Reconstruction and it Effects
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Political reconstruction led to a power struggle between Congress and the President over readmitting southern states to the union and granting citizenship and voting rights to African Americans. The 14th and 15th Amendments aimed to define citizenship and prohibit racial discrimination in voting. Economically, the South was devastated by the war and faced problems rebuilding industry, infrastructure, and agriculture without slave labor. Socially, the Freedman's Bureau and civil rights acts aimed to help former slaves through education, healthcare, and equal protection under the law, though racial tensions remained high.
Reconstruction and it Effects
- 1. RECONSTRUCTION AND ITS EFFECTS
- 2. Political Readmitting southern states into the union leads to legislative vs. executive branch power struggle Citizenship of African-Americans Impeached Johnson, not guilty by one vote 1867 legislation to readmit a state after approving 14 th amendment and giving African-American men the right to vote 14 th Amendment: Born or naturalized= citizens 15 th Amendment: Voting right not based on race or color of skin Blacks elected to political office KKK terrorized and killed blacks Problems Responses
- 3. Economic Devastation of industry, infrastructure, agriculture, and end of slave labor Severe problems with value of property, investment gone, small farms ruined 1/5 of adult white males and tens of thousands of black men died in the war Sherman’s march = Massive destruction Who will control the land? Southern government increased taxes Scalawags: white southerners who joined the Republican Party to improve economic position against wealthy landowners Carpetbaggers: Northerners who moved South to help with reconstruction Sherman promised 40 acres and a mule to former slaves who followed the Northern Army, but months later, Johnson returned the land to original owners Plantations were replaced with sharecropping, whites controlled land, African-American “rented” land to grow crops on
- 4. Social Helping former slaves Freedman’s Bureau: Medical aid and education to freed slaves and war refugees Civil Rights Act 1866: Equal protection under law to African-Americans Civil Rights Act 1875: Outlawed racial segregation in public services