CIVIL RIGHTS
Political
1862 emancipation proclamation
- Lincoln declared all states under confederate control free
- Seen as war tactic to boost union and weaken the confederate army
1863 Lincoln’s 10% plan
- Confederate states could establish state governments after 10% of
their male populations took loyalty oath
- Congress responds with Wade-Davis Bill that required more than
50% of white males to take “ironclad” oath of allegiance and agree
to the abolition of slavery
- Lincoln refuses to sign clashing of federal powers
1865 13th amendment
- Abolition of slavery
- Passed narrowly, 2 votes over 2/3 necessary majority
1865 Special field order number 15
- 400 000 acres of coastal land extending from Charleston to
Jacksonville in Florida given to newly emancipated slaves
1866 Civil rights bill
- Aimed at destroying black codes and justified implementation of
freedom under 13th amendment
- Johnson’s veto overridden
- Act became first federal law that defined citizenship so that all
citizens were granted equal protection under the law
- Diluted southern powers in black codes
1866 elections- struggle between congressional and presidential power
- ‘swing around the circle’ tour = speeches for lenient union
recognition = complete failure, exchanged hot-tempered insults with
the crowds
- ‘waving the bloody shirt’ = congressional response
o Elections of 1866= republican win means they can override
presidential vetoes
Military reconstruction act 1867
- Identified new conditions under which southern governments would
be formed
- Divided former confederate into 5 military districts
- Compulsory union occupation by general and troops, “bluebellies”,
remained until 1877, with power to protect and maintain order
- Military governments seen as protectors to former slaves, while
viewed as norther occupation by southern states
, o Temporarily disenfranchised 15% of potential white voters who
had been office holders under the confederacy
o Enfranchised more than 700,000 black voters black voters
outnumbered white voters by almost 100,000 in south
Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, florida and alabama
+ tenure of office act
- Overrode presidential veto by making Johnson obtain republican
dominate senete’s consent to remove civil rights officers, furthered
struggle between state and johnson
+command of army act
- All orders from johnson to army needed to go through headquarters-
under command of general Ulysses grant = keen republican
supporter
14th amendment 18 68
- State and federal citizenship acknowledged for all persons born and
nationalized in US
- Forbade states from diminishing privileges and immunities of
citizenship
- Prohibited deprivation of life, liberty or property without due process
of law
- No state accepted back into the union without ratifying it
- Bloody riots erupted in southern states, adding fuel to
reconstruction battle, massacres blamed on Johnson
15th amendment 1869
- Prohibited states from declining black suffrage and allowed right to
vote regardless of race, colour or previous condition of servitude
- Pressure from federal gov. meant that states were quick to ratify it
- Yet, literacy tests, poll taxes, intimidation and lynching used to keep
blacks from the polls full suffrage not realised until 1965
1873 Supreme court cases
- Slaughterhouse decision
o Court ruled the 14th amendment protected rights of national
citizenship but not civil rights of state citizenship black
rights not safeguarded from state violations
o Narrow interpretation of the constitution went against radical
reconstructionists
- US v Reese
o Court ruled that 15th amendment did not give everyone the
right to vote
- Highlighted ongoing challenges in enforcing voting rights in
southern states
, - 1883 invalidation of 1875 civil rights act and confirmation of US v
Reese decision= landmark rulings negated changes made by
Radical republicans
Civil rights act 1875
- Last congressional reconstruction measure
- Prohibited racial discrimination in jury selection, transportation,
restaurants and places of amusement
Black american political representatives
- 600 in state governments
- Mississippi= 14 black americans as congressmen
- Political inexperience= accused of being biased and manipulated by
northern carpetbaggers
- Reconstruction governments embarked on costly radical reforms
gov. accused of financial incompetence, blamed black reps
- While accusations were based on some merit as reps were
inexperienced and inevitably made administrative mistakes, bias
was extreme
Social
- 4 million freed slaves = illiterate, without property or skill
- Internal migration tripled population of black americans in urban
north
Black codes
- New southern states pass repressive legislations designed to
preserve slavery and restrict freedoms
o Could not serve on a jury/vote
o Required to enter into labour contracts
- Vague and open ended descriptions of “being vagrant” made whites
easily able to accuse blacks
o Consequences= tied to land, arrested, forced into chain gangs
or made to forfeit pay, fined
- Ensured strong state power, introduced in varying degrees in the
south
Freedman’s bureau
- Established in 1865 by congress’ Freedman’s Bureau Bill to help
millions of ex-slaves in the aftermath of the civil war; provided food,
housing, medical aid, schooling and legal assistance
- Turbulent reconstruction period= resettling of 4 million ex-slaves
from slavery to free-labour society
Successes:
- Fed millions, built hospitals, helped legalise marriages, settled
labour disputes, instrumental in building thousands of schools and
