US History Textbook 8th Grade Chapter 16 Reconstruction

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US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction PDF
CHAPTER
Reconstruction
508 CHAPTER 16
1865
Black Jamaicans rebel
against the wealthy
planter class.
1865
Abraham Lincoln
is assassinated.
186 5
Job History When the Civil War ended, it was time to
rebuild. People were ready to get back to work. But life had
changed for many people and would continue to change.
As you read this chapter, think about jobs people may have
had during Reconstruction.
FOCUS ON WRITING
1865–1877
16
History–Social Science
8.10 Students analyze the multiple causes, key events, and complex
consequences of the Civil War.
8.11 Students analyze the character and lasting consequences of
Reconstruction.
Analysis Skills
HR 3 Students distinguish relevant from irrelevant information.
HI 4 Students recognize the role of chance, oversight, and error in
history.
English–Language Arts
Writing 8.2.5 Write documents related to career development.
Reading 8.2.0 Students read and understand grade-level apporpriate
material.
California Standards
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Download
HOLT
HOLT
RECONSTRUCTION 509
History’s Impact
1868
The Meiji dynasty
returns to power
in Japan.
1868
President Andrew
Johnson is
impeached and
almost removed
from office.
1869
The Suez Canal opens,
linking the Mediterranean
and Red seas.
1871
Otto von Bismarck and
Wilhelm I unite Germany.
1877
The Compromise of 1877
ends Reconstruction.
video series
Watch the video to under-
stand the impact of the
preservation of the Union.
1870
Hiram Revels
becomes the first
African American
to serve in the
U.S. Senate.
18 7 5 18 8 0
The ruins of this Virginia plantation stand as a
bleak reminder of the changes brought to the
South by the Civil War. In this chapter you will
learn about the challenges that faced the nation
after the Civil War and attempts to meet those
challenges.
18 7 0
What You Will Learn…
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction PDF Download
510 CHAPTER 00510 CHAPTER 16
Religion
Reading Social Studies
Additional reading
support can be
found in the
by Kylene Beers
Focus on Reading
History books are full of
information. As you read, you are confronted with
names, dates, places, terms, and descriptions on
every page. You don’t want to have to deal with
anything unimportant or untrue.
Identifying Relevant and Essential Information
Information in a history book should be relevant to
the topic you’re studying. It should also be essential
to understanding that topic and verifi able. Anything
else distracts from the material you are studying.
The fi rst passage below includes several pieces of
irrelevant and nonessential information. In the sec-
ond, this information has been removed. Note how
much easier the revised passage is to comprehend.
First Passage
President Abraham Lincoln, who was
very tall, wanted to reunite the nation
as quickly and painlessly as possible.
He had proposed a plan for readmit-
ting the southern states even before
the war ended, which happened on a
Sunday. Called the Ten Percent Plan,
it offered southerners amnesty, or offi -
cial pardon, for all illegal acts support-
ing the rebellion. Today a group called
Amnesty International works to protect
the rights of prisoners. Lincoln’s plan
certainly would have worked if it would
have been implemented.
Focus on Themes In this chapter, you will read
about the time immediately after the Civil War. You
will see how the government tried to help the South
rebuild itself and will learn about how life changed
for African Americans after slavery was declared
illegal. You will read about the political confl icts
that emerged as southern leadership worked to gain
control of Reconstruction efforts. Throughout the
chapter, you will read how the culture of the South
changed after the War.
Geography
Politics
Economics
Religion
Society
and Culture
Science and
Technology
Analyzing Historical Information
Revised Passage
President Abraham Lincoln wanted
to reunite the nation as quickly and
painlessly as possible. He had pro-
posed a plan for readmitting the
southern states even before the war
ended. Called the Ten Percent Plan,
it offered southerners amnesty, or
offi cial pardon, for all illegal acts sup-
porting the rebellion.
From Chapter 16, p. 513
Lincoln’s
appearance
and the day on
which the war
ended are not
essential facts.
Amnesty
International is
not relevant to
this topic.
There is no
way to prove
the accuracy
of the last
sentence.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-1
SECTION TITLE 511RECONSTRUCTION 511
Key Terms
Key Terms
and People
and People
You Try It!
The following passage is adapted from the chapter you are about
to read. As you read, look for irrelevant, nonessential, or unverifi able
information.
The Freedmens Bureau
In 1865 Congress established the Freed-
men’s Bureau, an agency providing relief not
only for freedpeople and certain poor peo-
ple, but white refugees as well. The Bureau
had a diffi cult job. It may have been one of
the most diffi cult jobs ever. At its high point,
about 900 agents served the entire South.
All 900 people could fi t into one hotel ball-
room today. Bureau commissioner Oliver
O. Howard eventually decided to use the
Bureau’s limited budget to distribute food to
the poor and to provide education and legal
help for freedpeople. One common food in
the South at that time was salted meat. The
Bureau also helped African American war
veterans. Today the Department of Veterans’
Affairs assists American war veterans.
From
Chapter 16,
p. 516
After you read the passage, answer the following questions.
