what factors cause the failure of reconstruction? collapse of reconstruction

What factors cause the failure of reconstruction?

Collapse of Reconstruction

The Depression of ‘73

•Economy collapses•Support for reconstruction (money) ends

The Klan

• Terrorism become widespread and frequent

• Becomes difficult to stop• Costs a great deal of money• How can freedmen influence laws if they

can’t vote?

• Outraged Southern Whites band together• Terrorists• Intimidate Black voters and politicians

Jim Crow Laws• Also called Black Codes

▫ Who are they for?• Literacy tests at polls• Grandfather Clause

▫ If grandfather couldn’t vote, neither could you

• Meant to keep Freedmen and Women away from polls

• Always under the watchful eye of the Klan

Election of 1877: Redemption

Vs

Rutherford B. Hayes (R) Samuel Tilden (D)

Results of Democracy• Reconstruction becomes

political liability• Freedmen voting rates on

the decline▫ Due to intimidation

• 1876 Election▫ Disputed in 3 states

LA, FL, SC• Tilden gives

election to Hayes

• Hayes agrees to end reconstruction if he becomes President

• Removes troops, programs• Freedmen on their own

• What can you conclude from the data in the map?

Whaa Happens?• Southern Whites organize

“White Leagues”▫ Turns into KKK▫ Intimidate, kill, want to

regain power• North struggles to control

▫ Insurgency▫ Pass anti-KKK law

Too little too late• Northern whites give up

▫ “We did enough, now it’s their turn”

▫ Costs $$$$$▫ US in financial

depression▫ Not so big on the racial

equality stuff yet

• How does this cartoon show the reasons reconstruction collapsed?

“THE UNION AS IT WAS; THIS IS A WHITE MAN’S GOVERNMENT; THE LOST CAUSE; WORSE THAN SLAVERY; WHITE LEAGUE”