Upload
elhem-chniti
View
558
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
African Americans and the politics of Reconstruction
Of all the opportunities now open to African Americans during Reconstruction, the right to vote was seen as the most important!
During Reconstruction, more than 600 African Americans served in state legislature, and sixteen of the new U.S. congressmen/senators were African Americans as well
Southern Resistance Against political
power in the hands of African Americans
Maintaining white supremacy. Resort to Law Violence
The Black Codes (1865-1867) In 1865, southern governments created Black
Codes to control ex-slaves. Black Codes were aimed to
restrict freed blacks’ activity and ensure their availability as a labor force
Arbitrary arrests
In many states, if unemployed, African Americans could be arrested and charged with vagrancy
Limiting freedoms Codes prevented African Americans from
raising their own crops. Often prohibited from entering towns without
permission. Florida Constitution of 1865: “In all criminal
proceedings founded upon injury to a colored person, (…) the testimony of colored persons shall be excluded.”
Not yet citizens After freedom was granted to slaves some
states declared them as Freedmen. This meant they were not citizens and would
have to apply to become one. They were treated as second class immigrants
and denied voting rights
Black Codes African Americans rarely had the money to
own land and therefore still had to work on plantations
They were forced to sign state contracts which did not allow them to leave or quit.
Owners of the land were able to use the same punishment they would use on children.
Black Codes It was illegal for an
African American to carry a knife or Firearm.
Anyone that sold an African American alcohol could be jailed for thirty days
Black Codes In South Carolina, people that worked on the
land were to be called servants and the owners master.
Their work day start when the sun went up and ended when it went down.
According to Florida's Black Code, blacks who violated labor contracts could be whipped, pilloried, and sold for up to one year's labor.
They must be "especially civil and polite to their masters, their masters' families and guests," and they in return would receive "gentle and kind treatment."
This outraged the Northern states as they felt it was still slavery.
After elections in 1866, the south was put under military rule and forced them to give the vote to all and abandon the Black Codes
End of Black Codes (1865-1867) These codes were outlawed by the 14th
amendment (1868) and by the Reconstruction Act of 1867.
Once things settled down, the southern parliament enacted a policy of Separate but Equal. (Jim Crow Laws)
….and violence
Ku Klux Klan Started in 1866 by
Nathaniel Bedford Forrest
Secret society
Mostly former Confederate soldiers
Goals of the KKK Remove Republicans
from power Drive out
carpetbaggers Regain control of the
South for the Democratic Party
Restore white control of the South using terror
Tactics of the KKK Broke up Republican
meetings Kept them from voting to
increase Democrats’ power Harassed Freedmen’s
Bureau workers Burned homes, churches,
schools Lynching blacks for
“crimes” committed against whites
Targets of the KKK
In this picture, the artist has portrayed a group of bizarrely dressed Klansmen contemplating the murder of a white Republican. (Library of Congress)
African Americans
Victims had little protection! Military authorities hired by Johnson were against Reconstruction and ignored violence
White Republicans: Mainly Carpetbaggers and Scalawags
Carpetbaggers Northerners who went
South during Reconstruction, motivated by either profit or idealism
Viewed as opportunists looking to exploit and profit from the region’s misfortunes
Named Carpetbaggers as they would arrive south carrying a carpet bag with all their belongings
Scalawags Southern born white
Republicans Scalawags opposed the
Confederacy, and Supported the federal
reconstruction plan and cooperated with the blacks in order to achieve their ends.
Viewed as traitors to the South Scalawags — a derogatory term
(originally describing worthless livestock)
Ku Klux Klan Act
Passed by Congress in 1871
Outlawed activities of the Klan
Federal arrests
KKK outlawed in 1871, but it was not the only group trying to keep African Americans powerless!
Alabama's White League, formed in 1874, strove to oust Republicans from office by intimidating black voters.
Political cartoonist Thomas Nast, suggested an alliance between the White League and the outlawed Ku Klux Klan. (Harper's Weekly, October 24, 1874)
It’s my turn!Quiz time!!!
Q1 THE SOUTHERN LAWS TO RESTRICT
BLACK FREEDOM WERE CALLED
A. SLAVE CODES
B. RACIST CODES
C. BLACK CODES
D. FREEDMEN’S CODES
Q2 THE BLACK CODES LASTED:
A. 2 YEARSB. 5 YEARSC. 7 YEARSD. 12 YEARS
Q3
HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE VAGRANCY
A. NOT HAVING AN ESTABLISHED
RESIDENCE AND WORK
B. BEING AT THE FOREFRONT OF A
MOVEMENT
C. TAKING A PROPERTY ILLEGALLY
D. RAPING WHITE WOMEN
Q4 WHICH STATEMENT ABOUT THE KKK IS
WRONG?A. IT WAS CREATED BY THE KKK ACT
B. IT WAS CREATED IN 1866
C. IT IS A SECRET SOCIETY
D. ITS MEMBERS ARE CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS
Q5WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING ARE NOT
PART OF KKK GOALSA. REMOVE REPUBLICANS FROM
POWERB. DRIVE OUT CARPETBAGGERSC. REGAIN CONTROL OF THE NORTH
FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTYD. RESTORE WHITE CONTROL
Q6WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING
STATEMENTS ABOUT KKK IS WRONG
A HARRASSED FREEDMEN’S BUREAU WORKERS
B BROKE UP DEMOCRAT MEETINGSC BURNED HOMES, CHURCHES,
SCHOOLSD LYNCHED BLACKS
Q7
CARPETBAGGERS ARE
A. SOUTHERNERS SUPPORTING THE UNION
B. SECRET KKK MEMBERS
C. NORTHERNERS MOVING SOUTH
D. FORMER CONFEDERACY SOLDIERS
Q8TICK THE RIGHT SPELLING OF THE NAME
USED FOR SOUTHERNERS SUPPORTING THE UNION
A. SKALAWAGS B. SKALLAWAGSC. SCALAWAGSD. SCALAWAGGS
Q9
THE KKK ACT WAS VOTED IN
A. 1866B. 1867C. 1869D. 1871
Q 10
WHAT IS THE NAME OF KKK’S SUCCESSOR?
A. FLORIDA WHITE LEAGUE
B. LOUISIANA WHITE LEAGUE
C. MONTGOMERY WHITE LEAGUE
D. ALABAMA WHITE LEAGUE