1. Which sentence in this passage is unverifi able and should be cut?
2. Find two sentences in this passage that are irrelevant to the dis-
cussion of the Freedmen’s Bureau. What makes those sentences
irrelevant?
3. Look at the last sentence of the passage. Do you think this sen-
tence is essential to the discussion? Why or why not?
Chapter 16
Section 1
Reconstruction (p. 512)
Ten Percent Plan (p. 513)
Thirteenth Amendment (p. 514)
Freedmen’s Bureau (p. 516)
Andrew Johnson (p. 517)
Section 2
Black Codes (p. 518)
Radical Republicans (p. 519)
Civil Rights Act of 1866 (p. 520)
Fourteenth Amendment (p. 521)
Reconstruction Acts (p. 521)
impeachment (p. 522)
Fifteenth Amendment (p. 523)
Section 3
Hiram Revels (p. 525)
Ku Klux Klan (p. 526)
Compromise of 1877 (p. 527)
poll tax (p. 528)
segregation (p. 528)
Jim Crow laws (p. 528)
Plessy v. Ferguson (p. 529)
sharecropping (p. 529)
Academic Vocabulary
Success in school is related to
knowing academic vocabulary—
the words that are frequently used
in school assignments and discus-
sions. In this chapter, you will learn
the following academic words:
procedure (p. 513)
principle (p. 520)
As you read Chapter 16, ask yourself
what makes the information you
are reading essential to a study of
Reconstruction.
ELA
Analysis HI 3 Distinguish relevant, essential, and verifiable information.
HSS
Reading 8.2.0 Students read and understand grade-level-appropriate material.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-2
You are a young soldier who has been fi ghting in the Civil War
for many months. Now that the war is over, you are on your way
home. During your journey, you pass plantation manor homes,
houses, and barns that have been burned down. No one is doing
spring planting in the fi elds. As you near your familys farm, you
see that fences and sheds have been destroyed.
What would you think your future on
the farm would be like?
BUILDING BACKGROUND When the Civil War ended, much of
the South lay in ruins. Like the young soldier above, many people re-
turned to destroyed homes and farms. Harvests of corn, cotton, rice,
and other crops fell far below normal. Many farm animals had been
killed or were roaming free. These were some of the challenges in
restoring the nation.
Reconstruction Begins
After the Civil War ended in 1865, the U.S. government faced
the problem of dealing with the defeated southern states. The
nation dealt with the challenges of
Reconstruction
Reconstruction
,
,
the process of
the process of
readmitting the former Confederate states to the Union.
readmitting the former Confederate states to the Union. It lasted
from 1865 to 1877.
1
Rebuilding
the South
1. President Lincoln and
Congress differed in their
views as Reconstruction
began.
2. The end of the Civil War
meant freedom for African
Americans in the South.
3. President Johnson’s plan
began the process of
Reconstruction.
The nation faced many problems
in rebuilding the Union.
Key Terms and People
Reconstruction, p. 512
Ten Percent Plan, p. 513
Thirteenth Amendment, p. 514
Freedmen’s Bureau, p. 516
Andrew Johnson, p. 517
Main Ideas
The Big Idea
SECTION
What You Will Learn…
If YOU were there...
512 CHAPTER 16
HSS
8.10.7
Explain how the war
affected combatants, civilians, the
physical environment, and future
warfare.
8.11.1 List the original aims of Recon-
struction and describe its effects on
the political and social structures of
different regions.
8.11.3 Understand the effects of the
Freedmen’s Bureau and the restric-
tions placed on the rights and oppor-
tunities of freedmen, including racial
segregation and “Jim Crow” laws.
8.11.5 Understand the Thirteenth,
Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amend-
ments to the Constitution and analyze
their connection to Reconstruction.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-3
War destroyed Richmond, Virginia, once
the proud capital of the Confederacy.
Damaged South
Tired southern soldiers returned home to fi nd
that the world they had known before the war
was gone. Cities, towns, and farms had been
ruined. Because of high food prices and wide-
spread crop failures, many southerners faced
starvation. The Confederate money held by
most southerners was now worthless. Banks
failed, and merchants had gone bankrupt
because people could not pay their debts.
Former Confederate general Braxton
Bragg was one of many southerners who
faced economic hardship. He found that
all, all was lost, except my debts.” In South
Carolina, Mary Boykin Chesnut wrote in her
diary about the isolation she experienced
after the war. “We are shut in here. . . . All
RR’s [railroads] destroyed—bridges gone. We
are cut off from the world.”
Lincolns Plan
President Abraham Lincoln wanted to reunite
the nation as quickly and painlessly as pos-
sible. He had proposed a plan for readmitting
the southern states even before the war ended.
Called the
Te n Pe r ce n t
Ten Percent
Plan
Plan
,
,
it offered south-
it offered south-
erners amnesty, or official pardon,
erners amnesty, or offi cial pardon,
for all ille-
for all ille-
gal acts supporting the rebellion.
gal acts supporting the rebellion. To receive
amnesty, southerners had to do two things.
