Congressional Reconstruction

Johnson's Reconstruction

Johnson was the current democratic president of the united states. His reconstruction plan abolished slavery but did not give African Americans rights. He did not want any amendments to give them equal rights to whites. However since the congress was mostly made up of Radicals they impeached him. Even though he was npt removed from office served his remaining time with no real power and the radicals passed the amendments which gave blacks civil rights.

Black Codes

Black codes were lawss that restricted freemens' rights. These codes established virtual slavery with laws such as these: Black men were not allowed to met after sunset. Also freemen who did not work could be fined, whipped or sold for a year's labor.Plus freemen had to sign contracts that lasted a year and if they quit in the middle of their contract they lost the wages they earned. Finally, Blacks were not allowed to rent land or homes except in rural areas.

14&15 Amendments

The congress passed an amendment called the Fourteenth Amendment which said that ALL persons born in the US had rights and no states could deprive them of thesse rights without dew process of law. The fifteen amendment was added much later in the constitution and it stated that no citizen of the US may be denied the right to vote on account og race or color. Both these amendments were passed because of the Radical Republicans, who thought African Americans and Whites should have the same rights and opportunities.

Radical Reconstruction

The radical republicans are a political party that believed that blacks should have true equality. They were very influential and disagreed with the democratic president (Johnson). The radical's goal was to grant African Americans their civil rights. However the current president did not and he urged states to not ratify the 14th amendment that granted the blacks their rights. The north responded by putting many Radical Republicans into Congress, this let them put ther reconstruction plan into action. First made the south into five districts which was each governed by a northern general. Next it let both white AND black men vote. Also it ordered stated to hold new elections for theri state constitutions. It temporarily did not allow those who had supported the Confederacy to vote . Finally it required all citizens to be equal and it ratifies the 14th amendment.

Carpetbagger

This was what the southerners called the northerners who moved to the south after the war. They reffered to them as that because they thought that tehse men came to make profit out of the south's misery. This reffers to a type of cheap suitcases made from carpet scraped. However, historians believe that most men who moved south were honest educated men who were either freemen or union soldiers or freedmen bereau officials.

Scalawags

Scalawags is originally a Scottish word meaning "scrawny cattle". It was used to name white southern republican because they were believed to be taitors. The scalawags usually included Wigs which were opposed to the secession and farmers who resented the planter class. Many southners resented the scalawags, carpetbagger and feedmen's power. They also thought reconstruction legislatures were incometent. But it is believed that thesse officials were no worse than in other regions of the country at that time.

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