Reconstruction

By joepick385

  • Lincoln's 10% Plan

    This was Lincoln's plan for Reconstruction. It was a lenient way of bringing the South back into the Union. It required for ten percent of its voters swear an oath to the Union. Pardons could be given to former leaders of the Confederacy. The state constitution must also add that they can't secede from the Union again and that slavery is abolished from the state.

  • Lincoln vetoes Wade-Davis Bill

    The Wade-Davis bill was the Radical Republican plan for Reconstruction. They believed in a harsh punishment to the South in order for them to return to the Union. It called for fifty percent of voters swearing an oath of allegiance. Pardons could not be given out, so former Confederate leaders could have no political power. They still had to add abolishing slavery to their state constitution. Lincoln felt this was too harsh on the South, and veteod the bill.

  • 13th Amendment ratified

    This was the ratification of one of the most important amendments to the Constitution ever made. This amendment called for the abolishment of slavery and indentured servitude in the United States. This marked the end of the old southern way of life using slaves as a workforcee and living out of that.

  • Freedman"s Bureau established

    The Freedman's Bureau was established to help newly freed African Americans. It provided housing, work, medical attention and other basic needs to the people. This was an important step into bringing the former enslaved African Americans into society.

  • Johnson establishes reconstruction plan

    After the assassination of Lincoln, Andrew Johnson was President. He hated the South, so the Radical Republicans believed their plan for Reconstruction would be backed. Despite the popular opinion in Congress, Johnson used a plan similar to Lincoln's. It required only 10% swear an oath of loyalty, but allowed only personal pardons from Johnson for Confederate leaders. The Radical Republicans were outraged.

  • Southern States pass Black Codes

    In response to the Thirteenth Amendment, white southerners passed black codes in their state constitutions. These were "laws" used to prohibit blacks rights. An example would be needing to pass a literacy test in order to vote. Since most of the formerly enslaved couldn't read, they also couldn't vote.

  • Congress passes Civil Rights Bill over Johnson's veto

    Congress passed the Civil Rights Bill, which was veteod by Johnson. They then passed it again after the veto, putting it into legislation. This act required equal public accomadations, public transportation, and other equalities for African Americans. This was later ruled unconstitutional.

  • Ku Klux Klan founded

    This group was founded because of the outspoken Redeemist Party, that wanted to keep white superiority in the South. This party led to the founding of the secret KKK. They wanted to keep white supremacy in the United States. They would hold secret meetings and have secret rituals. This group is still around today, and has expanded its hatred to different religions and races.

  • Tenure of Office Act

    This act came about after Johnson decided to fire Edwin Stanton. Johnson fired Stanton because he strongly opposed Johnson's plan for Reconstruction. Johnson fired him. This led to an impeachment trial for Johnson led by Stanton. The Tenure of Office Act states that a President can't fire a government official without the approval of Congress.

  • Congress passes 14th Amendment

    The Fourteenth Amendment stated that any man born in the U.S. was a United States citizen, therefore having citizenship rights, the right to vote, and other rights. This was an important step towards civil rights and recognizing African Americans as citizens of the United States.

  • Fisk and Gould corner gold market

    Gold was at an all time low. So Fisk and Gould took this opportunity to get Grant to lower the price of gold further. Fisk and Gould then bought gold. When the price of the gold went back up, they would be rich. The Secretary of Treasury discovered this plan, and released government backed gold onto the market, making the price of gold worthless.

  • 15th Amendment ratified

    After the election of Republican Grant was decided by a couple hundred thousand votes, Congress wanted to pass the 15th amendment to keep Republican power. Grant won the election because of his support from African American voters that made up the deficit he needed to win. The 15th amendment said that no state could deny a citizen their right to vote based on color, race, or former servitude. These votes from African Americans helped the Republicans keep their power.

  • Enforcements Acts passed

    The Enforcements Acts from 1870-1871. These acts were provisions to make sure blacks received their rights as cirtizens. These acts were to make sure blacks were able to vote, but also to make sure they had their other rights. It made sure whites, especially in the South, didn't suppress the rights of African Americans.

  • Slaughterhouse cases

    This was one of the cases decided by the Supreme Court that set back civil rights. It ruled that civil rights were mostly decided by a state, not the federal government. This meant that the Fourteenth Amendment did not apply to the protection of these rights for African Americans.

  • U.S. v. Crulkshank

    This was another case that setback civil rights. This stated that the Fourteenth Amendment protected the rights of African Americans from suppression by the state government, but not by personal oppression. It said that the amendment didn't have the power to punish whites who took away the rights of blacks.

  • U.S. v. Reese

    This was another setback for civil rights that the Supreme Court decided. It said that the 15th amendment didn't give anyone the right to vote, it just restricted the types of voter discrimination. This made it okay for white southerners to opress black rights to vote not on the basis of race, but because they couldn't read or another reason.

  • Hayes-Tilden election standoff and crisis

    In the election of 1876, Tilden had won the electoral and popular vote, but didn't have a majority of the electoral. There were some states that were undecided at this point. A committee of Republicans, Democrats, and one independent went to determine the votes of these states. The Republicans got the independent removed from the committee, and replaced him with a Republican, giving them the majority in the committee, and the committee gave the remaining electoral votes, and presidency, to Hayes

  • End of Reconstruction

    During this time, the North and South were reconciled, so the North removed their military district divisions of the South. This act stripped African Americans of their political gains because there was no one in the South to stop the whites from oppressing the blacks. This reconciliation also favored big business over small farmers.

  • Plessy v. Ferguson

    This was the most important setback for civil rights provided by the Supreme Court. It decided that separate but equal accommodations conformed to the equal protection provided by the 14th amendment. This decision was used to segregate pretty much anything that could be segregated. Of course, the "equal" part was ignored by many whites, creating unfair treatment of African Americans.

  • Louisiana establishes "Grandfather Clause"

    This was a response to whites in the United States using tests to deny voting rights. It was a clause that said any citizen whose father or grandfather was registered to vote on January 1st, 1867 could vote without passing a test. This was good, except for the fact that no black man in the state was registered to vote.