They had to swear an oath of loyalty to the
United States. They also had to agree that slav-
ery was illegal. Once 10 percent of voters in
a state made these pledges, they could form
a new government. The state then could be
readmitted to the Union.
Louisiana quickly elected a new state leg-
islature under the Ten Percent Plan. Other
southern states that had been occupied by
Union troops soon followed Louisiana back
into the United States.
Wade-Davis Bill
Some politicians argued that Congress, not
the president, should control the southern
states’ return to the Union. They believed
that Congress had the power to admit new
states. Also, many Republican members of
Congress thought the Ten Percent Plan did
not go far enough. A senator from Michigan
expressed their views.
The people of the North are not such fools as to . . .
turn around and say to the traitors, all you have
to do [to return] is . . . take an oath that henceforth
you will be true to the Government.
–Senator Jacob Howard, quoted in Reconstruction:
America’s Unfi nished Revolution, 1863–1877, by Eric Foner
Two Republicans—Senator Benjamin
Wade and Representative Henry Davis—had
an alternative to Lincoln’s plan. Under the
procedure of the Wade-Davis bill, a state had
to meet two conditions before it could rejoin
the Union. First, it had to ban slavery. Sec-
ond, a majority of adult males in the state
had to take the loyalty oath.
ACADEMIC
VOCABULARY
procedure
a series of steps
taken to accom-
plish a task
RECONSTRUCTION 513
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-4
514 CHAPTER 16
Under the Wade-Davis bill, only south-
erners who swore that they had never sup-
ported the Confederacy could vote or hold
offi ce. In general, the bill was much stricter
than the Ten Percent Plan. Its provisions
would make it harder for southern states to
rejoin the Union quickly.
President Lincoln therefore refused
to sign the bill into law. He thought that
few southern states would agree to meet
its requirements. He believed that his plan
would help restore order more quickly.
READING CHECK
Contrasting How was
the Ten Percent Plan different from the Wade-
Davis Bill?
Freedom for African
Americans
One thing Republicans agreed on was abol-
ishing slavery. The Emancipation Proclama-
tion had freed slaves only in areas that had
not been occupied by Union forces, not in
the border states. Many people feared that
the federal courts might someday declare it
unconstitutional.
Slavery Ends
On January 31, 1865, at President Lincoln’s
urging, Congress proposed the
Thirteenth
Thirteenth
Amendment
Amendment.
T
T
his amendment
his amendment
made slav-
made slav-
ery illegal throughout the United States.
ery illegal throughout the United States.
Testing New Freedoms
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-5
RECONSTRUCTION 515
The freedpeople at left have packed
their household belongings and are
leaving Richmond. Many people trav-
eled in search of relatives. Others
placed newspaper advertisements
looking for long-lost relatives. For
other freedpeople, like the couple
above, freedom brought the right to
marry.
In what ways did former slaves react
to freedom?
The amendment was ratifi ed and took effect
on December 18, 1865. When abolitionist
William Lloyd Garrison heard the news, he
declared that his work was now fi nished.
He called for the American Anti-Slavery
Society to break up. Not all abolitionists
agreed that their work was done, however.
Frederick Douglass insisted that “slavery is
not abolished until the black man has the
ballot [vote].”
Freedom brought important changes
to newly freed slaves. Many couples held
ceremonies to legalize marriages that had
not been recognized under slavery. Many
freedpeople searched for relatives who had
been sold away from their families years
earlier. Others placed newspaper ads seeking
information about their children. Many women
began to work at home instead of in the fi elds.
Still others adopted children of dead relatives
to keep families together. Church members
established voluntary associations and mutual-
aid societies to help those in need.
Now that they could travel without a
pass, many freedpeople moved from mostly
white counties to places with more African
Americans. Other freedpeople traveled sim-
ply to test their new freedom of movement.
A South Carolina woman explained this
need. “I must go, if I stay here I’ll never know
I’m free.”
For most former slaves, freedom to
travel was just the fi rst step on a long road
toward equal rights and new ways of life.
Adults took new last names and began to
insist on being called Mr. or Mrs. as a sign
of respect, rather than by their fi rst names
or by nicknames. Freedpeople began to
demand the same economic and political
rights as white citizens. Henry Adams, a for-
mer slave, argued that “if I cannot do like a
white man I am not free.”
Forty Acres to Farm?
Many former slaves wanted their own land
to farm. Near the end of the Civil War,
Union general William Tecumseh Sherman
had issued an order to break up plantations
in coastal South Carolina and Georgia. He
wanted to divide the land into 40-acre plots
and give them to former slaves as compensa-
tion for their forced labor before the war.
