Reconstruction of the South - Johnson's Presidency
The Reconstruction of the South was a long, and complicated process, with everyone in America having different ideas on how to reinstate the Confederate states to the Union. Also how to help the Southern state's since most of the war took place in the South, and they had no slaves. The Civil War ended in 1865 and cities, towns, and farms were completely ruined in the South. Because all the farms were ruined the food prices were high, and there was a lot of crop failure causing starvation. The Confederate money held no more worth, so merchants and banks were going bankrupt. Also all the bridges and railroads were destroyed thanks to the Union Army, so some people were cut off from the rest of the world
One plan that would reinstate Confederate states to the Union was the Ten Percent Plan made by President Abraham Lincoln. Basically, it offered southerners an official pardon for any illegal acts or supporting a rebellion. In order to receive this pardon southerners must swear loyalty to the United States of America and had to agree slavery was illegal. Once ten percent of voters did this they would receive the pardon. Another plan was the Wade- Davis Bill. Here all southern states had to ban slavery, and majority of adult males must take the oath to America. Also some politicians argued that Congress should control the Confederate states return to the Union not the president. It required that any person who wants to hold office or vote must never had supported the Confederacy. It was a much stricter policy and would take longer to restore order than with the Ten Percent Plan. Then when Abraham Lincoln was Assassinated, no one was going to carry through his Ten Percent Plan, so there had to be a new president. President Andrew Johnson, the vice president to Abraham Lincoln, and pretty much had the same plan as Lincoln,but wealthy southerners and Confederate officials had to receive Presidential pardon.The new state governments had to declare secession was illegal, ratify the 13th amendment, refuse to pay Confederate debts. By 1865 all Southern states had except for Texas.
Then Congress passed the Reconstruction Acts which divided the South into five distract with a United States military commander controlling each district until the Southern states rejoined the Union. Also to be readmitted they had to write a new state constitution supporting the 14th amendment.Thaddeus Stevens was one of the acts strongest supporters. He spoke to congress to defend the acts. President Johnson strongly disagreed with Stevens. Johnson believed that African-Americans did not deserve the same treatment as white. Congress knowing Johnson's views passed a law limiting his power saying that he cannot fire his cabinet members without senate approval. He quickly broke these laws because Edwin Stanton wanted to pass the Reconstruction Acts. Thus the House of Representatives voted to impeach the president. Impeachment is the process used by a legislative body to bring charges of wrongdoing against a public official. The next step was a trail in the Senate which needed a two-thirds majority vote to impeach Johnson. By a single vote, Senate Republicans lost the vote, but even so President Johnson’s power was broken.
To help with the newly freed African- Americans Congress established the Freedmen's Bureau, which is an agency providing relief for certain poor people in the South. They distributed food, provided an education, had legal help for freed people, and helped war veterans. They tried to grow literacy rates, but it was a hard job because there were only around 900 agents served the Bureau at its high point. The states also tried to do a lot. They provided money for many new organizations and programs. They also helped establish the first state funded public school system. The states built new hospitals, prisons, orphanages, railroads, and bridges. These improvements were supposed to help the Southern economy get their economy back on track and recover from war. To get this money they raised taxes and issued bonds.
Since the South couldn't really have slaves the South started to sharecrop, and work in mills. Sharecropping was when owners provided the land, tools, supplies, and sharecroppers provided the labor. Most African-Americans didn't even leave the plantations they were on. They really could never by the land they were using, because whenever they needed tools, supplies, or clothing, they asked there landowners because they had little cash causing them to live in a cycle of debt. Those who no longer wanted to be on the farm, would go work in the mill. Although most African-Americans weren't allowed to work in these mills. They were more for farm families who couldn't make ends meet. The most successful industries were the textile mills were workers produced cotton fabrics. There was cheap and abundant labor. It also promised good wages, and steady work, but it was long hours, and dangerous working conditions.