Topic: Discuss the process of Reconstruction and the role of carpetbaggers, scalawags and
bootleggers.
The period of radical reconstruction is of immense significance in the history of 19 th century
America. After the Union victory in 1865, the process of rebuilding the south was carried out
under the leadership of President Andrew Johnson, in what is also popularly known as the
period of Presidential Reconstruction (1865-1867). However it was in response to the lenient
policies of Johnson, that a faction within the Republican Party, known as the radical
republicans advocated new methods and policies for reconstruction. In recent historiography,
the principles and legislations that characterized the period of radical reconstruction and its
impact has evoked a lot of historical debates.
In the aftermath of the American civil war, the nation had to face several challenges; primary
among them was the question of slavery and the rights of the freedmen, the readmission of the
Southern states into the union and the problem of economic reconstruction. According to
Andrew Johnson, the Southern states had not given up the right to govern their own territory and
hence the centre had no right to interfere in the internal functioning of the state. Hence by
ratifying by the 13th amendment act which abolished slavery and by taking an oath of allegiance
to the centre, the southern states would be readmitted to the union and were free to govern their
own territory. Andrew Jackson also ended up granting pardon and amnesty to the southerners
unconditionally during the war unconditionally. According to Eric Foner, Johnson believed in
the principles of the states right and was unsympathetic to the concerns of the Blacks.
One of the most controversial aspects of the period of Presidential reconstruction was the ‘Black
Codes’ that nullified most of the provisions of the Presidential reconstruction policies. The Black
Codes, though varying from states to states, as Foner mentions primarily, aimed at stabilizing the
Labour force and restricting the economic mobility of the freedmen. It encompassed several
discriminatory criminal, vagrant and contractual labour laws that undermined the position of the
Blacks, which were especially severe in states like Mississippi and South Carolina. According to
several historians, the Black codes marked the continuation of ‘slavery in all but name.’
It is in this context that a radical section within the Republican Party started criticizing and
opposing the policies of Johnson. They believed, unlike Johnson that the Confederate states need
to be punished and the conquered territories in the South, needs to be treated as subjugated
territories. They criticized Johnson for adopting a lenient policy towards the confederate states
and advocated for more radical and revolutionary reforms. They believed in ideas of political
suffrage for freedmen and political equality.
The radical republicans took several measures to curb the powers of President Johnson. Despite
the Presidential veto, radical republicans under T Stevens were able to pass the Freedmen
Bureau’s Bill (which prolonged and extended the powers of the Freedmen Bureau) and the Civil
Rights Bill. After the congressional elections of 1866, Andrew Johnson was further sidelined and
it was the radical republicans who assumed power in making legislations. They passed the Office
Act and the Military Commandment Act that further restricted the powers of the President.
, According to Eric Foner and most other historians, one of the most significant legislation passed
in the period of radical reconstruction was the 14 th Amendment Act which ensured civil liberties
for all Americans and ensured equal political treatment for all. Further with the passing of the
15th Amendment act ensured political suffrage for all citizens, irrespective of race, color, etc
which guaranteed Black suffrage and their right to stand for public office and elections. The
reconstruction acts passed in 1867 divided the confederate states into 5 military zones under the
control of the republican government. Another important aspect of the period of radical
reconstruction was the role played by groups like Carpetbaggers (Northern White Republics) and
Scalawags (Southern White Republicans who supported the reconstruction program. In the
economic sphere too, the period of radial reconstruction saw several changes in the economic
sphere like the inception of the sharecropping and crop lien system. According to Eric Foner, one
of the most remarkable aspects of this period was the beginning of several public funded schools
for the Blacks and, many Black gaining important public offices.
It is also imperative to note that in response of the policies of the Radical Republicans, several
secret societies like the Ku Klux Clan, Red Shirts etc came up. The Ku Klux Clan for instance
went on to terrorize the freedmen and the republicans to achieve their goal of White Supremacy.
The opposition to the legislations of the Radical reconstruction finally led to the Compromise of
1877 which according to many scholars marked the end of the reconstruction era and the
reestablishment of White Supremacy under a new group of democrats known as the Redeemers.
According to most traditional historians, the period of reconstruction was a failure. Historian
Claude G. Bowers suggested that the Reconstruction was a ‘Tragic Era’ in American history.
According to the traditional Dunning School led by its founder William A Dunning and other
scholars like John Burgess of historiography, the period of reconstruction was a failure as it was
marked by political and financial corruption and failed to do away with the racial hatred. They
argue that the Carpetbaggers and the Scalawags were mere political opportunists who
manipulated the freedmen. According to them this was also a period that marked a subjugation of
the former confederate states. The primary motive behind the legislations of radical
reconstruction was political in nature; it was aimed to secure the votes of the freedmen for
political gains.
However , during the 1960’s there was a shift in historiography when a new group of revisionist
scholars led by people like Holter, Paint etc began to perceive the era of reconstruction in a
positive light. They argue that the political suffrage and the new found freedom through the 14 th
and 15th amendment marked a distinct break from the past.
Recently, such a view has been further revised by post revisionist scholars like C. Van
Woodward and others who argue that despite the new legislations, the Blacks continued to be
subjugated. According to Woodward, the policies and legislations of the radical republicans were
conservative and not as revolutionary. Such a view argues that even in the aftermath of the civil
war and the abolishment of slavery by the 13 th Amendment Act, the conditions of the blacks did
not improve and they continued to be oppressed socially, politically, economically, by the new
policies especially in the period post reconstruction. In the 1960s, neo-abolitionist historians
emerged, led by John Hope Franklin, Kenneth Stampp and Eric Foner, influenced by the Civil
Rights Movement, rejected the Dunning school and found a great deal to praise in Radical
Reconstruction. Foner, the primary advocate of this view, argued that it was never truly
bootleggers.
