Failures of Reconstruction 1 v Ku Klux

Failures of Reconstruction 1

v. Ku Klux Klan Organized in 1867, in Tennessee by Nathan Bedford Forrest. v“ghosts of dead Confederates” v. Knights of the White Camellia- Membership came exclusively from Southern gentry v. White League- The “military wing of the Democratic Party” v. Goal- End reconstruction, intimidate Blacks, “redeem the South”. KKK 2

kkk ALL HATED BY THE KKK Carpetbaggers Northerners/Republicans sent to help reconstruct the South. Scalawags Southerners who helped Carpetbaggers. Some were former Whigs who opposed secession, others were poor whites Freedmen Blacks who tried to vote or were involved in the reconstruction of their states governments. 3

South’s Backlash 4

kkk 5

v Grant’s “War On Terror” v 3 separate bills banning terror, force, or bribery to prevent Black voting v Banned the KKK and used the military to protect voters and voting places. v the Klan was broken…but it was expensive to maintain- lots of lawsuits. v As federal troops withdrew from the South, black suffrage ended. 6

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Letter About Ku Klux Klan Terror* State of Mississippi. Monroe County. March 30, 1871 My beloved Sister: I will endeavor to answer your joyfully received letter. I must tell you something about the Ku Klux, they are raging on the other side of the River. They have whipped several white men, whipped and killed several Negroes. They whipped Colonel Huggins, the Superintendent of the free schools nearly to death, and everybody rejoiced when they heard it, for everybody hated him. He squandered the public money, buyingpianos, organs, sofas, and furniture for the Negro School house in Aberdeen. The people are taxed beyond endurance. The Ku Klux gave him seventy lashes, and then gave him ten days to leave the country. He left and went to Jackson… It is the opinion of most everybody there will be war. The Yankees coming here will make the Negroes more insolent… 8

Sharecroppers were Freedmen and poor Whites who stayed in the South and continued to farm. v. System based on credit v. Freedmen signed a work contract with their former masters. v. They live on the land tended the crops landowner’s crops. v At harvesting, the “crop” was “shared” v. Sharecroppers often lived in old slave cottages. v. Room for abuses? Continuation of slavery? 9

Sharecroppers 10

Advantages Disadvantages v. Part of a business v. Blacks stay in South venture v. Raised their social status v. Received 1/3 to 1/2 of crop when harvested v. Raised their self esteem Sharecroppers v. Some landowners refused to honor the contract v. Blacks poor and in debt v. Economic slavery 11

Sharecroppers 12

1872 GRANT WINS RE-ELECTION 2 nd term to be terrible for Grant & the Republicans 13

Credit Mobilier- 1872 • Phony construction company owned by the Union Pacific Railroad. • Hired Credit Mobilier to build the transcontinental railroad • Charged the U. S. government nearly twice the actual cost of the project. • Bribed Congress to stop the investigation. • Largest scandal in U. S. history, and led to greater public awareness of government corruption. 14

Whiskey Ring- 1875 • A group of President Grant’s officials imported whiskey • Used their offices to avoid paying taxes • Cheated US treasury of millions. Salary Grab Act- 1873 • Congress gave itself a raise, $5, 000 to $7, 500 annually. • Congressmen received a retroactive check for $5, 000, plus their raise…… • Became a political issue…. Later repealed. 15

• Severe economic depression in both Europe and the United States that lasted until 1879 • Government Corruption blamed. • Republicans began to steer away from expensive Reconstruction • Republicans lost 94 seats in the house and 9 seats in the Senate. • 1 st Democratic house since 1858 • Republicans realize that they can’t rely on Black votes… 16

1876 Election • 21 Electoral votes in dispute- Tilden only needs 1 to win. * • Special Commission gives votes to Hayes by vote of 5 -4. *Disputed Electoral votes • Hayes wins the election 164 369 total electoral votes, need 185 to win. • Democrats refuse to recognize Hayes as President 17

Rutherford B. Hayes Samuel Tilden v. The election of 1876 and the Compromise of 1877 are referred to as the “ 2 nd Corrupt Bargain”. v. If Republican Hayes is President, he will end Reconstruction and pull the troops out of the South. v. No protection for the Freedmen and the South will regain their states and go back to the way it was. 18

• Republicans hoped that the South would be “Gentlemanly” in treatment of Blacks. • Southerners take over their state governments called “REDEEMERS” 19

Solid South Political term to describe how the South voted. Solidly voted for the Democrats because they hated the Republicans. Reconstruc tion Map 20

5 reasons Reconstruction ends • Corruption: Reconstruction legislatures & Grant’s administration symbolized corruption & poor govt. • The economy: Legislatures taxed and spent heavily, putting the southern states deep into debt. Panic of 1873. • Violence: As troops left the South, some whites used violence to prevent freedmen from voting. This tactic allowed white Southerners to regain control (redeem) of the state governments. • The Democrats’ return to power: The pardoned ex. Confederates combined with other white Southerners to form a new bloc of Democratic voters known as the Solid South. They blocked Reconstruction policies. • The Country: The Civil War was over and many Americans wanted to put it behind them. 21

Successes and Failures of Reconstruction Successes Failures Union is restored. White southerners Bitter at the US & Republicans. South’s economy grows, North gains wealth. The South is slow to industrialize. 14 th, 15 th amendments guarantee Blacks equal protection under the law, citizenship, and suffrage. After US troops are withdrawn, southern governments and terrorist organizations deny Blacks the right to vote. Freedmen’s Bureau and other organizations help many black families obtain housing, jobs, and schooling. Many black and white southerners remain caught in a cycle of poverty. Southern states adopt a system of mandatory education. Racist attitudes toward African Americans continue, in both the South and the North. 22

“He was free from the individual master but the slave of society. He had neither money, property, nor friends. He was free from the old plantation, but he had nothing but the dusty road under his feet. He was free from the old quarter that once gave him shelter, but a slave to the rains of summer and the frost of winter. He was in a word, literally tuned loose, naked, hungry, and destitute to the open sky. “- Frederick Douglas 23

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The Emergence of Political Machines Political Machine • Organized group that controls a city’s political party- run like the mafia • Give services to voters, businesses for political, financial support • After Civil War, machines gain control of major cities • Machine organization: precinct captains, ward bosses, city boss 25

The Role of the Political Boss • Often was the mayor he: • controlled city jobs, business licenses • influenced courts, municipal agencies • arranged building projects, community services Immigrants and the Machine • Many captains, bosses 1 st or 2 nd generation Americans • Machines helped immigrants with naturalization, jobs, housing Election Fraud and Graft • Machines use electoral fraud to win elections • Graft—illegal use of political influence for personal gain 26 Graft • Machines take kickbacks, bribes to allow legal, illegal activities

• Corrupt political leader put New York City in debt • Kept Democratic Party in power in NYC called Tammany Hall • Formed the Tweed Ring • Tweed Ring milked the city with false leases, padded bills, false vouchers, unnecessary repairs and over-priced goods 27

v. Exposed for his corruption by cartoonist and editor, Thomas Nast v Tweed Ring fell and 1873 Tweed convicted of embezzlement v. Later Tweed was arrested on a civil charge and jailed in NYC, later died there 28

v. Thomas Nast was the artist for Harper's Weekly in the late 1800’s. v "the Father of American Caricature. " v. Nast's campaign against New York City's political boss William Tweed is legendary v. Tweed said, "Stop them damn pictures. I don't care what the papers write about me. My constituents can't read. But, damn it, they can see the pictures. " 29