reconstruction virtual museum by matt sternberg matt sternberg’s
TRANSCRIPT
Reconstruction Reconstruction Virtual MuseumVirtual Museum
By Matt SternbergBy Matt Sternberg
Matt Sternberg’s
Lincoln’s Lincoln’s Reconstruction PlanReconstruction Plan Offered a Offered a pardon to any Confederate who would
take an oath of allegiance to the Union and accept federal policy on slavery
Denied pardons to all Confederate military and Denied pardons to all Confederate military and government officials and to southerners who had government officials and to southerners who had killed African American war prisonerskilled African American war prisoners
Permitted each state to hold a convention to Permitted each state to hold a convention to create a new state constitution only after 10 create a new state constitution only after 10 percent of voters in the state had sworn allegiance percent of voters in the state had sworn allegiance to the Unionto the Union
States could then hold elections and resume full States could then hold elections and resume full participation in the Unionparticipation in the Union
Johnson’s Johnson’s Reconstruction PlanReconstruction Plan Pardoned southerners who swore Pardoned southerners who swore
allegiance to the Unionallegiance to the Union It permitted each state to hold a It permitted each state to hold a
constitutional convention without any constitutional convention without any allegiance requirementallegiance requirement
States were required to void secession, States were required to void secession, abolish slavery, and repudiate the abolish slavery, and repudiate the Confederate debtConfederate debt
States could then hold elections and rejoin States could then hold elections and rejoin the Unionthe Union
Congress Congress Reconstruction PlanReconstruction Plan Required ex-Confederate men to Required ex-Confederate men to
take an oath of past and future take an oath of past and future loyalty and to swear that they loyalty and to swear that they had never willingly borne arms had never willingly borne arms against the United Statesagainst the United States
Physical Toll of Civil Physical Toll of Civil War on the SouthWar on the South Civil War destroyed two thirds of the Civil War destroyed two thirds of the
South’s shipping industrySouth’s shipping industry Damaged 9,000 miles of railroadsDamaged 9,000 miles of railroads Ruined farmland, farm buildings, and Ruined farmland, farm buildings, and
machinerymachinery Killed work animalsKilled work animals Killed one third of all livestockKilled one third of all livestock Destroyed bridges, canals and leveesDestroyed bridges, canals and levees Ruined thousands of miles of roadsRuined thousands of miles of roads Damaged factories, ports, and citiesDamaged factories, ports, and cities Value of southern farm property went up Value of southern farm property went up
70%70%
This is a picture taken in This is a picture taken in Richmond, Virginia after the Richmond, Virginia after the Civil WarCivil War
Human Toll of Civil Human Toll of Civil War on the SouthWar on the South The South lost 260,000 soldiers, The South lost 260,000 soldiers,
one fifth of its adult white menone fifth of its adult white men One third of all southern men One third of all southern men
were killed or woundedwere killed or wounded Many civilian deathsMany civilian deaths
1313thth Amendment Amendment
Passed by Congress on January 31, Passed by Congress on January 31, 18651865
Ratified on December 6, 1865Ratified on December 6, 1865 When voters reelected Lincoln they When voters reelected Lincoln they
showed that that they accepted his showed that that they accepted his stand against slaverystand against slavery
1313thth Amendment ended slavery in Amendment ended slavery in the United Statesthe United States
1414thth Amendment Amendment
Congress was worried that courts Congress was worried that courts might take strike down the Civil might take strike down the Civil Rights ActRights Act
Passed by Congress in June 1866Passed by Congress in June 1866 Ratified in 1868Ratified in 1868 1414thth Amendment talked about Amendment talked about
who is and who is not a citizenwho is and who is not a citizen
1515thth Amendment Amendment
Passed by Congress in February Passed by Congress in February 18691869
Ratified in March 1870Ratified in March 1870 1515thth Amendment said no citizen Amendment said no citizen
can be denied the right to vote by can be denied the right to vote by the United States or any statethe United States or any state
Reconstruction Act of Reconstruction Act of 18671867 Put the South under military rule, Put the South under military rule,
dividing it into 5 districts, each dividing it into 5 districts, each governed by a northern generalgoverned by a northern general
Ordered southern states to hold new Ordered southern states to hold new elections for delegates to create new elections for delegates to create new state constitutionsstate constitutions
Required states to allow all qualified Required states to allow all qualified male voters, including African male voters, including African Americans, to vote in the electionsAmericans, to vote in the elections
Reconstruction Act Reconstruction Act (continued)(continued) Temporarily barred those who Temporarily barred those who
had supported the Confederacy had supported the Confederacy from votingfrom voting
