Reconstruction Problems And Solutions 4ry1b

The Political Re-Entry of Formerly Rebellious States 1. President Lincoln’s Ten Percent Plan a. Under this plan, no longer would Southern aristocrats be in charge of state governments. Instead, the first ten percent of voters in 1860 who took an oath to remain faithful to the Union became the leaders of that state’s government. In this way, no longer are there largely opposed factions of the south that can gain the strength of an entire state to refuse reing the Union. 2. The Wade-Davis Bill a. The Radicals response to Lincoln’s conservative plan was to ultimately give him the overarching power to craft and frame the government of the states in reconstruction, making it so that a majority of the white male voting population had to take the Ironclad oath in order for the states to start drafting new constitutions – which also were required to abolish all means of slavery. Although President Lincoln vetoed this bill, it was a step for Radicals in creating their definition of reconstruction. 3. The Black Codes a. The codes themselves did very little to aid in Freedmen, but what it did was bring the Southern state legislatures back into congress which was a pressing problem for the reentry process. Thus, allowing southern legislature was crucial to the political unity in America.

The Economic Devastation of the South 1. Sharecropping a. Because a majority of the south still refused to let go of their life of slavery, congress allowed for there to be a system of sharecropping. This system made it possible for Southern landowners, farmers and plantation owners to continue producing for Northern industry and it gave the freedmen an ability to create a life for themselves as citizens of the United States. 2. Freedmen’s Bureau a. Not only did the Freedmen’s Bureau contribute to aiding blacks in need, but also greatly increased its branches to bring help to the struggling whites of the South due to the large economical impact from the war. The organization, although it was only chartered for one year, had the goal of providing for the specific needs of

the poor so that the infrastructure could be improved and all inhabitants of the South could have a financial base as they proceed to re the Union. 3. Carpetbaggers a. This pejorative term was used to wrongly generalize well educated of the middle-class from the Union who sought out opportunity in the South. These included teachers, doctors, and war veterans who saw more economical chances in the South than in the West. Thus they vouch for the southern economy by ing it, creating an example for other Northerners to possibly contribute to this process.

Education and of Freedmen 1. Freedman’s Bureau a. This comes into play again because it was largely created for the provision of freedmen who were struggling to integrate into white society. Despite its short charter, it helped blacks and whites with the essential needs to start fresh and anew in life. It was through this organization that the Union sent federal troops to protect the rights of blacks against the cumulative power of the bitter Southerners. 2. Civil Rights Act (1866) a. Congress responded to the Radical Republican’s Black Codes with the Civil Rights Act which defined blacks as citizens and then proceeded to protect their rights. In conjunction with federal soldier protection, blacks now had legal protection so that the whites in the South no longer could force such strong dominion over the blacks being integrated into “their society.” 3. Fourteenth and Fifteenth amendments a. The 14th amendment, ratified in April1866 clearly defined American citizenship, and then guaranteed citizenship to all Blacks who went through the naturalization process. It also created punishment for all who disenfranchised any white male. The 15th amendment continued the 14th amendment, in that it punished all who denied suffrage to anyone due to their racial or social condition. Both of these together act as a legal protection of all rights guaranteed by citizenship.