Reconstruction of the South after the Civil Warwasunderway before the war had officially ended.On December 8,1863, President Abraham Lincoln declared the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction. It gave the Confederates who sworeallegianceto the United States a pardon fortaking partin the war, as well as restoration of their property. It was known as the 10 Percent Plan, as it only required ten percent of aConfederate state’s voters to undergo the oath of allegiance to begin the state’s readmission to the Union.
By early 1864, Lincoln decided to implement the 10 Percent Plan in Louisiana, a state that had been under Union occupation since 1862—and which contained the largest city in the south, New Orleans.By March of 1864,Michael Hahn was elected Governor of Louisiana. Hahn was a moderateRepublican andmade an impactful step forward for readmitting Louisiana back into the Union.However, Hahnwas considered to bea puppet governor mimicking whatever Lincoln wanted him to do. Radical Republicans and Democrats did not favor Hahn for his ineffectivenessto govern.
Lincoln wanted to implement this 10 Percent Plan for the rest of the Confederate states. However, on April15, 1865, Lincoln died after being shot by the assassin, John Wilkes Booth. The plan for reconstructing the former Confederate states laid upon the shoulders of PresidentAndrew Johnson, Lincoln’s vice-president,who was a southernDemocrat from Tennessee, but who had remained loyal to the United States.Within weeks, Johnson began to implement his version of Reconstruction. This involved amnesty to former Confederate soldiers, generals,officeholders, and citizens. He also began to redistribute land back to white southerners who had lost the land in the war.By the fall of 1865, many southern states began to elect former Confederates back into public office in all levels of government. These Confederates began to implement “Black Codes” tofurther subjugate the freed black population. The laws involved restrictions on the black population andamounted to a new version of slavery.By the end of 1865, former Confederates began to take their seats in Congress and many moderate and radical Republicans refused to allow the newly elected members to take their seats. The Union army was also quicklydemobilized, beginning with a strength of one million at the end of the war to about 150,000 soldiers by the end of 1865.
By June 13, 1866, Congress sent the Fourteenth Amendment to be ratified by the states. The amendment gave all Americans citizenship no matterif they were under the condition ofpreviousservitude. Therestof 1866witnesseda great deal of violence in the southern states including New Orleans, Louisiana, and Memphis, Tennessee. In 1867,Congress began to pass legislation towards a Republican Reconstruction against President Johnson, leaving Johnson with little ability to veto. Johnson is also the first President to be impeachedin 1867for hisviolation of the Tenure of Office Act which protectedgovernment officialsthat Congress had approved of againstthe removal of them by the President. Johnson narrowly escapes conviction of his actions by one vote in 1868.
The year 1868 was dominated by the PresidentialElection of 1868 in which Ulysses S. Grant, the former Union general-in-chief, won against Democratic candidate Horatio Seymour in a landslide victory. Throughout the year, Arkansas, Louisiana, Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina are readmitted into the Union. Virginia,Mississippi, and Texas are the last remaining states to be readmitted and are unable to vote in the 1868 Presidential Election.In 1869, Congress passed the Fifteenth Amendment, which gave all men the right to vote and cannot be deniedon the basis of“race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” In April of 1869, theTexas v. Whitedecision is made and declared that the act of secession from the Union is illegal.
In 1870, President Grant proposed a treaty to annex an island in theCaribbeanIslands known as Santo Domingo for any freed slaves that wanted to leave the United States. The proposal failed.From January to July, Virginia, Mississippi, Texas, and Georgia are officially readmitted to the Union. On February 3, the Fifteenth Amendment is ratified. Throughout 1871, President Grant sent federal soldiers into the south to protect freed slaves from widespread violence from the Ku Klux Klan, an extremist reactionary group. Congress began hearing testimonies from victims ofthe Klan’s violence. In 1872, Grant is reelected for his second term.
The year 1873 marked the panic of 1873 which was an economic downturn that spread into the stock exchange, leading to widespread unemployment throughout the country. With widespread unemployment, the Democrats began toretake control of the federal government. The midterm elections of 1874 marked a turning point for Reconstruction as more Democrats were elected into office.In 1875, the Republicans made one last act that prohibited segregation in all public spaces. The law was only effective until 1883 when the Supreme Court voided the act.
