Reconstruction- During Grant's Presidency Flashcards
When was the presidential election
1868
How did the presidential election go
Knows as Reconstruction election
Democrats put forward Seymour
Republicans put forward Grant
Outcome- Grant won
What did the 15th Amendment do
Said the vote can’t be denied for blacks (any race/colour etc)
How did black people get given the vote
W the 14th and 15th Amendment
Why did Republicans pursue the 15th Amendment
To ensure the South was not dominated by Democrats
To get blacks to vote republican and fast before moderate and radicals split
What progress was the African American community making
Independent churches created unity
Political participation- 600 African Americans served in Southern state legislatures down to 1890s
Education- still limited- schools underfunded
80% blacks still illiterate by 1877
Segregation- Sumner tried to issue bill to stop it- DIED
lack of land reform- cycle of poverty in rural areas
Why weren’t blacks voting
Kkk (although where Army was present, KKK members imprisoned)
Violence
Blacks worked on land
Land owners said they couldn’t vote - land reform
1865-1867
There was mass black participation in politics
Explain
8/10 voters were freedmen
Republican role lasted longest in states w the black vote
Eg Mississippi
Black contenders 1865-67
Name supremist groups
Kkk
Red shirts
White league
How many members did the KKK have in 1867
14,000
When was the KKK disbanded and why
What did they do
1869 due to threats from gov
They abandoned it’s social clubs and became a secret organisation intent on terrorist activities
How many members were in the Redshirts in 1874
14000
What did the federal government do in 1870 and 1871 to deal with opposition from KKK etc
3 enforcement acts
When were the 3 enforcement acts passed
1870 and 1871
Why were the 3 enforcement acts passed
The strengthen the provision of the 14th and 15th amendments and try to limit discrimination
What was another name given to the Enforcement acts
Klu klux klan laws
Example of white league attack
White league involved in Battle of Liberty 1874
Led to 38 deaths and 79 wounded
After violence (1874) what happened to government
Republican governor replaced by Democratic
What was The Mississippi Plan
And what happened in Mississippi in relations to supremacy and its effects
Saw a campaign of physical threats and blatant violence against black and white republican voters in the south
Enabled white supremesists to take over the government of Mississippi illegally in 1875
White democrats and veterans of the Confederate army forced themselves into parliamentary org disguised as rifle clubs
75 killed in Mississippi in 1874 with Red shirts reasserting their dominance
Federal troops did restore order 2 weeks later
BUT REDSHIRTS reapplied pressure
Democrats won control of Mississippi
1874- same tactics used in 3 southern republican states so Democratic gov solidified the south for years to come
1874
Democratic gov solidified south
What did they argue
That black enfranchisement went against state rights BUT they didn’t control enough states to alter anything
What 3 things restricted blacks from voting? (But not whites)
Grandfather clause- you could vote if your grandfather did
Poor illiterate whites could
Black ancestors were slaves
Literacy test- most blacks illiterate
Poll tax- have to pay at least £2000 in tax yearly
Blacks were poor
What can be seen as good progress of reconstruction in AA lives
Political participation- 600 AA served in southern state legislatures down to 1890s
Summer tried to stop segregation proving strong support for AA
8/10 votes came from freedmens (3% in 1900 and 10% in 1965)
Republican role lasted longest in states e largest black vote- Mississippi, South Carolina etc
Black conventions 1865-1867
Black constituted the majority in South Carolina legislature and were involved in all legislatures
Some ambitious public work schemes- roads etc- created employment and development
What can be seen as bad progress for AA or needs improvement
Education was limited 80% still illiterate by 1877
Growth of extreme groups
Segregation started to take hold and Sumner died 1874 so couldn’t stop it
No blacks became governors
Black office holders joined the elite BUT they often differed from black voters,being free for some time so had different priorities
No state initiated land reform
Redistribution of land failed
Lack of land- reform- cycle of poverty in rural areas- share cropping
House of Representatives 6% black
Tax in North high due to expense
Wasteful and corrupt bribery life
Attempts by states to stop blacks voting was successful