Many white planters refused to surren-
der their land. Some freedpeople pointed out
that it was only fair that they receive some
of this land because their labor had made
the plantations prosper. In the end, the U.S.
government returned the land to its original
owners. At this time, many freedpeople were
unsure about where they would live, what
kind of work they would do, and what rights
they had. Many freedoms that were theirs by
law were diffi cult to enforce.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-6
Freedmens Bureau
In 1865 Congress established the
Freedmens
Freedmens
Bureau
Bureau
,
,
an agency providing relief not only
an agency providing relief not only
for freedpeople and certain poor people, but
for freedpeople and certain poor people, but
white refugees as well.
white refugees as well. The Bureau had a
diffi cult job. At its high point, about 900
agents served the entire South. Bureau
commissioner Oliver O. Howard eventu-
ally decided to use the Bureau’s limited
budget to distribute food to the poor and to
provide education and legal help for freed-
people. The Bureau also helped African Amer-
ican war veterans.
The Freedmen’s Bureau played an impor-
tant role in establishing more schools in the
South. Laws against educating slaves meant
that most freedpeople had never learned to
read or write. Before the war ended, however,
northern groups, such as the American Mis-
sionary Association, began providing books
and teachers to African Americans. The
teachers were mostly women who were com-
mitted to helping freedpeople. One teacher
said of her students, “I never before saw chil-
dren so eager to learn. . . . It is wonderful
how [they] . . . can have so great a desire for
knowledge, and such a capacity for attaining
[reaching] it.”
After the war, some freedpeople organized
their own education efforts. For example, Freed-
men’s Bureau agents found that some African
Americans had opened schools in abandoned
buildings. Many white southerners contin-
ued to believe that African Americans should
not be educated. Despite opposition, by 1869
more than 150,000 African American students
were attending more than 3,000 schools. The
Freedmen’s Bureau also helped establish sever-
al universities for African Americans, including
Howard and Fisk universities.
Students quickly filled the new class-
rooms. Working adults attended classes in the
evening. African Americans hoped that edu-
cation would help them to understand and
protect their rights and to enable them to fi nd
better jobs. Both black and white southerners
benefi ted from the effort to provide greater
access to education in the South.
READING CHECK
Analyzing How did the Freed-
men’s Bureau help reform education in the South?
Congress created the Freedmen’s Bureau
to help freedpeople and poor southerners
recover from the Civil War. The Bureau
assisted people by:
providing supplies and medical
services
• establishing schools
• supervising contracts between
freedpeople and employers
taking care of lands abandoned or
captured during the war
What role did the Freedmen’s Bureau
play during Reconstruction?
Helping the Freedpeople
516 CHAPTER 16
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-7
RECONSTRUCTION 517
President Johnsons
Reconstruction Plan
While the Freedmen’s Bureau was help-
ing African Americans, the issue of how the
South would politically rejoin the Union
remained unresolved. Soon, however, a tragic
event ended Lincoln’s dream of peacefully
reuniting the country.
A New President
On the evening of April 14, 1865, President
Lincoln and his wife attended a play at Ford’s
Theater in Washington, D.C. During the play,
John Wilkes Booth, a southerner who opposed
Lincoln’s policies, sneaked into the president’s
theater box and shot him. Lincoln was rushed
to a boardinghouse across the street, where
he died early the next morning. Vice Presi-
dent
Andrew Johnson was sworn into offi ce
quickly. Reconstruction had now become his
responsibility. He would have to win the trust
of a nation shocked at their leader’s death.
Johnson’s plan for bringing southern
states back into the Union was similar to Lin-
coln’s plan. However, he decided that wealthy
southerners and former Confederate offi cials
would need a presidential pardon to receive
amnesty. Johnson shocked Radical Repub-
licans by eventually pardoning more than
7,000 people by 1866.
New State Governments
Johnson was a Democrat whom Republicans
had put on the ticket in 1864 to appeal to the
border states. A former slaveholder, he was a
stubborn man who would soon face a hostile
Congress.
Johnson offered a mild program for setting
up new southern state governments. First, he
appointed a temporary governor for each state.
Then he required that the states revise their
constitutions. Next, voters elected state and
federal representatives. The new state govern-
ment had to declare that secession was illegal.
It also had to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment
and refuse to pay Confederate debts.
By the end of 1865, all the southern states
except Texas had created new governments.
Johnson approved them all and declared that
the United States was restored. Newly elected
representatives came to Washington from
each reconstructed southern state. However,
Republicans complained that many new rep-
resentatives had been leaders of the Confed-
eracy. Congress therefore refused to readmit
the southern states into the Union. Clearly,
the nation was still divided.
READING CHECK
Summarizing What was
President Johnson’s plan for Reconstruction?
Problems Solutions
Online Quiz
KEYWORD: SS8 HP16
Section 1 Assessment
Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People
1. a. Identify What does Reconstruction mean?
b. Summarize What was President Lincoln’s
plan for Reconstruction?
2. a. Recall What is the Thirteenth Amendment?
b. Elaborate In your opinion, what was the most important
accomplishment of the Freedmen’s Bureau? Explain.
3. a. Recall Why was President Lincoln killed?
b. Analyze Why did some Americans oppose President
Johnson’s Reconstruction plan?
Critical Thinking
4. Explaining Copy the chart below and use it to explain the
federal government’s solutions for solving the problems
presented by Reconstruction.
