Reconstruction & the Gilded Age
Reconstruction How do you reintegrate the south into the union? Problems: South devastated, hates the north, cultural divisions between whites and newly freed blacks
Lincoln had 10% plan when 10% of the people who were on voting lists from 1860 swore allegiance to the Union, that state was back in. Many in Congress opposed this as too lenient
Andrew Johnson Democrat, Tennessee Very lenient on South All Southern states except Texas agree to his terms Dec 1865 Southern Senators take their seats in Congress very unapologetic (some were Generals pardoned by Johnson)
Feb. 1866 Congress creates Freedmen s Bureau to help former slaves and poor southern whites Built hospitals, schools, tried to educate them March Civil Rights Act of 1866, forbid Black Codes and gave former slaves Citizenship President Johnson surprises everyone and vetoes both
14 th Amendment All persons born or naturalized in the country are citizens entitled to equal protection. No state could deprive life, liberty, or property without due process. Twisted arms to let blacks vote Barred former Confederate leaders from holding office
Johnson becomes unpopular Riots in South kill many blacks 1866 congressional elections Republicans win 2/3 of seats in Congress, can now override veto
Reconstruction Act of 1867 Didn t recognize any governments formed under Lincoln or Johnson (except Tennessee because they ratified 14 th Amendment) Divided other 10 states into 5 militarily controlled districts Required black men and white men not disqualified by 14 th Amendment to draw up new state constitution Required states to give blacks vote & ratify 14 th Amendment
The first military commanders had virtually unlimited power. They removed thousands of civil officials from their jobs and actively cultivated the registration of black voters, thereby placing former slaves in position to dominate their former masters and to wring from the South what little was left after four years of devastating war. Military rule in the South lasted for 10 years, until 1877, when Rutherford B. Hayes agreed to return the states to home rule in exchange for Southern support in his bid for the presidency.
President Johnson vetoes the act Congress overrides Congress decides to get rid of Johnson 1867 Tenure of Office Act President can t remove cabinet officials appointed during his term without consent of Congress Johnson fired somebody just to stick it to the Congress
Johnson Impeached Feb 24, 1868 Congress votes to Impeach, but the vote to convict is 35-19, one short of 2/3 needed
1868 election Republicans nominate U.S. Grant He wins Lots of Corruption during his terms
15 th Amendment No one can be banned from voting because of race, color, or previous condition of servitude
Scalawag white Southerners who joined the Republican party Carpetbagger Northerner who moved south to make a quick dime.
Hiram Revels Blacks become Republicans Hiram Revels becomes first African American Senator (Mississippi)
Ku Klux Klan 1866 Democrat led domestic terrorist group Killed & tortured blacks to restore White Supremacy Intimidation, Fraud, Bribery, Assassination
May 1872 Congress gives amnesty to 160,000 former confederates Shifted power in the south back to Democrats Supreme Court continues to chip away at blacks rights
Election of 1876 Rutherford B. Hayes Dirty deal with Dems. ends Reconstruction
Westward Expansion Continues Homestead Act of 1862 160 acres of land free to anyone who lives on land and cultivates it 1862-1900 400,000-600,000 families took advantage, starts to fill gap between California and Mississippi
causes many small conflicts with Indians 1876 George Custer led troops to Little Big Horn, Montana Sioux led by Crazy Horse wiped out Custer & his men Custer s Last Stand angers many whites
Transcontinental Railroad 1850-1871 Gov. helps development of Railroads, $170 million ($1/2 billion today) 1867 Union Pacific & Central Pacific used Irish, Chinese, Mexican and black labor : cheap and hard workers May 10, 1869 it was completed
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/programmes/s even_wonders/launch_ani_fall_transcontine ntal.shtml
Farmers having problems form Populist Party Wanted: Inflation Graduated Income Tax Federal Loan Programs The party eventually fades
Thomas Alva Edison The Wizard of Menlo Park 1,093 inventions Phonograph (record player) Light Bulb Motion Pictures
1879-80
1877
1891
Alexander Graham Bell Invents Microphone Invents electric speech machine a.k.a. the telephone
1876 1880 more than 51,000 patents issued Dec 17, 1903 Orville and Wilbur Wright work on flight Kitty Hawk, NC 1 st Flight is 12 seconds long
Social Darwinism Charles Darwin wrote Origin of the Species in 1859 People took his idea of Natural Selection and applied it to business and society Only the Strong survive This justifies Laissez Faire government (hands off)
Rise of the Robber Barons Carnegie sold Carnegie Steel for $500 million to J.P. Morgan Becomes US Steel largest business in the world
John D. Rockefeller Standard Oil Used Trusts companies would turn stocks over to group of Trustees, a legal gray area but really a monopoly Gained total control of oil in US
1870 owned 3% of US oil 1880 owned 90% Paid employees low wages Sold cheap to drive competitors out of business, when he owned it all he raised prices
On the other hand Robber Barons did give a lot to charity Rockefeller gave over $500 million Carnegie gave $325 million, built many libraries Helped put the US on the path of becoming economic superpower
The government starts legislating against monopolies fearing that they stifle competition 1890 Sherman Antitrust Act illegal to form a Trust
Cities keep growing Immigrants continue to move to cities Urban poor grow Working conditions are often bad 6-7 day work week, 12+ hours a day Many injuries / unsafe conditions
Labor Unions start forming as a result Beginning of Socialism in the US Karl Marx
Immigration 1870-1920 approximately 20 million Europeans arrive in the USA Land of Opportunity
1851-1883 200,000 Chinese arrive to east coast Gold Mountain By 1920 200,000 Japanese 1880-1920 260,000 immigrants from West Indies 1910-1930 1 million Mexicans
US is called a Melting Pot, but many are against immigrants 1882-1943 Chinese not allowed to immigrate
Down south Blacks are given literacy tests & poll taxes if they want to vote Jim Crow Laws separate facilities for blacks and whites Segregation 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson says separate but equal is ok
1880 election James A. Garfield (R) Assassinated by Charles Guiteau because of Spoils System Shot July 2, 1881 died Sept. 19
Chester A. Arthur becomes president Institutes Civil Service reform Tariff issues become important
1884 Grover Cleveland (D) elected president wanted low tariffs
1888 Benjamin Harrison (R) raised tariff 1892 Cleveland elected again tried to lower tariff
1896 election William McKinley (R) raises tariff