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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?