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Johnson Becomes President
Andrew Johnson becomes the president following the assasination of Abraham Lincoln. This weakened the federal government considerably as it meant that the head of state now carried no mandate as he wasn't elected. He was also a Democrat, Lincoln was a Republican so now a party which was unelected was in power. -
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Obstructive Tactics
President Johnson vetoes many bills affecting the rights of freedmen, this eventually leads to his impeachment. -
1866 Midterm Election
This allowed the republicans to gain even more of a majority in congress than they had before, bad news for Johnson. -
Freedman's Bureau Bill- The First Veto
Congress proposes a bill to extend the Freedman's Bureau and to put harsher punishments on those discriminating against the freedmen. The bill is passed by the house but later vetoed by Johnson. -
Civil Rights BIll 1866
Congress proposes and passes the first civil rights act which states that Freedmen have equal rights and that these rights should be upheld by the state, Johnson vetoes this bill. -
Second Freedmen's Bureau Act
Congress proposes a second bill to extend the life of the Freedmen's Bureau but it is again vetoed by the president -
Reconstruction Act
Bill put in that would split the south into six military districts and put them under military rule to make sure previous amendments were being followed. Opposed Heavily by Johnson -
President Johnson Impeached
President Johnson is impeached by the senate by a single vote, the first time this has ever happened. -
14th Amendment
Bill that made anyone who was born in the united states a citizen of the united states, it was heavily opposed by Johnson who saw it as an attack on the south -
1868 Presidential Election
There is a presidential election where Ulysses. S, Grant is voted in as president starting radical reconstruction -
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Radical Reconstruction
During this time the most reconstruction happened as there was little difference in ideology between congress and the president -
Black Friday Scandal 1869
Several Speculators teamed up to buy lots of gold completely ruining the gold market, some were close to Ulysses S Grant and this dodn't look good for him -
First Enforcement Act
Gave penalties to those who were scaring people off of voting -
Second Enforcement Act
Did significantly more to prevent KKK attacks on freedman -
Third Enforcement Act
Allowed the police to pre-emptively imprison members of the KKK to prevent them from commiting crimes -
Amnesty Act
Allowed those who rebelled in the civil war to vote and stand in the upcoming presidential election -
Whiskey Ring Scandal
It was revealed that several people high up in the treasury were allowing many distillers of alcohol to get away with tax fraud of what is estimated to be $2,000,000 per year -
Civil RIghts Act
Gave african Americans Equality in public accomodation, transport and jury service, a big step towards equality -
Disputed Election of 1876
The election went down to a single electoral vote and was overshadowed by the election fraud that went on, it lead to no overall winner and had to go to a comittee who made the compromise of 1877 -
The Compromise of 1877
Solved the disputed election of 1976 by giving the republicans a single term in power whilst it gave the democrats no militant rule in the south which made reconstrution ineffective in many ways as it couldn't be enforced -
1884 Election
Grover cleveland is elected the first democratic president since 1868, he was very anti corruption and rather than just benefitting the white people in the south he had the interests of the whole south in his heart and wanted to keep taxes low for them
