Notes

Reconstruction started out well, but then there was a backlash against the African Americans
After the Civil War ended many former slaves died from starvation or the cold
Reconstruction was the attempt to solve all the problems in the aftermath of the Civil War
North and South had differing on ideas on Reconstruction
Appomattox was where Lee surrendered
Lincoln wanted black people to have the right to vote
John Wilkes Booth assassinated Lincoln for that speech
Post Civil War people were looking for relatives after they were separated
Andrew Johnson was sworn in after the assassination of Lincoln
Johnson was considered to be the worst president at that time for being racist among other things
Gen. Oliver Howard tried to have reconstruction start, and allow black people to own land
Everyone who owned less than $20,000 of property were blanket pardoned
Rich would only be pardoned if they appealed to Johnson
Johnson did it for revenge
Johnson told Howard to give the land back to the former slave owners
The former slaves had to work for the former slave owners in essentially a slavery contract
South thought North was suppressing their rights
The Confederacy grew after the surrender of Lee
A few Southern governments created the "black codes" that greatly prohibited black people's rights
The black codes were essentially slavery all over again
The KKK was formed in 1866, it was pretty much the "slave patrols" from pre-civil war
The Clerk didn't call the names of any Southern Congressmen so they couldn't participate in Congress
Congress established black rights even against the veto of the president
There was a massacre against black people in Memphis, Tenessee from John Penderghast and other
Black churches and schools were all burnt down
46 black people out of 48 died in Memphis
14th amendment gave more rights to black people and other peoples
The majority of southern states didn't want to ratify the 14th amendment
Tenessee was the only southern state in house of representatives
Southerners were mad that black people may have had the right to vote while some former slave owners couldn't
Andrew Johnson spent a lot of his presidency avoiding impeachment
Majority of states voted for U. S. Grant since half a million black people voted in the 1868 election
15th amendment let black people vote
Many took positions of government
Many people tried to make themselves seemed more dignified so white people didn't have the opportunity to "uncitcienize" them
South Carolina had a majority black house of representatives
The government started making public schools so everyone could go to school
The schools were segregated between race
There were even black colleges and universities
Fisk college had a choir that exceeded expectations
Many people bought land for planting and business
African Americans could become judges and sheriffs
Many black people could also freely go to churches
The more African Americans gained power, there was a higher chance of KKK attacking them
Congress created acts to get rid of the KKK and other hate groups
They could suspend Habeus Corpus to arrest people without trial
When Robert E Lee died, many Confederates were mourning his death and the effect on their cause
Many newspapers over exemplified what he did, and how good he was
In Louisiana, white vigilantes murdered many African Americans, and only 3 were convicted
Major economic downturn from the riots called the "panic of 1873"
Republicans lose to Democrats saying they'll repair the economy and end reconstruction
Civil Rights Act tried to pass but Democrats refused, saying it's "unconstitutional"
Civil Rights Act passed, but education was still segregated
Murderers in Lousiana were pardoned in a feeble judgment
Rutherford B Hayes, the new president, declared that the South would have to deal with what to do with African Americans on their own, essentially ending reconstruction
After reconstruction ended, the black rights started to decay
Many white southerners after the war wanted a form of slavery to start again
A lot of freed black people wanted to own land, but not everyone could buy the land
Sharecropping became a popular thing, where freed people work on someone else's land, and give a percent of the crops to the white person owning the land
Prisons started a convict lease system had prisoners work on fields, and plant cotton
Many moved to Kansas as there was less violence and more opportunities
Politicians in Washington were wondering why many black people moved to Kansas
Many people who moved to Kansas weren't able to buy land, it wasn't the promised land as they thought
In 1883 the Supreme Court ruled that the 14th amendment didn't allow freedmen to be accepted in all restaurants and theaters


Freedman
Opportunities: Jobs, earning money, voting, opportunity to be free, finding families, gaining authority, owning land, government positions, going to church
Threats: Hostile white people, children being taken into indentured service, not enough food, no guarantee for job/earning money, rents cost more, being targeted

Southern Wealthy Whites
Opportunities: Cheap labor by forcing people to slavery, free labor from kids, got land back from Johnson
Threats: To their honor, land could be taken away, the business could end from not having land, not being pardoned, they may not be able to get cheap labor in the beginning

Southern Poor White
Opportunities: Collaboration with freedmen, people in government had more people who could vote for them, social elevation
Threats: More people for the same amount of jobs, same for food, votes count less, social un-elevation

Educated Black
Opportunities: More educated than freedmen, representative of all black people
Threats: A lot of the same as freedmen, like violence, education not paying off, occupational hazards, socially lumped with uneducated freedmen, more of a target for hate groups

Northern/Foreign Investors
Opportunities:
Threats:

Governmental Policy Makers
Opportunities:
Threats: