Usa history revision
The era of reconstruction and the gilded
age 1865-90 chapter 1
Summary
Johnson
Successes
- 1865 ratification of 13th amendment
Failures
- 1865 amnesty proclamations, pardoned confederates
- 1866 veto of civil rights act
- 1866 vetoed freedman’s bureau bill
CONGRESS
Successes
- Civil rights act 1866
- Freedman’s bureau 1867
- 1657 Military reconstruction bill – military rule on the south
- 1867 tenure of office act
- 1868 14th amendment
- The command of the army act reduced Johnson’s powers
Failures
- Maybe tenure of office act?
GRANT
Successes
- 1870 enforcement act
- 1871 kkk act
- 1875 civil rights act
Failures
- 1872 amnesty act
- 1973 economic panic
- 1876 usa V. Cruikshank
- 1877 compromise
,The weaknesses of federal government
Johnson
Reconstruction Involved 2 key issues:
- How far the south§ern states would be punished for seceding
(withdraw from the union)
- How African Americans should be treated in southern states.
Jonson wanted to see southern states restored to the union ASAP. He dd
not want to punish the south. However, most members of congress were
republicans who opposed this view. Many were radical republicans who
wished to see harsh measures taken against southern states. Southern
states saw increasing introduction of black codes (limits on black people)
in states such as Mississippi and Louisiana. Ku Klux Klan formed in 1866.
White group called the redeemers attacked corruption in government.
Johnson as president:
1865: ratification of 13th amendment (abolish slavery)
1865: amnesty proclamations, pardoned most former
confederates.
1866: veto of the civil rights act
1866: veto of the freedmen’s bureau bill
Congressional reconstruction:
Midterms 1866 won 2/3rd majority (override veto)
1866: civil rights act (citizenship and equal protection
1867: reconstruction acts (south divided into military districts)
1867: tenure of office act (reason for Johnson’s impeachment)
1868: 14th amendment (citizenship to everyone born in usa)
1868 election U. Grant elected
Congress placed four reconstruction acts and placed the southern states
under military rule after 1867 reconstruction act. By the mid 1870s the
social appetite for reconstruction had fallen away and the civil rights act
1875 was seen as the final hand out for black people.
,1870: enforcement act: allowed the federal government to
prosecute individuals who prevented African Americans from
voting
1871: Ku Klux Klan act – federal troops could be used to supress
KKK
1871: use of federal troops in the south
1875: civil rights act (banned discrimination in public facilities
such as hotels and transport.
1872: amnesty act – restored political rights to most former
confederates
1873: panic of 1873 – economic crisis shifted northern attention
away from reconstruction
1876: United states v. Cruikshank ruled that federal government
could not prosecute individuals for violating civil rights unless the
state was involved.
1877 – compromise of 1877 – hayes elected on the promise that
federal troops were withdrawn.
1883 – supreme court overturned the 1875 civil rights act
effectively beginning Jim crow.
By the late 1970s, many in the north were tired of the costs of
reconstruction. In the 1877 election, southern democrats agreed to
support the republican candidate hayes if federal troops were withdrawn,
and reconstruction ended. The southern states became responsible for
their own governance again.
, The politics of the gilded age, the era of
weak presidents and political corruption
1866-89
Chapter 2
The weaknesses of federal government
The period 1866 to 1896 saw a period dominated by congressional
government where presidents tended to be weak and relatively
ineffectual. Indeed, real power lay with the senate where members
were often well established, and the relatively small membership
facilitated meaningful debate.
NAME PARTY YEAR
U.S GRANT Republican 1869
R. HAYES Republican 1877
J. GARFIELD Republican 1881
C. ARTHUR Republican 1881
G. CLEVELAND Democrat 1885
B. HARRISON Republican 1889
G. CLEVELAND Democrat 1893
Civil service reform
1871 – civil service commission created (introduced exams for some
federal jobs)
1873 – Grant ended funding for the civil service commission
1877 – Hayes banned federal employees from political
campaigning
1878 – hayes removed New York customs officials linked to
patronage
1881 – assassination of Garfield (major turning point)
1883 – Pendleton civil service reform act – created the civil
service commission and required competitive exams for some
federal jobs
The Pendleton act reserved 10% of posts for appointments based on
merit and made it illegal for officeholders to make contributions to
politicians. It would be extended as time went on.
The era of reconstruction and the gilded
age 1865-90 chapter 1
Summary
Johnson
Successes
- 1865 ratification of 13th amendment
Failures
- 1865 amnesty proclamations, pardoned confederates
- 1866 veto of civil rights act
- 1866 vetoed freedman’s bureau bill
CONGRESS
Successes
- Civil rights act 1866
- Freedman’s bureau 1867
- 1657 Military reconstruction bill – military rule on the south
- 1867 tenure of office act
- 1868 14th amendment
- The command of the army act reduced Johnson’s powers
Failures
- Maybe tenure of office act?
GRANT
Successes
- 1870 enforcement act
- 1871 kkk act
- 1875 civil rights act
Failures
- 1872 amnesty act
- 1973 economic panic
- 1876 usa V. Cruikshank
- 1877 compromise
,The weaknesses of federal government
Johnson
Reconstruction Involved 2 key issues:
- How far the south§ern states would be punished for seceding
(withdraw from the union)
- How African Americans should be treated in southern states.
Jonson wanted to see southern states restored to the union ASAP. He dd
not want to punish the south. However, most members of congress were
republicans who opposed this view. Many were radical republicans who
wished to see harsh measures taken against southern states. Southern
states saw increasing introduction of black codes (limits on black people)
in states such as Mississippi and Louisiana. Ku Klux Klan formed in 1866.
White group called the redeemers attacked corruption in government.
Johnson as president:
1865: ratification of 13th amendment (abolish slavery)
1865: amnesty proclamations, pardoned most former
confederates.
1866: veto of the civil rights act
1866: veto of the freedmen’s bureau bill
Congressional reconstruction:
Midterms 1866 won 2/3rd majority (override veto)
1866: civil rights act (citizenship and equal protection
1867: reconstruction acts (south divided into military districts)
1867: tenure of office act (reason for Johnson’s impeachment)
1868: 14th amendment (citizenship to everyone born in usa)
1868 election U. Grant elected
Congress placed four reconstruction acts and placed the southern states
under military rule after 1867 reconstruction act. By the mid 1870s the
social appetite for reconstruction had fallen away and the civil rights act
1875 was seen as the final hand out for black people.
,1870: enforcement act: allowed the federal government to
prosecute individuals who prevented African Americans from
voting
1871: Ku Klux Klan act – federal troops could be used to supress
KKK
1871: use of federal troops in the south
1875: civil rights act (banned discrimination in public facilities
such as hotels and transport.
1872: amnesty act – restored political rights to most former
confederates
1873: panic of 1873 – economic crisis shifted northern attention
away from reconstruction
1876: United states v. Cruikshank ruled that federal government
could not prosecute individuals for violating civil rights unless the
state was involved.
1877 – compromise of 1877 – hayes elected on the promise that
federal troops were withdrawn.
1883 – supreme court overturned the 1875 civil rights act
effectively beginning Jim crow.
By the late 1970s, many in the north were tired of the costs of
reconstruction. In the 1877 election, southern democrats agreed to
support the republican candidate hayes if federal troops were withdrawn,
and reconstruction ended. The southern states became responsible for
their own governance again.
, The politics of the gilded age, the era of
weak presidents and political corruption
1866-89
Chapter 2
The weaknesses of federal government
The period 1866 to 1896 saw a period dominated by congressional
government where presidents tended to be weak and relatively
ineffectual. Indeed, real power lay with the senate where members
were often well established, and the relatively small membership
facilitated meaningful debate.
NAME PARTY YEAR
U.S GRANT Republican 1869
R. HAYES Republican 1877
J. GARFIELD Republican 1881
C. ARTHUR Republican 1881
G. CLEVELAND Democrat 1885
B. HARRISON Republican 1889
G. CLEVELAND Democrat 1893
Civil service reform
1871 – civil service commission created (introduced exams for some
federal jobs)
1873 – Grant ended funding for the civil service commission
1877 – Hayes banned federal employees from political
campaigning
1878 – hayes removed New York customs officials linked to
patronage
1881 – assassination of Garfield (major turning point)
1883 – Pendleton civil service reform act – created the civil
service commission and required competitive exams for some
federal jobs
The Pendleton act reserved 10% of posts for appointments based on
merit and made it illegal for officeholders to make contributions to
politicians. It would be extended as time went on.