FOCUS ON WRITING
5. Considering Historical Context Many people planned to
continue doing what they had done before the war. Others
planned to start a new life. How do you think events and con-
ditions you just read about might have affected their plans?
SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section
you learned about early plans for Recon-
struction. In the next section, you will
learn that disagreements about Recon-
struction became so serious that the presi-
dent was almost removed from offi ce.
HSS
8.10.7,
8.11.1, 8.11.3,
8.11.5
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-8
SECTION
What You Will Learn…
518 CHAPTER 16
2
1. Black Codes led to opposition
to President Johnson’s plan
for Reconstruction.
2. The Fourteenth Amendment
ensured citizenship for Afri-
can Americans.
3. Radical Republicans in
Congress took charge of
Reconstruction.
4. The Fifteenth Amendment
gave African Americans the
right to vote.
The return to power of the
pre-war southern leadership led
Republicans in Congress to take
control of Reconstruction.
Main Ideas
The Big Idea
The Fight over
Reconstruction
A member of Congress, you belong to the same political party
as the president. But you strongly disagree with his ideas about
Reconstruction and civil rights for African Americans. Now some
of the presidents opponents are trying to remove him from offi ce.
You do not think he is a good president. On the other hand, you
think removing him would be bad for the unity of the country.
Will you vote to remove the president?
BUILDING BACKGROUND Americans were bitterly divided about
what should happen in the South during Reconstruction. They dis-
agreed about ending racial inequality and guaranteeing civil rights
for African Americans. These conflicts split political parties. They led
to showdowns between Congress and the president. Political fights
even threatened the president’s job.
Opposition to President Johnson
In 1866 Congress continued to debate the rules for restoring the
Union. Meanwhile, new state legislatures approved by President
Johnson had already begun passing laws to deny African Americans’
civil rights. “This is a white man’s government, and intended for white
men only,” declared Governor Benjamin F. Perry of South Carolina.
Black Codes
Soon, every southern state passed
Black Codes
Black Codes
,
,
or
or
laws that greatly
laws that greatly
limited the freedom of African Americans.
limited the freedom of African Americans. They required African
Americans to sign work contracts, creating working conditions
similar to those under slavery. In most southern states, any Afri-
can Americans who could not prove they were employed could be
arrested. Their punishment might be one year of work without pay.
African Americans were also prevented from owning guns. In addi-
tion, they were not allowed to rent property except in cities.
The Black Codes alarmed many Americans. As one Civil War
veteran asked, “If you call this freedom, what do you call slavery?”
Key Terms and People
Black Codes, p. 518
Radical Republicans, p. 519
Civil Rights Act of 1866, p. 520
Fourteenth Amendment, p. 521
Reconstruction Acts, p. 521
impeachment, p. 522
Fifteenth Amendment, p. 523
If YOU were there...
HSS
8.11.3
Understand the
effects of the Freedmen’s Bureau
and the restrictions placed on the
rights and opportunities of freedmen,
including racial segregation and
“Jim Crow” laws.
8.11.5 Understand the Thirteenth,
Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amend-
ments to the Constitution and analyze
their connection to Reconstruction.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-9
ANALYZING PRIMARY SOURCES
African Americans organized to oppose the
codes. One group sent a petition to offi cials
in South Carolina.
We simply ask . . . that the same laws which gov-
ern white men shall govern black men . . . that, in
short, we be dealt with as others are—in equity
[fairness] and justice.
—Petition from an African American convention held
in South Carolina, quoted in There Is a River: The Black
Struggle for Freedom in America by Vincent Harding
Radical Republicans
The Black Codes angered many Republicans
who felt the South was returning to its old
ways. Most Republicans were moderates who
wanted the South to have loyal state govern-
ments. They also believed that African Ameri-
cans should have rights as citizens. They hoped
that the national government would not have
to force the South to follow federal laws.
Radical Republicans
Radical Republicans
,
,
on the other
on the other
hand, took a harsher stance. They wanted
hand, took a harsher stance. They wanted
the federal government to force change
the federal government to force change
in the South.
in the South. Like the moderates, they
thought the Black Codes were cruel and
unjust. The radicals, however, wanted
the federal government to be much more
involved in Reconstruction. They feared
that too many southern leaders remained
loyal to the former Confederacy and would
not enforce the new laws. Thaddeus Stevens
POLITICAL CARTOON
Republicans were outraged to see former Confeder-
ates return to power as leaders of the Democratic Party.
This 1868 political cartoon shows former Confederates
Raphael Semmes and Nathan Bedford Forrest. Semmes
was a Confederate admiral who had captured
62 Union merchant ships during the Civil War.
Forrest was a cavalry officer known for brutality
who later founded the Ku Klux Klan.
Supporting Radical Republican Ideas
How do the actions of
the people in these
illustrations support the
artists point of view?
How do events in
the background of
these illustrations
support the artist’s
point of view?
Primary Source
ANALYSIS
SKILL
Why do you think that the men are shown in their
Confederate uniforms?
