Free at last Pt.2

Question 1

What was Andrew Johnson’s history before he became president, and what period was he president?

Answer 1

• Had been a war democrat and been made Lincoln’s running mate in 1864 as a show of unity between the parties
• Hated the confederates and plantation owning class, however as a southerner he had owned a slave and was racist
• Had previously said every household in America should have a slave
• April 1865 - March 1869

Question 2

How did Radical Republicans initially react to Johnson?

Answer 2

• Thought, from his more ambitious and harsh words on punishment and the confederates being traitors, that he was a better choice than Lincoln

Question 3

What did President Johnson do to start off his reconstruction campaign?

Answer 3

• On the 29th of May 1865 he extended a pardon to those confederates willing to take the oath of allegiance
• Excluded those who were extremely wealthy and high up in the confederacy - however many got special presidential pardons

Question 4

How lenient was President Johnson concerning new governments in the confederate states?

Answer 4

• Allowed the 4 states that had followed Lincoln’s 10% plan
• Requested the other states to hold elections for new governments to join the Union - leaving the states to decide who could vote or not (of course all of them left black Americans disenfranchised). Many also chose to elect former confederate leaders into power
• Johnson did nothing to enforce the 13th amendment, to which Mississippi completely rejected it. Others ratified it while acknowledging that Congress could do nothing to determine the future of ex-slaves

Question 5

How were the Black codes detrimental to ex-slaves?

Answer 5

• Undermined Johnson’s reconstruction while he made no attempt to change it
• Limited the rights and freedoms of black Americans, as well as making them adhere to labour laws empowering white men
• Radical republicans, such as Benjamin Flanders, observed that the Black codes were designed to return the states to as similar a situation as possible to slavery

Question 6

How did the Northern States and Congress react to the Black codes and Johnson’s leniency?

Answer 6

• In the December 1865 gathering of Congress confederate representatives were refused entry
• A joint committee was set up to regulate reconstruction and whether former confederate states were allowed to reenter the union

Question 7

What was the Civil rights bill and when was it proposed?

Answer 7

• 1866
• Declared all persons born in the United States to be citizens, “without distinction of race or colour, or previous condition of slavery or involuntary servitude.”

Question 8

What was the Freedmen’s bureau bill and when was it proposed?

Answer 8

• 1866
• Provided many additional rights to ex-slaves, including the distribution of land, schools for their children, and military courts to ensure these rights

Question 9

What actions of President Johnson grew the size of the radical republicans faction in Congress?

Answer 9

• The vetoing of the Freedmen’s bureau bill and the civil rights bill
• Leniency or disregarding of any problems within the confederate states’ governments

Question 10

Who were the leaders of the Radical Republicans?

Answer 10

Charles Sumner and Thaddeus Stevens, who were called traitors by Johnson

Question 11

What brought about the 14th Amendment?

Answer 11

• President Johnson was overridden on his vetoes for the 2 bills and congress were outraged at him
• The joint committee proposed an amendment to provide equal protection under the law to everyone no matter what background or race
• Congress passed this as the 14th amendment, once again overriding Johnson’s attempt to veto it

Question 12

How did the rising size of the Radical Republicans lead to the peak of opposition to Johnson?

Answer 12

• Congressional elections lead to a strong rise in support for them, and they introduced their own programme for reconstruction
• Led to on the 24th of February the vote by the house of representatives to impeach Johnson and replace him with Benjamin Wade - a radical republican. He survived in office by 1 vote from the senate

Question 13

What was Johnson’s failure caused by?

Answer 13

• His approach to reconstruction being one of a very moderate, biased and pointless nature
• His aggression towards radical republicans and Congress in general

Question 14

When and why was the Republican party founded?

Answer 14

• 1854
• To combat the extension of slavery into western states, and more radical members to completely abolish it

Question 15

What were events that occurred that increased support for radical republicans and their cause?

Answer 15

• May 1866 white crowds in Tennessee attacked black soldiers who had fought in the war, leading to 46 deaths
• July 1866 in New Orleans white people attacked black people on their way to a political meeting, leaving 40 people dead

Question 16

What were the 3 big acts passed and when?

Answer 16

• 2nd of March 1867
• Military reconstruction act
• Command of the army act
• Tenure of Office act

Question 17

What was the Military Reconstruction Act and when was it passed?

Answer 17

• 2nd of March 1867
• Invalidated the state administrations approved by Johnson in the Confederate states, instead instating temporary military rule over the states to protect life and property
• Act set out the new way state governments could be created and recognised by Congress: had to provide the right to vote for all adult males and had to abide by the 14th amendment

-All the states, before 1868 had to have new elections

Question 18

What was the Habeas Corpus act?

Answer 18

• Increased the possibility of Southern citizens having their cases heard by federal rather than state courts

Question 19

How did Congress change the role of the Supreme court and when?

Answer 19

• 27th March 1868
• Removed their power to review cases which arose from the military reconstruction act, leaving Congress to have the ultimate say
• Supreme court ruled in the 1869 Texas vs White case that Congress had the power to decide on the organisation of state governments

Question 20

What was the Command of the Army Act and when was it passed?

Answer 20

• 27th March 1867
• All orders to the army from president Johnson had to go through the headquarters of the army, which was under the command of Ulysses Grant who was a supporter of the Republican party

Question 21

What was the Tenure of Office Act and when was it passed?

Answer 21

• 27th March 1867
• Made it so the president could not remove any office holder without the consent of the Republican dominated senate

Question 22

What were the positive outcomes of the 3 passed acts?

Answer 22

• Southerners forced to accept the 14th amendment and that black Americans had the right to vote
• Military rule over the confederate states rather than state governments meant that Congress’ rulings could be easily enforced. Also ex-slaves, Scalawags and Carpetbaggers were protected
• 15% of the white voters were disenfranchised due to their confederacy ties while 703,000 black voters were enfranchised. Black voters now had the majority in 5 states

Question 23

What were the negative impacts of the 3 passed acts?

Answer 23

• Created a greater divide between states and the federal government, Southerners viewing it as an occupation depriving them of state rule
• Overall was detrimental to equality as prejudice was heightened and came back as soon as the “redeemer” governments were instated

Question 24

Who were Carpetbaggers?

Answer 24

• Northern white person who went South to exploit and make money off of the political dislocation and newly enfranchised naive ex-slaves
• Encouraged black people to vote for carpetbagger candidates in election, either for personal gain or to attain government contracts