S.S N.C text book Chapter 16 North Carolina and reconstruction.
The Aftermath of the war.
- 4 million Freedman(Free slaves) after the C.W
- 1863, amendment 13, abolish slavery.
- 1664, a bill was passed, only men who could swear they had never voluntarily opposed the Union would be able to vote and hold office in the South.
- Lincoln decided to create a new national party, both south and North could join in.
Johnson’s Reconstruction Plan
- Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865.
- Andrew Johnson takes over., becomes a president and the head of the Union Born in Raleigh, NC
- Johnson developed a plan to restore the southern states to the Union.
- In May 1865, Johnson issued two proclamations to start the process: 1. pardon southerners. 2. Appointed William W. Holden provisional governor of NC.- well known for leading state’s peace movement in 1864
- Reconstruction refers to the steps taken to restore the southern states to the Union and rebuild the South.
- They paid attention to northern public opinion.
Holden and Presidential Reconstruction
- The convention of 1865
- October 1865, northern public opinion indicated that the states should nullify the secession of 1861 and abolish slavery.
- War debt voided
- The election of 1865
- Jonathan Worth won over Holden by 6000 votes.
- Congress refused to seat the congressmen elected from NC or any other southern states.
The black code
- 1866, congress appointed a joint committee on reconstruction to look into conditions in the South.
- In the fall of 1865, a convention of freedmen met in Raleigh. Leader was James W. Hood.
- By an 1838 court, the freedmen already had state citizenship.
- January 1866, the legislature met, ignored the freedmen’s requests. Passed a set of laws called the BLACK CODE. Includes the right to own property, to have a jury trial, to sue in the courts.
- Attacks on white women for which blacks could get the death penalty.
Conflict between the president and congress
- Presidential vetoes
- Congress passed “The freedmen’s Bureau” , a government agency created in 1865 to provide food, clothing, shelter, and education for the former slaves in the South. It established hospitals and supported an orphanage.
- White leaders disliked this.
- Congress passed a Civil Rights Bill in early 1866. Purpose: strike down the Black Codes and ensure that there was one set of laws for both blacks and whites. Provide”equal benefit of all laws and proceedings for the security of person and property as is enjoyed by white citizens.”
- Leading whites in NC disliked this.
- President Johnson vetoed both bills in early 1866. He explained that he felt parts of the bills were unconstitutional and that the bills gave too much power to the federal government. States should control the relations between the races.
- The vetoes marked the beginning of a break between President Johnson and Congress over Reconstruction policies.
- The president and Congress also clashed over party politics. Met in Dec 1865
- Congress takes charge.
- The Joint committee on Reconstruction reported that conditions in the South were terrible. Freedmen were in danger of being re-enslaved and that northerners and unionists were not safe in the state. Men running the state government were disloyal.
- Congress approved 14th amendment to the Constitution. Proposed to protect the freedmen by making them citizens of the US and of the states they lived.
- Also 1. Set out terms for reducing the number of a state’s representatives in Congress if that state did not permit blacks to vote. 2. Gave Congress the powers to grant pardons. 3. Voided all the debts of Confederacy.
- Jonathan Worth ran for re-election opposing ratification. (insulting)
- Alfred Dockery ran for governor favoring ratification. William. W Holden supported him. (if do not ratify, the congress would impose even harsher conditions.)
- Worth won. NC rejected the 14th amendment.
Congressional reconstruction
- W.H met Thaddeus Stevens, a radical Republican congressman, and proposed a law for NC that had been drafted by John Pool.- Blacks who owned property and were able to read and write could vote for delegates to the constitutional convention.
- The Reconstruction Act, march 2, 1867, placed all southern states except Tennessee under military rule.
- Nc was under the command of Daniel E. Sickles
- Adult black males could vote or become delegates.
- The Republican Party In North Carolina
- A statewide Republican party was formed in Feb 1867, in NC.
- The northerners were called carpetbaggers because they supposedly arrived the the South with all their belongings packed in cheap luggage made from carpet.
- The native whites who supported the Republican party were called scalawags, after then, mangy cattle.
- The party believed whites neither could nor should control the blacks.
- Union League. Using secret signs and pass., the league promoted loyalty to the Union and to the Republican Party.
- Among whites in western counties, a secret group called the heroes of America was effective in organizing the party.
- Opposing: the Conservatives, ex-Whigs. And the Democrats.
- 1867, election of delegates to the state constitutional convention.
- A new state constitution
- Jan, 1868, delegates assembled in the state constitutional convention in Raleigh.
- The new constitution provided Universal manhood suffrage, all men including blacks could vote. The governor’s terms increased to four years. Property qualifications for the governor and legislators were abolished. The offices of lieutenant governor, superintendent of public works, and auditor were created. Judges and solicitors would be elected by the people. The administration of county affairs was placed in the hands of elective county commissioners. Then constitution also set up a system of tax-supported schools open to all races.
- The republicans nominated William w. Holden for governor and the Conservative Democrats nominated Tomas S. Ashe. Holden won.
- June 2, legislature met and ratified the 14th amendment.
- By July 2o, 1868, Congress seated all of the state’s congressmen.
Vocabulary.
- Lenient: not as severe or strong in punishment or judgment as would be expected.
- Revolution: A change in the way a country is governed, usually to a different political system and often using violence or war.
- Congress: a large formal meeting of representatives from countries or societies at which ideas are discussed.
- Martyr: a person who suffers greatly or is killed because of their political or religious beliefs, and is often admired because of it.
- Abolish: to end an activity or custom officially.
- Suffrage: the right to vote in an election, especially for representatives in a parliament or similar organization.
- Voluntary: done, made or given willingly, without being forced or paid to do it.
- Radical: believing or expressing the belief that there should be great or extreme social or political change.
- Provisional: for the present time but likely to change; temporary.
- Nullify: to make a legal agreement or decision have no legal force.
- Veto: refusal of something to be done.