519
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-10
520 CHAPTER 16
of Pennsylvania and Charles Sumner of Mas-
sachusetts were the leaders of the Radical
Republicans.
A harsh critic of President Johnson,
Stevens was known for his honesty and sharp
tongue. He wanted economic and political
justice for both African Americans and poor
white southerners. Sumner had been a strong
opponent of slavery before the Civil War.
He continued to argue tirelessly for African
Americans’ civil rights, including the right to
vote and the right to fair laws.
Both Stevens and Sumner believed
that President Johnson’s Reconstruction plan
was a failure. Although the Radicals did not
control Congress, they began to gain support
among moderates when President Johnson
ignored criticism of the Black Codes. Stevens
believed the federal government could not
allow racial inequality to survive.
READING CHECK
Comparing and Contrasting
How were Radical Republicans and moderate
Republicans similar and different?
Fourteenth Amendment
Urged on by the Radicals in 1866, Congress
proposed a new bill. It would give the Freed-
men’s Bureau more powers. The law would
allow the Freedmen’s Bureau to use military
courts to try people accused of violating Afri-
can Americans’ rights. The bill’s supporters
hoped that these courts would be fairer than
local courts in the South.
Johnson versus Congress
To the surprise of many in Congress, Johnson
vetoed the Freedmen’s Bureau Bill. He insist-
ed that Congress could not pass any new laws
until the southern states were represented in
Congress. Johnson also argued that the Freed-
men’s Bureau was unconstitutional.
Republicans responded with the
Civil
Civil
Rights Act of 1866
Rights Act of 1866
.
.
This act provided African
This act provided African
Americans with the same legal rights as white
Americans with the same legal rights as white
Americans.
Americans. President Johnson once again
used his veto power. He argued that the act
gave too much power to the federal govern-
ment. He also rejected the principle
of equal
POINTS OF VIEW
Johnson vs. Stevens
President Andrew Johnson argued
that the South should not be placed
under military control.
Military governments . . .
established for an indefinite
period, would have divided
the people into the vanquish-
ers and the vanquished, and
would have envenomed
[made poisonous] hatred
rather than have restored
affection.
—Andrew Johnson
Thaddeus Stevens believed that
Congress had the power to treat
the South as conquered territory.
The future condition of
the conquered power depends
on the will of the conqueror.
They must come in as new states
or remain as conquered provinces.
Congress . . . is the only power
that can act in the matter
.
—Thaddeus Stevens
Primary Source
ACADEMIC
VOCABULARY
principle basic
belief, rule, or law
How did Johnson’s and Stevens’s views
on the South differ?
ANALYSIS
SKILL
IDENTIFYING POINTS OF VIEW
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-11
Disputed
TX
1870
MS
1870
AL
1868
FL
1868
SC
1868
NC
1868
GA
1870
VA
1870
TN
1866
AR
1868
LA
1868
Gulf of Mexico
2
0
°N
T
r
o
p
i
c
o
f
C
a
n
c
e
r
3
0
°N
80°W
90°W
N
S
W
E
Military District 1
Military District 2
Military District 3
Military District 4
Military District 5
Date former
Confederate state
was readmitted
to Union
1868
0 150 300 Miles
0 150 300 Kilometers
READING CHECK
Summarizing What issue did
the Fourteenth Amendment address, and how did
it affect the congressional elections of 1866?
Congress Takes Control of
Reconstruction
The 1866 elections gave the Republican Party
a commanding two-thirds majority in both
the House and the Senate. This majority gave
the Republicans the power to override any
presidential veto. In addition, the Republi-
cans became united as the moderates joined
with the Radicals. Together, they called for a
new form of Reconstruction.
Reconstruction Acts
In March 1867, Congress passed the fi rst
of several
Reconstruction Acts
Reconstruction Acts
.
.
These laws
These laws
divided the South into five districts.
divided the South into fi ve districts. A U.S.
military commander controlled each district.
rights for African Americans. Congress, how-
ever, overrode Johnson’s veto.
Many Republicans worried about what
would happen when the southern states were
readmitted.
Fearing that the Civil Rights Act
Fearing that the Civil Rights Act
might be overturned, the Republicans pro-
might be overturned, the Republicans pro-
posed
posed
the
the
Fourteenth Amendment
Fourteenth Amendment in the
summer of 1866. The Fourteenth Amend-
ment included the following provisions.
1. It defi ned all people born or naturalized
within the United States, except Native
Americans, as citizens.
2. It guaranteed citizens the equal protec-
tion of the laws.
3. It said that states could not “deprive any
person of life, liberty, or property, with-
out due process of law.”
4. It banned many former Confederate offi -
cials from holding state or federal offi ces.
5. It made state laws subject to federal
court review.
6. It gave Congress the power to pass any
laws needed to enforce it.
1866 Elections
President Johnson and most Democrats
opposed the Fourteenth Amendment. As
a result, civil rights for African Americans
became a key issue in the 1866 congressio-
nal elections. To help the Democrats, John-
son traveled around the country defending
his Reconstruction plan. Johnson’s speaking
tour was a disaster. It did little to win votes
for the Democratic Party. Johnson even got
into arguments with people in the audiences
of some of his speaking engagements.