The period of radical reconstruction is of immense significance in the history of 19 th century
America. After the Union victory in 1865, the process of rebuilding the south was carried out
under the leadership of President Andrew Johnson, in what is also popularly known as the
period of Presidential Reconstruction (1865-1867). However it was in response to the lenient
policies of Johnson, that a faction within the Republican Party, known as the radical
republicans advocated new methods and policies for reconstruction. In recent historiography,
the principles and legislations that characterized the period of radical reconstruction and its
impact has evoked a lot of historical debates.
In the aftermath of the American civil war, the nation had to face several challenges; primary
among them was the question of slavery and the rights of the freedmen, the readmission of the
Southern states into the union and the problem of economic reconstruction. According to
Andrew Johnson, the Southern states had not given up the right to govern their own territory and
hence the centre had no right to interfere in the internal functioning of the state. Hence by
ratifying by the 13th amendment act which abolished slavery and by taking an oath of allegiance
to the centre, the southern states would be readmitted to the union and were free to govern their
own territory. Andrew Jackson also ended up granting pardon and amnesty to the southerners
unconditionally during the war unconditionally. According to Eric Foner, Johnson believed in
the principles of the states right and was unsympathetic to the concerns of the Blacks.
One of the most controversial aspects of the period of Presidential reconstruction was the ‘Black
Codes’ that nullified most of the provisions of the Presidential reconstruction policies. The Black
Codes, though varying from states to states, as Foner mentions primarily, aimed at stabilizing the
Labour force and restricting the economic mobility of the freedmen. It encompassed several
discriminatory criminal, vagrant and contractual labour laws that undermined the position of the
Blacks, which were especially severe in states like Mississippi and South Carolina. According to
several historians, the Black codes marked the continuation of ‘slavery in all but name.’
It is in this context that a radical section within the Republican Party started criticizing and
opposing the policies of Johnson. They believed, unlike Johnson that the Confederate states need
to be punished and the conquered territories in the South, needs to be treated as subjugated
territories. They criticized Johnson for adopting a lenient policy towards the confederate states
and advocated for more radical and revolutionary reforms. They believed in ideas of political
suffrage for freedmen and political equality.
The radical republicans took several measures to curb the powers of President Johnson. Despite
the Presidential veto, radical republicans under T Stevens were able to pass the Freedmen
Bureau’s Bill (which prolonged and extended the powers of the Freedmen Bureau) and the Civil
Rights Bill. After the congressional elections of 1866, Andrew Johnson was further sidelined and
it was the radical republicans who assumed power in making legislations. They passed the Office
Act and the Military Commandment Act that further restricted the powers of the President.
, According to Eric Foner and most other historians, one of the most significant legislation passed
in the period of radical reconstruction was the 14 th Amendment Act which ensured civil liberties
for all Americans and ensured equal political treatment for all. Further with the passing of the
15th Amendment act ensured political suffrage for all citizens, irrespective of race, color, etc
which guaranteed Black suffrage and their right to stand for public office and elections. The
reconstruction acts passed in 1867 divided the confederate states into 5 military zones under the
control of the republican government. Another important aspect of the period of radical
reconstruction was the role played by groups like Carpetbaggers (Northern White Republics) and
Scalawags (Southern White Republicans who supported the reconstruction program. In the
economic sphere too, the period of radial reconstruction saw several changes in the economic
sphere like the inception of the sharecropping and crop lien system. According to Eric Foner, one
of the most remarkable aspects of this period was the beginning of several public funded schools
for the Blacks and, many Black gaining important public offices.
It is also imperative to note that in response of the policies of the Radical Republicans, several
secret societies like the Ku Klux Clan, Red Shirts etc came up. The Ku Klux Clan for instance
went on to terrorize the freedmen and the republicans to achieve their goal of White Supremacy.
The opposition to the legislations of the Radical reconstruction finally led to the Compromise of
1877 which according to many scholars marked the end of the reconstruction era and the
reestablishment of White Supremacy under a new group of democrats known as the Redeemers.
According to most traditional historians, the period of reconstruction was a failure. Historian
Claude G. Bowers suggested that the Reconstruction was a ‘Tragic Era’ in American history.
According to the traditional Dunning School led by its founder William A Dunning and other
scholars like John Burgess of historiography, the period of reconstruction was a failure as it was
marked by political and financial corruption and failed to do away with the racial hatred. They
argue that the Carpetbaggers and the Scalawags were mere political opportunists who
manipulated the freedmen. According to them this was also a period that marked a subjugation of
the former confederate states. The primary motive behind the legislations of radical
reconstruction was political in nature; it was aimed to secure the votes of the freedmen for
political gains.
However , during the 1960’s there was a shift in historiography when a new group of revisionist
scholars led by people like Holter, Paint etc began to perceive the era of reconstruction in a
positive light. They argue that the political suffrage and the new found freedom through the 14 th
and 15th amendment marked a distinct break from the past.
Recently, such a view has been further revised by post revisionist scholars like C. Van
Woodward and others who argue that despite the new legislations, the Blacks continued to be
subjugated. According to Woodward, the policies and legislations of the radical republicans were
conservative and not as revolutionary. Such a view argues that even in the aftermath of the civil
war and the abolishment of slavery by the 13 th Amendment Act, the conditions of the blacks did
not improve and they continued to be oppressed socially, politically, economically, by the new
policies especially in the period post reconstruction. In the 1960s, neo-abolitionist historians
emerged, led by John Hope Franklin, Kenneth Stampp and Eric Foner, influenced by the Civil
Rights Movement, rejected the Dunning school and found a great deal to praise in Radical
Reconstruction. Foner, the primary advocate of this view, argued that it was never truly
