Effects & Reactions

Effects of Reconstruction

1865-1877

Index

Freedmen's Bureau

Policies

Effects

Resistance

Index

Freedmen's Bureau

a. The Freedmen's Bureau was a government organization created to assist freed African Americans living in southern states. b. This organization provided education, temporary housing, food, clothing and other supplies. c. They were also responsible for the land that the US government had seized during the Civil War.i. They were supposed to give this land to freedmen, but this aspect of the Bureau was resisted by President Johnson.

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"Forty acres and a mule..."

This phrase was common among freedmen communities, referring to the land that they were promised by the Freedmen's Bureau. Unfortunately, most freed families never recieved this promised land. Those that did had the land taken back by the US government.

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Policies

a. Besides the Reconstruction Amendments, the US government passed or attempted to pass several laws to help protect the rights of African Americans b. Civil Rights Act of 1866i. Written two years before the 14th Amendment is passed ii. Attempted to define citizenship and state that any person born in the US is a citizen that has equal protection under the law iii. Passed Congress, but was vetoed (rejected) by President Johnson.

This painting, located at US Capitol Building, depicts the moment the Civil Rights Act of 1866 was passed by Congress.

Benefits of Reconstruction

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a. Slavery was officially abolished in the US.b. Many African Americans were elected into public office, including Congress. c. African Americans across the South were educated, learning valuable skills to help them earn a living. i. Black colleges like Fisk and Howard Universities were established d. Military districts were set up throughout the South to help enforce new equal rights laws. i. Union troops were stationed in 5 military districts across 10 southern states.

Hiram Revels was the first black member of Congress.

He was elected in 1870 to represent Mississippi.

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Northern teachers moved to the south to teach at 'Freedmen Schools'.

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Resistance to Change

a. Many people in the South did not approve of Reconstruction efforts.b. Violence and intimidation were used to prevent African Americans from fully using their newly gained rights c. Towns, cities, and states created Black Codes, local laws that prevented African Americans from using their rights and segregated them from white people. d. Sharecropping was used to replace slave labori. Under sharecropping, black families would 'rent' land from plantation owners. They would pay their rent by giving a large portion of the crops they grew to the plantation owners.ii. In many cases, black families could not afford to leave these plantationsiii. Sharecropping was called 'slavery by another name' because of the way people became trapped in the system.e. After Reconstruction ended in 1877, many of the laws that had been passed to protect African Americans and their rights were not enforced in the South. f. While Reconstruction led to the passage of many helpful laws, including the three Reconstruction Amendments, it ultimately did little to fully protect African Americans over time.

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Sharecropping

Often called 'slavery by another name', sharecropping was a system of agriculture that attempted to keep Black Americans working for wealthy landowners. Landowners would divide their property into plots and rent out each plot to a family. Sharecroppers agreed to raise cash crops (like tobacco or cotton) in exchange for the land and a cabin and give around 50% of their crops to the landowner. Landowners would also loan money to sharecroppers to buy goods, putting them further into debt. This system made it difficult for free families to leave plantations and the South.

The table above shows an example of the costs of being a sharecropper. Notice how much money the sharecropper makes and compare it to the cost of supplies and rent.

Carpetbaggers

'Carpetbagger' is a term for someone who moves to a new state seeking to be elected into a government position or create a business. This term comes from the Reconstruction South and was used to refer to Northern politicians who moved into southern states to be elected into state legislatures and Congress. Carpetbaggers were seen by Southerns as being exploitative and taking advantage of the South's vulnerability during Reconstruction.

Black Codes

Black codes were laws that become common in the South during and after Reconstruction. These laws were intended to restrict the rights and freedoms of African Americans and ensure they remained in the South as a cheap source of labor for wealthy landowners. Some examples of Black Codes include legeally requiring African Americans to sign yearly job contracts with a white employer and requiring them to take unfair literacy tests before being allowed to vote.