Two major riots in the South also hurt
Johnson’s campaign. On May 1, 1866, a
dispute in Memphis, Tennessee, took place
between local police and black Union
soldiers. The dispute turned into a three-day
wave of violence against African Americans.
About three months later, another riot took
place during a political demonstration in
New Orleans. During that dispute, 34 Afri-
can Americans and three white Republicans
were killed.
INTERPRETING MAPS
1. Region Which district consisted of only one state?
2. Human-Environment Interaction Do you see any
reason why Military District 5 might be more difficult for
federal troops to control than the other districts?
GEOGRAPHY
SKILLS
Reconstruction Military Districts
521
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-12
The military would remain in control of the
South until the southern states rejoined the
Union. To be readmitted, a state had to write
a new state constitution supporting the Four-
teenth Amendment. Finally, the state had to
give African American men the right to vote.
Thaddeus Stevens was one of the new
Reconstruction Acts’ most enthusiastic
supporters. He spoke in Congress to defend
the acts.
Have not loyal blacks quite as good a right to
choose rulers and make laws as rebel whites?
Every man, no matter what his race or color . . .
has an equal right to justice, honesty, and fair
play with every other man; and the law should
secure him those rights.
–Thaddeus Stevens, quoted in Sources of the
American Republic, edited by Marvin Meyers et al.
President on Trial
President Johnson strongly disagreed with
Stevens. He argued that African Americans
did not deserve the same treatment as white
people. The Reconstruction Acts, he said, used
“powers not granted to the federal govern-
ment or any one of its branches.” Knowing
that Johnson did not support its Reconstruc-
tion policies, Congress passed a law limiting
his power. This law prevented the
president from removing cabinet
offi cials without Senate approval.
Johnson quickly broke the law by
ring Edwin Stanton, the secretary
of war.
For the fi rst time in United States
history, the House of Representatives
responded by voting to impeach the
president.
Impeachment
Impeachment
is the pro-
is the pro-
cess used by a legislative body to bring
cess used by a legislative body to bring
charges of wrongdoing against a pub-
charges of wrongdoing against a pub-
lic offi cial.
lic offi cial. The next step, under Arti-
cle I of the Constitution, was a trial in
the Senate. A two-thirds majority was
required to fi nd Johnson guilty and
remove him from offi ce.
Although Johnson was unpop-
ular with Republicans, some of
them believed he was being judged
unfairly. Others did not trust the
president pro tempore of the Sen-
ate, Benjamin Wade. He would
become president if Johnson were
removed from offi ce. By a single
vote, Senate Republicans failed to
convict Johnson. Even so, the trial
broke his power as president.
Election of 1868
Johnson did not run for another
term in 1868. Instead, the Demo-
The Reconstruction Amendments
This Reconstruction-era
painting shows African
Americans voting after
passage of the Fifteenth
Amendment.
What right did the Fifteenth
Amendment protect?
Fourteenth Amendment (1868)
Overturned the Dred Scott case by granting
citizenship to all people born in the United
States (except for Native Americans)
Fifteenth Amendment (1870)
Gave African American men the right to vote
Thirteenth Amendment (1865)
Banned slavery throughout the United States
522 CHAPTER 16
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-13
RECONSTRUCTION 523
crats chose former New York governor Horatio
Seymour as their presidential candidate. The
Republicans chose Ulysses S. Grant. As a war
hero, Grant appealed to many northern vot-
ers. He had no political experience but sup-
ported the congressional Reconstruction plan.
He ran under the slogan “Let Us Have Peace.”
Shortly after Grant was nominated,
Congress readmitted seven southern states—
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana,
North Carolina, and South Carolina. (Tennessee
had already been readmitted in 1866.) Under
the terms of readmission, these seven states
approved the Fourteenth Amendment. They
also agreed to let African American men vote.
However, white southerners used violence to try
to keep African Americans away from the polls.
Despite such tactics, hundreds of thou-
sands of African Americans voted for Grant
and the “party of Lincoln.” The New Orleans
Tribune reported that many former slaves “see
clearly enough that the Republican party [is]
their political life boat.” African American
votes helped Grant to win a narrow victory.
READING CHECK
Analyzing To what voters did
Grant appeal in the presidential election of 1868?
Fifteenth Amendment
After Grant’s victory, Congressional Republi-
cans wanted to protect their Reconstruction
plan. They worried that the southern states
might try to keep black voters from the polls
in future elections. Also, some Radical Repub-
licans argued that it was not fair that many
northern states still had laws preventing Afri-
can Americans from voting. After all, every
southern state was required to grant suffrage
to African American men.
In 1869 Congress proposed the
Fifteenth
Fifteenth
Amendment
Amendment
, which gave African American
, which gave African American
men the right to vote.
men the right to vote. Abolitionist William
Lloyd Garrison praised “this wonderful, qui-
et, sudden transformation of four millions of
human beings from . . . the auction block to the
ballot-box.” The amendment went into effect in
1870. It was one of the last important Recon-
struction laws passed at the federal level.