Political
1862 emancipation proclamation
- Lincoln declared all states under confederate control free
- Seen as war tactic to boost union and weaken the confederate army
1863 Lincoln’s 10% plan
- Confederate states could establish state governments after 10% of
their male populations took loyalty oath
- Congress responds with Wade-Davis Bill that required more than
50% of white males to take “ironclad” oath of allegiance and agree
to the abolition of slavery
- Lincoln refuses to sign clashing of federal powers
1865 13th amendment
- Abolition of slavery
- Passed narrowly, 2 votes over 2/3 necessary majority
1865 Special field order number 15
- 400 000 acres of coastal land extending from Charleston to
Jacksonville in Florida given to newly emancipated slaves
1866 Civil rights bill
- Aimed at destroying black codes and justified implementation of
freedom under 13th amendment
- Johnson’s veto overridden
- Act became first federal law that defined citizenship so that all
citizens were granted equal protection under the law
- Diluted southern powers in black codes
1866 elections- struggle between congressional and presidential power
- ‘swing around the circle’ tour = speeches for lenient union
recognition = complete failure, exchanged hot-tempered insults with
the crowds
- ‘waving the bloody shirt’ = congressional response
o Elections of 1866= republican win means they can override
presidential vetoes
Military reconstruction act 1867
- Identified new conditions under which southern governments would
be formed
- Divided former confederate into 5 military districts
- Compulsory union occupation by general and troops, “bluebellies”,
remained until 1877, with power to protect and maintain order
- Military governments seen as protectors to former slaves, while
viewed as norther occupation by southern states
, o Temporarily disenfranchised 15% of potential white voters who
had been office holders under the confederacy
o Enfranchised more than 700,000 black voters black voters
outnumbered white voters by almost 100,000 in south
Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, florida and alabama
+ tenure of office act
- Overrode presidential veto by making Johnson obtain republican
dominate senete’s consent to remove civil rights officers, furthered
struggle between state and johnson
+command of army act
- All orders from johnson to army needed to go through headquarters-
under command of general Ulysses grant = keen republican
supporter
14th amendment 18 68
- State and federal citizenship acknowledged for all persons born and
nationalized in US
- Forbade states from diminishing privileges and immunities of
citizenship
- Prohibited deprivation of life, liberty or property without due process
of law
- No state accepted back into the union without ratifying it
- Bloody riots erupted in southern states, adding fuel to
reconstruction battle, massacres blamed on Johnson
15th amendment 1869
- Prohibited states from declining black suffrage and allowed right to
vote regardless of race, colour or previous condition of servitude
- Pressure from federal gov. meant that states were quick to ratify it
- Yet, literacy tests, poll taxes, intimidation and lynching used to keep
blacks from the polls full suffrage not realised until 1965
1873 Supreme court cases
- Slaughterhouse decision
o Court ruled the 14th amendment protected rights of national
citizenship but not civil rights of state citizenship black
rights not safeguarded from state violations
o Narrow interpretation of the constitution went against radical
reconstructionists
- US v Reese
o Court ruled that 15th amendment did not give everyone the
right to vote
- Highlighted ongoing challenges in enforcing voting rights in
southern states
, - 1883 invalidation of 1875 civil rights act and confirmation of US v
Reese decision= landmark rulings negated changes made by
Radical republicans
Civil rights act 1875
- Last congressional reconstruction measure
- Prohibited racial discrimination in jury selection, transportation,
restaurants and places of amusement
Black american political representatives
- 600 in state governments
- Mississippi= 14 black americans as congressmen
- Political inexperience= accused of being biased and manipulated by
northern carpetbaggers
- Reconstruction governments embarked on costly radical reforms
gov. accused of financial incompetence, blamed black reps
- While accusations were based on some merit as reps were
inexperienced and inevitably made administrative mistakes, bias
was extreme
Social
- 4 million freed slaves = illiterate, without property or skill
- Internal migration tripled population of black americans in urban
north
Black codes
- New southern states pass repressive legislations designed to
preserve slavery and restrict freedoms
o Could not serve on a jury/vote
o Required to enter into labour contracts
- Vague and open ended descriptions of “being vagrant” made whites
easily able to accuse blacks
o Consequences= tied to land, arrested, forced into chain gangs
or made to forfeit pay, fined
- Ensured strong state power, introduced in varying degrees in the
south
Freedman’s bureau
- Established in 1865 by congress’ Freedman’s Bureau Bill to help
millions of ex-slaves in the aftermath of the civil war; provided food,
housing, medical aid, schooling and legal assistance
- Turbulent reconstruction period= resettling of 4 million ex-slaves
from slavery to free-labour society
Successes:
- Fed millions, built hospitals, helped legalise marriages, settled
labour disputes, instrumental in building thousands of schools and
