How far did Radical Reconstruction change the position of black Americans in the former Confederacy? Flashcards
Describe what occurred on the 2nd March 1867?
• two days before the old Congress came to an end, the Military Reconstruction Act, Command of the Army Act, the Tenure of Office Act
o Military Reconstruction Act divided former Confederate states into 5 military districts under commanders to employ the army to protect life and property
o Former Confederate states had to have a written constitution provided the right to vote for all adult males and supporting the 14th Amendment
Describe what occurred on the 27th March 1868
• Congress removed the power of the US Supreme Court to review cases which arose from the application of the Military Reconstruction Act to ensure Congress had the ultimate say
1869 Supreme Court Texas V White
confirmed the idea that Congress had the power to decide on the organisation of state governments, endorsing the RR views of Reconstruction
Describe military governments in the south.
o Implemented the wishes of the federal government and US Congress
o Protected ex-slaves
o Protected scalawags (southern WAs who worked with RR) and carpetbaggers (northern person who went south to make money)
♣ From the KKK
o When Democrat-controlled governments were elected, they were termed ‘redeemer’ governments because the SWAs saw them as saviours from the north
Describe the impacts of the Reconstruction Acts of 1867
o Temporarily disenfranchised 15% of the potential WA voters
o Led to the enfranchisement of 703,000 ex-slaves
o So, black voters outnumbered white votes by almost 100,000, with black voting majorities in 5 states
Describe the 14th Amendment
- 1868
- 14th gave all citizens equal protection from the law, excluded former confederate leaders from politics and defined what it was to be a US citizen
- Anyone who was a born or naturalised citizen and subject to its jurisdiction could vote
What did the 14th Amendment reverse?
o Reversed the US Supreme Court decision of 1857, known as the Dred Scott case
Describe the 15th Amendment
• 15th prohibited any federal or state governments from depriving any US citizens the vote on racial grounds in 1870
o Seen as a revolutionary measure and as the central feature of Radical Reconstruction to the Democrats in Congress
o But made no reference to ex-slaves holding political office or making the vote uniform across the USA
What were the problems with the 15th Amendment?
♣ One RR, Henry Wilson, criticised the proposal because it did not forbid literacy, property or educational tests
♣ Also still did not include women despite the attempts of suffrage parties
♣ Restrictions such as no Chinese people voting in California were not stopped because the state used a variety of restrictions on voting
Describe the Civil Rights Act of 1875?
• Proclaimed many aims of RRs like supporting equality before the law for all citizens and justice for all regardless of race and colour and the full enjoyment of all ‘inns, public conveyances on land and water, theatres and other places of public amusement’
This was the last Act of Reconstruction.
1876 US V Reese
• the US Supreme Court threw out an indictment against a Kentucky official who had prevented US citizens from voting
o The court judgement had decided that the 15th Amendment did not give the right to vote to anyone
US Supreme Court Decision 1873 - the slaughterhouse decision
• the 14th protected the right of national citizenship but did not protect the rights of individuals from state citizenship
o So, the federal government did not safeguard the rights of BAs from any violations by the states
♣ Negated the impact of the 14th Amendments
When did Radical Reconstruction end?
• 1877, after Rutherford B. Hayes was elected, Radical Reconstruction had been ended and the last of the troops were removed from the north
Describe the political situation of BAs.
• By 1867, BAs were beginning to participate in politics and gaining political influence
o Only one state political convention (South Carolina) had a majority of black delegates
• In State government, 600 BAs served as legislators but no BA was elected as governor of state
o Pickney Pinchbeck, a BA, did serve as acting governor for a short term
o Only 2 black people served as senators in Congress
