Reconstruction Era /1877. Standard Indicator 8-5.3

Transcription

1 Reconstruction Era /1877 Standard Indicator 8-5.3

2 ~Brushing Up~ Congressional Reconstruction: Why were some southern states forced to write new state constitutions? What did the South s refusal to ratify the amendments mean socially? What happened when most whites boycotted the convention to write the new constitution? *Slightly more than half of the delegates to the convention were African American and half of those were newly freed slaves Also newly immigrated northerners were elected as delegates to the convention as well

3 New state constitutions for SC & South, why? SC whites refused to accept African American freedom & authority of federal government SC refused to ratify the 14 th & 15 th amendments (guaranteed equal rights & the right to vote to AA men) Result: Congress required SC to call convention to write new state constitution Whites boycotted election of convention delegates African American majority of population so were more than half of delegates to convention Writers: Former slave, Free African Americans & recent immigrants

4 Political Opportunities for African Americans in SC: SC Constitution of 1868, African American men allowed to vote & hold office (& did so in large numbers) They had greater political power/most of any other southern state Held every office in the state but Governor were a majority in the state legislature throughout Reconstruction Six US House Representatives Characterized by whites as illiterate ex-slaves Actually were literate, middle class, & many free before the Civil War

5 Legacy of Republican Reconstruction SC Government: Some corrupt individuals Established social services: statesupported institutions for blind, deaf, & mute Made public health care a state government concern Established public schools for all children for first time Raised taxes to pay for services

6 White Reaction to SC Republican Reconstruction Governments: Whites Claimed taxes were bankrupting them Exaggerated corruption of inexperienced African American legislators Played on northern racism Manipulated the Northern press with propaganda about incompetence of Republicans Blamed rising taxes on corruption Result: northern public tired of Reconstruction & gave up hope for changing Southern attitudes & way of life

7 Freedmen Education Before Civil War denied, except for secret schools After emancipation freedom schools established by Freedmen s Bureau (African Americans flocked to attend) & supported by northern philanthropists Republican Reconstruction state governments established new public schools Colleges established by Northern philanthropists & religious denominations: Claflin College, Benedicts College, Allen University & Avery Institute Northern Aid Society created the Penn School in Beaufort, SC Northern missionaries moved South to teach & were called Carpetbaggers by whites Literacy rates for all southerners rose

8 White Backlash in SC Result of African American gains in participation in government White SC, outnumbered by African American political majority, refused to participate in the new state government Whites carried on a campaign of terror against African Americans & white Republicans after adoption of 1868 SC Constitution Without federal troops & state militias, vigilante groups such as the Ku Klux Klan, Riflemen, Red Shirts harassed, intimidated, & murdered

9 Reaction of Federal Government to Terror Campaign against Republicans Congress passed the Ku Klux Klan Act President Grant sent federal troops to SC Some Klansmen surrendered & tried Insufficient efforts by federal government encouraged the insurgency by whites (terror campaign) By 1876 Election, white insurgents ready to contest political control of Republicans

10 End of Reconstruction in SC: Violence & controversy The Hamburg Massacre of 1876 (Aiken County): six black militia members killed by white mob, marked intensification of white campaign to redeem SC government White Democratic Red Shirts led by Wade Hampton (former Confederate general) used fraud, violence, & intimidation to win the Election of 1876 President Grant sent more troops, but could not assure free & fair election

11 State Election of 1876: State elections thrown into General Assembly due to voting irregularities Two rival governments were established, one Republican & one white Democrat White taxpayers refused to support Republican government When Rutherford Hayes was named president of US he withdrew troops from SC & Hampton & Conservative Democrats took over government

12 National Election of 1876: Plagued by voting irregularities too Electoral votes of 3 southern states (SC included) were disputed Democrats & Republicans in Congress reached a compromise Democrats recognize election of Republican President Hayes Republicans agree to withdraw federal troops from South Hayes withdraws troops from SC, FL, & LA Results: Hampton & Conservative Democrats control SC & African Americans left to fend for themselves in a hostile environment