Grants administration overall
15th Amendment
Kkk Act
Civil rights 1875(despite declared unconstitutional 1883)
White violence in colfax and other places-
Republicans only keeping power due to intervention of federal troops
Redeemers - helped by Grants Amnesty Act 1872- allowed large number of ex confederates to return to political life
Supreme Court issues 3 rulings in 1876 which went in favour of conservatives who take literal meaning of laws
Presidency clouded by scandals
Republican parry divided between stalwart and liberal republicans- little energy to devote to Reconstruction
Economic issues came to forefront due to scandal
Panic of 1873- financial crisis that triggered a depression in Europe and North America that lasted 1873-79 and longer in some countries eg France and Bri ‘long depression’
Explain scandals under grant
Black Friday- speculators tied To Grant cornered the gold market and ruined the economy for several years
Salary grab
New York custom house ring
Credit mobilier Scandal 1872
Union Pacific railroad and credit mobilier construction company
Charged railroads at a higher rate
$9 mill in stock secretly given as bribed to IS powerful Washington
When was the financial panic
1873
Explain the financial pains of 1873
89 railroads crashed
18,000 businesses failed in 2 years
1876- unemployment 14%
What was the ‘issue’ with the Supreme Court
Dominated by conservatives who took a very conservative view of acts l- deemed them to be unconstitutional
14th and 15th Amendment open to interpretation
What was the result of the supreme courts comservativeness (3)
Slaughterhouse cases 1873
US vs Cruikshank
1876 US vs Reece
What did the slaughter house cases do
Allowed legal segregation
As 14- ‘equality’
Segregation- separate but equal
Dejure segregation
Started the wave of Jim Crow Laws
What is dejure
Legal segregation
What did 1876 US vs Reece do
Allowed voting restrictions
1900- 3% black men can vote
This did not apply to north tho
What is de factor segregation
Segregation but not legal
Applied in north u
What was the last successful piece of legislation in Congress
Civil rights act 1875
Explain the Civil Rights Act 1875
Aimed to eliminate social discrimination and forbade discrimination in all public places such as theatres hotels and restaurants
Bill stated that blacks should be treated as equals under the law and that they could sue violates of law in federal court
Unfortunately- proved ineffective- Democrats made sure the bill was unenforceable
Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional
Act stated that blacks had to file claims to defend their own rights and the federal gov can’t do it for them
But many blacks still poor and the House of Democrats knew the lawsuit would require money and effort
How did Democrats slowly regain power
Republicans became weaker as northerners stopped caring about reconstruction
Depression of 1873 and pressure of KKK drive most white unionists, carpet baggers and scalawags our of south mid 1870s leaving blacks alone to fight for racial legislation
Democrats regained their seats in state legislation beginning W majorities in Virginia, Tennessee in 1869 and moving steadily onwards to other states
Many democrats used violence and some republicans were even murdered in Mississippi in the 1875 elections
Blacks were terrorised not to vote
1877 Democrats has mojority in every southern state
Some radicals died- Sumner 1868
Explain the sharecropper cycle of poverty
Sharecropper given land and seeds
Exchange- promises owner 50% crop
Sharecropper buys good and clothes on credit from land owner store
Sharecropper plants and harvests crop
Sharecropper gives landowner 50%. Sharecropper gets half earnings minus the costs that heat
Then landowner says sharecropper owes more hen earns
To pay debt, sharecropper promised landowner a greater share next year
(By the time sharecropper had shared crops and paid debt, rarely had money left. Many were uneducated and couldn’t argue w landowners or merchants that cheated them)
A sharecropper frequently became tied to one plantation, having no choice but to work until debt is paid
What was the effect of sharecropping
Cycle of poverty - can’t vote- less eligible
Close to slavery- in debt so had less power
White superior
Can’t travel if in debt
Can’t purchase land- no social mobility
Can’t pay for education- unskilled
Who were carpet baggers
During military rule
Came to north to impliment policy of reconstruction
Who were scalawags
Assisted carpet baggers
White southerners who cooperated with blacks and aimed to impose reconstruction in the south
