R E C O N S T R U C T I O N A N D B L A C K D I S F R A N C H I S E M E N T

POSC 104S

RECONSTRUCTION

• 1860s Civil War erupts and concludes• 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments abolish slavery,

invoke equal protection, mandate universal suffrage• Lincoln Assassinated and Andrew Johnson

becomes president• Debate began over what to do with freed

southern blacks• Republican Party sought to augment black

political participation in the South, and disfranchise former rebels

RECONSTRUCTION

• Andrew Johnson is actually a Southern Democrat from Tennessee and fairly quickly moves to put white aristocracy back in control in the South• U.S. General Grant and Secretary of State believe

this threatens the U.S. Army, so secretly work with the Republican Congress• Republican Party in crisis over electoral coalition.• If Republicans do nothing, African Americans will

effectively be placed back into slavery/indentured labor• White South will have even greater representation in

Congress than before; Republicans will be out of power.

RECONSTRUCTION

• “The reward of treason will be an increase representation in the House” – Illinois Republican Congressman• This sentiment was shared by Black political

leaders• The perception among Republican leaders was

that they stood to lose a great deal as a party: they created a new electoral coalition that anchored future success• Thus the main impetus behind Republican action

for Reconstruction was electoral and political control

RECONSTRUCTION

• Republicans pass a series of Reconstruction Acts and override President Johnson’s veto• The Tenure of Office Act• Command of Army Act• Supplementary Reconstruction Act

• These acts resulted in Constitutional conventions, which passed laws that effectively franchised Blacks and disfranchised many former White confederate rebels

• Black suffrage protected GOP’s future – something many northern Democrats had recognized as early as 1965

RECONSTRUCTION

• About 703,000 adult male Blacks but only 627,000 adult male Whites were registered during military reconstruction• Black community played an important role in

their own incorporation:• Black Soldiers: New found confidence to fight oppression• Church/Religion: Reverends and Pastors often became

candidates

• These social networks served as the basis of the Republican Party in the South, which otherwise was built from the ground up

RECONSTRUCTION

RECONSTRUCTION

• Hayes-Tilden Presidential Election of 1876 is stalled• Huge debate, some states close to seceding

again.• Compromise of 1877:• Hayes (Republican) wins election• Reconstruction military pulls out of South• Federal funding for rivers and harbors

• This set off eventual redemption of all Southern states from carpetbaggers and Black Republicans

RECONSTRUCTION

RECONSTRUCTION

DISFRANCHISEMENT

• Now go into techniques, etc….