Required southern states to Required southern states to guarantee equal rights to all guarantee equal rights to all citizenscitizens
Required the states to ratify the Required the states to ratify the Fourteenth AmendmentFourteenth Amendment
This is a map of how the South This is a map of how the South was divided under the was divided under the Reconstruction ActReconstruction Act
Effect of Effect of Reconstruction on Reconstruction on freedmenfreedmen Economy was badEconomy was bad Many freedmen found themselves Many freedmen found themselves
homeless, jobless, and hungryhomeless, jobless, and hungry Some slaves kept working on Some slaves kept working on
plantationsplantations Some freedmen moved west for Some freedmen moved west for
new jobsnew jobs
Effect of Effect of Reconstruction on Reconstruction on poor Southern Whitespoor Southern Whites Had trouble finding work Had trouble finding work
because of the new job because of the new job competition with freedmencompetition with freedmen
Many poor white families Many poor white families migrated to Mississippi and migrated to Mississippi and TexasTexas
Effect of Effect of Reconstruction on Reconstruction on plantation ownersplantation owners Lost slave labor worth $3 billionLost slave labor worth $3 billion Stuck with worthless Confederate Stuck with worthless Confederate
moneymoney Many had to sell their property to Many had to sell their property to
pay debtspay debts
Successes of Successes of ReconstructionReconstruction
Union is restoredUnion is restored South’s economy grows and new wealth is created in South’s economy grows and new wealth is created in
the Norththe North Fourteenth and fifteenth amendments guarantee Fourteenth and fifteenth amendments guarantee
African Americans the rights of citizenship, equal African Americans the rights of citizenship, equal protection under the law, and suffrageprotection under the law, and suffrage
Freedmen’s Bureau and other organizations help many Freedmen’s Bureau and other organizations help many black families obtain housing, jobs, and schoolingblack families obtain housing, jobs, and schooling
Southern states adopt a system of mandatory Southern states adopt a system of mandatory educationeducation
Failures of Failures of ReconstructionReconstruction
Many white southerners remain bitter toward the Many white southerners remain bitter toward the federal government and the Republican Partyfederal government and the Republican Party
The South is slow to industrializeThe South is slow to industrialize After federal troops are withdrawn, southern state After federal troops are withdrawn, southern state
governments and terrorist organizations effectively governments and terrorist organizations effectively deny African Americans the right to votedeny African Americans the right to vote
Many black and white southerners remain caught in Many black and white southerners remain caught in a cycle of povertya cycle of poverty
Racist attitudes toward African Americans continue Racist attitudes toward African Americans continue in the South and the Northin the South and the North
Election of 1876Election of 1876
Republican Rutherford B. Hayes lost the popular Republican Rutherford B. Hayes lost the popular vote to Democrat Samuel Tildenvote to Democrat Samuel Tilden
Hayes claimed victory based partly on wins in Hayes claimed victory based partly on wins in Republican States Florida, Louisiana, and South Republican States Florida, Louisiana, and South CarolinaCarolina
Democrats said Tilden won in those statesDemocrats said Tilden won in those states There were enough Democrats in Congress to There were enough Democrats in Congress to
reject the Republicans’ decision that Hayes wonreject the Republicans’ decision that Hayes won 2 parties made Compromise of 1877, Hayes won2 parties made Compromise of 1877, Hayes won
End of ReconstructionEnd of Reconstruction
As part of the Compromise of 1877, Hayes As part of the Compromise of 1877, Hayes agreed to remove the remaining federal agreed to remove the remaining federal troops from southern statestroops from southern states
Also agreed to support appropriations for Also agreed to support appropriations for rebuilding levees along the Mississippi rebuilding levees along the Mississippi RiverRiver
Gave huge subsidies to southern railroadsGave huge subsidies to southern railroads Democrats regained control of southern Democrats regained control of southern
politics and ended Reconstructionpolitics and ended Reconstruction
South following South following ReconstructionReconstruction
Blacks in the South struggles with poverty and Blacks in the South struggles with poverty and unemploymentunemployment
Condition of freedmen worsenedCondition of freedmen worsened Freedmen’s Bureau closedFreedmen’s Bureau closed Jim Crow laws segregated many public Jim Crow laws segregated many public
accommodations such as trains, steamboats, accommodations such as trains, steamboats, street cars, and schoolsstreet cars, and schools
Restricted blacks from theaters and restaurantsRestricted blacks from theaters and restaurants
My opinion of My opinion of ReconstructionReconstruction Reconstruction worsened Reconstruction worsened
relationships between whites and relationships between whites and blacksblacks
Helped the economyHelped the economy Helped the south rebuildHelped the south rebuild Overall I think Reconstruction was Overall I think Reconstruction was
a good thinga good thing