THE END OF RECONSTRUCTION 13.4. VIOLENT REDEMPTION Reconstruction ended as it had began, in violence...

T H E E N D O F R E C O N S T R U C T I O N

13.4

VIOLENT REDEMPTION

• Reconstruction ended as it had began, in violence and controversy

• Democrats wanted southern states returned to white, conservative political control

• By 1875 Democrats had regained control in all but four southern states

VIOLENT REDEMPTION

• Democrats had learned that violence would win elections in areas where the numbers of whites and black were nearly equal

• The federal government had also become reluctant to send troops into the south to protect black citizens

• Violence became common in elections across the south and little by little the Democrats “redeemed” the southern states

THE SHOTGUN POLICY

• In 1875 white Mississippians, no longer fearful of federal intervention, declared open warfare on the black majority

• They declared that Democrats would carry the elections “peaceably if we can, forcibly if we must”

• A campaign of violence known as the Shotgun Policy was undertaken across the state

THE SHOTGUN POLICY

• 300 African American men were hunted down outside of Vicksburg after losing a “battle” with white men.

• 30 teachers, church leaders and Republican officials were killed in Clinton

• The federal government sent no help

THE HAMBURG MASSACRE

• A battle between the black S. Carolina militia and a white rifle club became known as the Hamburg Massacre

• The whites had demanded that the militia be disarmed

• A full on armed conflict resulted and when the militia ran low on ammo the white rifle club seized the armory they’d been defending

THE HAMBURG MASSACRE

• One white man was killed, twenty-nine black men were taken prisoner

• Five African Americans identified as the leaders of the militia were shot

• The 5 rifle companies invaded and wrecked the town of Hamburg

THE HAMBURG MASSACRE

• 7 white men were indicted for murder, but all were acquitted

• This incident encouraged further violence towards freedmen in the south

• Democrats attacked, beat and killed black people to prevent them from voting

BLACK REACTION

• In many parts of the south African Americans were afraid to vote, but in the low country they fought back

• A white man was killed in Charleston, S.C. in a racial fight

• Five white men were killed at a campaign rally south of Charleston

THE “COMPROMISE” OF 1877

• Threats, violence, and bloodshed accompanied the election of 1876

• The resulting numbers were unclear, the Democratic candidate Samuel Tilden had won the popular vote and led in the electoral votes but 20 electoral votes were in dispute

• Both parties claimed to have won Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina

THE “COMPROMISE” OF 1877

• The Republican Rutherford B. Hayes was given the victory, but he conceded the state governments to the Democrats by removing all federal troops from the South

• Without protection from the federal government the intimidation by Democrats resulted in the collapse of Republican parties in these states

• The result was that the South was once again controlled by the white Southerners that had supported slavery

• Reconstruction had failed

ASSIGNMENT

• 1. How did Democrats seek to reestablish control over the south?

• 2. What was the “ Shotgun Policy”? Did it work?

• 3. Describe the federal governments response to the violence in the south?

• 4. Describe the events of the Hamburg Massacre?

• 5. Explain how the election of 1876 led to the end of Reconstruction. Why is Reconstruction considered a failure?