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Slavery by Another Name The lasting impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction on the U.S.
Slavery by Another NameThe lasting impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction on the U.S.
Background Civil War – WWII: Southern blacks not slaves, not free
Forced Labor 13th Amendment (1865): outlawed slavery “except as
a punishment for crime” 1877 Reconstruction Ends
New laws enacted Designed to:
Re-subjugate blacks Provide cheap labor
Subjugate:
Bring under
control
Examples of “crimes” Vagrancy Loitering Riding the Rails Changing Jobs Talking too loudly in public
Punishments ranged from Fines to Prison Time
Result = Huge increase in # of blacks arrested/convicted Result = Peonage (debt slavery)/Forced to work for local
employer who would pay their fine for them.
Other Methods Crime to leave employment for another job Sharecropping Indebtedness
Planters Merchants
Unable to pay debt, work without pay
Convict Leasing
Background http://www.pbs.org/tpt/slavery-by-another-name/the
mes/reconstruction/
http://www.pbs.org/tpt/slavery-by-another-name/themes/reconstruction-amendments/
http://www.pbs.org/tpt/slavery-by-another-name/themes/black-codes/
Reflections on PeonageThe following excerpt is from a StoryCorps oral history that features Kate Willis and her cousin Susan Burnore, descendants of John Williams, a plantation owner who practiced peonage. In this clip Willis, who wrote a high
school paper about peonage and her family’s connection to it, defines the practice as well as
discusses how it operated and how it differs from slavery.
Reflections on Peonage 1. What is peonage and how does it
operate? 2. How is peonage different from the
slavery that existed in the South prior to the Civil War? How is it similar?
Reflections on Robert FranklinThe following excerpt is from a StoryCorps oral history that features Robert Corley, a descendant of Robert N. Franklin, a
white shop owner who benefited from forced labor. Here Corley, an historian, talks about how he felt to find out about
his great-grandfather’s role in the illegal practice. Corley discusses John Davis, a 23-year-old black sharecropper who
after encountering Franklin, was fraudulently charged, imprisoned, and subsequently forced into labor while
traveling in Alabama. As an historian, Corley also provides context regarding forced labor and racial attitudes of the
time. * This clip contains offensive language. Please act like adults.
Reflections on Robert Franklin
1. How was John Davis forced into labor?
2. In what ways is Corley trying to reconcile his family history?
3. How can knowing history be used as motivation to make a difference?
“The Connected History of Peonage” (Handout)
While we are reading, underline: Dates Historical figures Events Organizations/entities Laws
Circle any you do not know/want to know more about.
When did it take place? What was going on then at the time?
Where did it take place? Who was involved? What factors contributed to its existence? How was it able to continue for so long? What impacts might this history still hold today?