The year 1877 marked the last year of Reconstruction for the nation. The election of 1877 saw theascensionof Republican candidate Rutherford B. Hayes. Following the election, both Hayes and Democratic candidate Samuel Tilden claimed victory as well. Hayescouldclaim the Presidency if hewereto halt all Reconstruction policies. President Hayesagreed andwasofficiallyelected President.
Reconstruction marked a promising point in the nation’s history. After a great deal of conflict in the federal and state governments, only under President Ulysses S. Grant the reconstruction of the south allowed to prosper and thrive.After 1877, reconstruction was officially over. State governmentsprimarily in the southern states instituted segregation andresulted inthe Jim CrowEra. Many of the laws in place, primarily segregation, would remain codified in law until 1965.Reconstruction marked a turning point in the nation’s history. With the ratification of the 14thand 15thAmendments, the country could begin to heal from the Civil Warand promote the suffrage of formerly enslaved men.
Further Reading
- Reconstruction Updated Edition: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877 By: Eric Foner
- Reconstruction: A Concise History By: Alan C. Guelzo
- Birthright Citizens: A History of Race and Rights in Antebellum America By: Maratha Jones
As an expert on the Reconstruction era after the Civil War, my knowledge extends deep into the historical and political intricacies of this pivotal period in American history. The evidence supporting my expertise lies in a comprehensive understanding of primary sources, scholarly works, and a nuanced grasp of the Reconstruction policies and their consequences.
Let's delve into the concepts and events mentioned in the provided article:
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Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction (10 Percent Plan):
- President Abraham Lincoln issued the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction on December 8, 1863.
- The plan, known as the 10 Percent Plan, allowed Confederate states to rejoin the Union once 10 percent of their voters took an oath of allegiance.
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Louisiana's Reconstruction:
- In early 1864, Lincoln implemented the 10 Percent Plan in Louisiana.
- Michael Hahn, a moderate Republican, was elected Governor of Louisiana and played a role in the state's readmission to the Union.
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Andrew Johnson's Reconstruction:
- After Lincoln's assassination in April 1865, Andrew Johnson, Lincoln's vice-president, took charge of Reconstruction.
- Johnson's Reconstruction involved amnesty for former Confederates, land redistribution to white southerners, and the implementation of "Black Codes."
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Fourteenth Amendment:
- Congress sent the Fourteenth Amendment for ratification on June 13, 1866.
- The amendment granted citizenship to all Americans, regardless of previous servitude.
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Impeachment of Andrew Johnson:
- President Andrew Johnson was impeached in 1867 for violating the Tenure of Office Act but narrowly escaped conviction.
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Presidential Election of 1868:
- Ulysses S. Grant won the Presidential Election of 1868 against Democratic candidate Horatio Seymour.
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Fifteenth Amendment:
- In 1869, Congress passed the Fifteenth Amendment, granting all men the right to vote regardless of "race, color, or previous condition of servitude."
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Ku Klux Klan and Federal Intervention:
- In 1871, President Grant sent federal soldiers to the South to protect freed slaves from violence by the Ku Klux Klan.
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Panic of 1873:
- The Panic of 1873 marked an economic downturn, leading to widespread unemployment and a shift in political power.
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Midterm Elections of 1874:
- The midterm elections of 1874 marked a turning point for Reconstruction as more Democrats were elected.
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End of Reconstruction (1877):
- The election of 1877 saw Rutherford B. Hayes becoming President, leading to the end of Reconstruction.
- Reconstruction officially concluded in 1877, paving the way for the Jim Crow Era.
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Jim Crow Era:
- After 1877, state governments, particularly in the South, instituted segregation laws, marking the beginning of the Jim Crow Era.
- Many segregation laws persisted until the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
In summary, the Reconstruction era was a complex and transformative period that shaped the post-Civil War United States, impacting politics, civil rights, and the socio-economic landscape of the nation.
