if they
- Adopted constitutions that allowed black voting
- Ratified the 14th Amendment
- Forbade office-holding by former Confederate office holders
3: It imposed government by military commanders
What were the three provisions of the military Reconstruction act
The military Reconstruction Act had three main provisions
1: It removed the old white Confederate elite from the US Congress and from state governments
2: It said the southern states could only return to the Union if they
- Adopted constitutions that allowed black voting
- Ratified the 14th Amendment
- Forbade office-holding by former Confederate office holders
3: It imposed government by military commanders upon the former Confederate States
What was the Southerners and President Johnson view on Military rule
Military rule provoked different viewpoints. White Southerners and President Johnson considered it disastrous. They believed that the black population was given to much power under the military commanders.
Why did black Americans in the south vote republican
Black Americans in the south invariably voted Republican, because:
- A Republican president had issued the Emancipation Proclamation
- A Republican-dominated Congress had supported the 14th and the 15th Amendments and introduced the Military Reconstruction Act
When was the 15th Amendment ratified
The 15th Amendment was ratified in 1870
How many black males were registered to vote during the reconstruction
During Reconstruction, 700,000 black males were registered to vote in the South.
How many white males were registered to vote during Reconstruction
During Reconstruction 600,000 white males were registered to vote
What were the positives of black voting
The positives of black voting are:
- Many black Americans were elected to federal and state office in the south
- Between 1869-77, 16 black congressmen and two black senators were elected to the US Congress, over 700 black males served in state legislatures and around 1,000 were elected to local posts such as sheriff
- Black legislators naturally contributed to the laws that helped black Americans
- The opportunity to participate in the political process increased black confidence, political awareness and organisational skills
What were the negatives of blacks being able to vote
Negatives of black voting is:
- The proportion of black officials was way bellow the proportion of Southerners who were black
- Despite the large numbers of elected black Republicans, white Republicans dominated state politics in the south
- No black state governor was elected
- No Southern state had a black majority and only South Carolina had a black majority in the lower house
- One of the two black US senators, Charles Caldwell of Mississippi, was assassinated by whites
What do some early 20th century historians suggest reconstruction was
Some early 20th century historians suggest that what they called ‘Black Reconstruction’ was a period of political domination by illiterate and corrupt black representatives
Why did black Americans never dominate the South
Black Americans never dominated the South because:
- They lacked education, organisation and experience
- They were accustomed to white leadership and domination
- They were in the minority everywhere apart from South Carolina and Mississippi
- The black community was divided (free-born blacks looked down upon ex-slaves)
- The Republican Party was sure of the black vote and favoured white candidates, because they would attract more white votes
- Most white Republicans considered black people less competent that whites
- Southern black leaders were usually moderates with no desire to exclude whites from office
What was the aim of the civil rights act
In the Civil Rights Act, the Republican-controlled Congress aimed to prevent discrimination in public places such as railroads, hotels and theatres
Why was the Civil Rights Act unsuccessful
The Civil Rights Act was unsuccessful because:
- It had been passed by the outgoing Congress, and the nee Democratic-influenced Congress was not interested in monitoring legislation that helped the Southern black population
- The burden of enforcement was placed upon black litigants, and litigation was too expensive for most of them
- In 1883, the supreme court ruled it unconstitutional on the grounds that civil rights issues were the responsibility of each individual state
What did white Southerners believe about black people after the civil war
After the Civil War, many white Southerners:
- Perceived freed black males as dangerous
- Continued to believe in black inferiority
- Thought the black population intellectually unfit to vote
- Felt victimised by Congressional Reconstruction
Who were the most famous white supremacist group
The most famous white supremacist group was Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Ku Klux Klan
How many members did Forrest estimate the KU Klux Klan had by 1871
Forrest estimated that the group had around 500,000 members across the south by 1871
Who did the Ku Klux Klan target
The Ku Klux Klan targeted black officials, schools and churches
Why did the Ku Klux Klan target black offiecials
The Ku Klux Klan targeted office-holders, educational, and membership of an organisation empowered free-slaves
What did Ku Klux Klan members do to the black community in Mississippi
In Mississippi the Klan destroyed 25 black schools and murdered 50 black teachers
why were legislations against the Ku Klux Klan hard to enforce
Legislations against the Ku Klux Klan were hard to enforce because:
- Southern Democrats sympathised with the Ku Klux Klan
- It was difficult to convict Klansmen, because they provided alibis for each other and were frequently jury members
when were the three enforcement acts passed
The Enforcements Acts were passed in 1870-71
what are the enforcements acts also referred to as
The Force Acts
How did Enforcements Acts protect black americans
The Enforcement Acts protected the black American right to
- Vote
- Hold office
- Serve on juries
- Have equal protection under the law
what did the Ku Klux Klan Act give President Grant legal power to do
The Ku Klux Klan Act gave President Grant legal military power to crush the Klan
What impact did the Ku Klux Klan Act have on Klan violence
The Ku Klux Klan act ended most of Klan violence, but others such as the White League continued to use violence and intimidation
How was the white league created
The White League was established in Louisiana after a disputed election led to black militia to hold the town of Colfax for a fortnight
When was the Colfax massacre
The Colfax massacre was in 1873
how many people died in the Colfax massacre
100 black Americans were killed in the Colfax Massacre
What did the white league say there aim was
The white leagues declared aim was to maintain public order
What was the actual aim of the white league
The actual aim of the white league was to overthrow Republican governments and exclude blacks from public life
what is lynching
lynching is when a group of people kill someone
when did lynching’s usually occur
Lynching’s were usually done at night in rural areas
when were most Ku Klux Klan members released
Most Klan members were released in 1875
when had every southern state come under Democratic control
By 1877 every Southern state had come under Democratic control
who was the first state to return to the Union in 1869
Tennessee joined the Union in 1869
what states returned to the Union in 1870
Virginia and North Carolina returned to the Union in 1870
What states returned to the Union in 1871
Georgia returned to the Union in 1871
What states returned to the Union in 1873
Texas returned to the Union in 1873
What states returned to the Union in 1874
Arkansas and Alabama returned to the Union in 1874
What states returned to the Union in 1876
Louisiana and Mississippi returned to the Union in 1876
Who were the last two states to return in 1877
Florida and South Carolina returned to the Union in 1877
What were the reasons for the restoration of Democratic control in the South
The reasons for the restoration of Democratic control in the South were:
- Southern republicans were increasingly divided along race lines
- Ex-confederate soldiers often made it difficult for Republicans to campaign and vote in Southern states
- Republican-controlled state governments had taxed heavily in order to help restore the ruined South. Many whites voted Democrat in the hope of tax cuts
When did Reconstruction end
Reconstruction ended in 1877
What reasons where there for the end of reconstruction
Reconstruction ended for a number of reasons:
- Northerners were exasperated with and bored by the continuing racial violence and fraud in Southern elections
- Grant and other Northern whites had more in common with Southern whites than Southern blacks
- The influence of the Radical Republicans in the North had declined as Radical Republican leaders died or retired
- The US suffered severe economic depression which voters blamed on Republicans
- The Republican party in the south was weakened by divisions between blacks and whites and by divisions within the races
- Republican President Rutherford B.Hayes withdrew all federal troops from the South