The Fifteenth Amendment did not please
every reformer, however. Many women were
angry because the amendment did not also
grant them the right to vote.
READING CHECK
Finding Main Ideas How did
Radical Republicans take control of Reconstruction?
Today the Voting
Rights Act of
1965 enforces
and expands the
voting protections
of the Fifteenth
Amendment.
THE IMPACT
TODAY
Section 2 Assessment
Online Quiz
KEYWORD: SS8 HP16
Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People
1. a. Describe What were Black Codes?
b. Make Inferences Why did Republicans think Johnson’s
Reconstruction plan was a failure?
2. a. Recall What was the Civil Rights Act of 1866?
b. Summarize Why was the Fourteenth Amendment
important?
3. a. Recall Why was President Johnson impeached?
b. Evaluate Which element of the Reconstruction Acts
do you believe was most important? Why?
4. a. Recall What does the Fifteenth Amendment state?
b. Elaborate Do you think that women should have been
included in the Fifteenth Amendment? Explain.
Critical Thinking
5. Analyzing Copy the chart below. Use it to identify the
main provisions of the Fourteenth Amendment and
their effects.
FOCUS ON WRITING
6. Recognizing Cause-and-Effect Relationships
As you have read in this section, social and political unrest
continued long after the war ended. How could this
unrest cause people to leave their jobs? What new jobs
might they fi nd?
SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section
you learned that Congress took control of
Reconstruction away from President John-
son and took steps to protect the rights of
African Americans. In the next section you
will learn about increasing opposition to
Reconstruction.
Provisions Effects
HSS
8.11.3,
8.11.5
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-14
SECTION
What You Will Learn…
If YOU were there...
524 CHAPTER 16
3
Reconstruction
in the South
You live on a farm in the South in the 1870s. Times are hard because
you do not own your farm. Instead, you and your family work in a
landowners cotton fi elds. You never seem to earn enough to buy
land of your own. Some of your neighbors have decided to give up
farming and move to the city. Others are going to work in the textile
mills. But you have always been a farmer.
Will you decide to change your way of life?
BUILDING BACKGROUND Reconstruction affected politics and
economics in the South. Republican and Democratic politicians
fought over policies and programs. New state governments began
reforms, but later leaders ended many of them. Some parts of the
southern economy improved. However, many farmers, like the family
above, went through hard times.
Reconstruction Governments
After Grant became president in 1869, the Republicans seemed
stronger than ever. They controlled most southern governments,
partly because of the support of African American voters. However,
most of the Republican offi ceholders were unpopular with white
southerners.
Carpetbaggers and Scalawags
Some of these offi ce-holders were northern-born Republicans who
had moved South after the war. Many white southerners called
them carpetbaggers. Supposedly, they had rushed South carrying
all their possessions in bags made from carpeting. Many south-
erners resented these northerners, accusing them—often unfairly—
of trying to profi t from Reconstruction.
Southern Democrats cared even less for white southern Repub-
licans. They referred to them as scalawags, or greedy rascals.
Democrats believed that these southerners had betrayed the South by
1. Reconstruction governments
helped reform the South.
2. The Ku Klux Klan was orga-
nized as African Americans
moved into positions of power.
3. As Reconstruction ended, the
rights of African Americans
were restricted.
4. Southern business leaders
relied on industry to rebuild
the South.
Main Ideas
As Reconstruction ended,
African Americans faced new
hurdles and the South attempted
to rebuild.
The Big Idea
Key Terms and People
Hiram Revels, p. 525
Ku Klux Klan, p. 526
Compromise of 1877, p. 527
poll tax, p. 528
segregation, p. 528
Jim Crow laws, p. 528
Plessy v. Ferguson, p. 529
sharecropping, p. 529
HSS
8.11.1
List the original aims
of Reconstruction and describe its
effects on the political and social
structures of different regions.
8.11.3 Understand the effects of the
Freedmen’s Bureau and the restrictions
placed on the rights and opportunities
of freedmen, including racial
segregation and “Jim Crow” laws.
8.11.4 Trace the rise of the Ku Klux
Klan and describe the Klan’s effects.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-15
TX
AR
LA
MS
AL
TN
GA
FL
NC
SC
VA
Washington, DC
Gulf of Mexico
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
30°N
25
°N
80°W
85°W95°W90°W
N
S
W
E
0 150 300 Miles
0 150 300 Kilometers
Member of U.S. Congress
State legislator
voting for the Republican Party. Many south-
ern Republicans were small farmers who had
supported the Union during the war. Others,
like Mississippi governor James Alcorn, were
former members of the Whig Party. They pre-
ferred to become Republicans rather than join
the Democrats.
African American Leaders
African Americans were the largest group of
southern Republican voters. During Recon-
struction, more than 600 African Americans
won election to state legislatures. Some 16
of these politicians were elected to Congress.
Other African Americans held local offi ces in
counties throughout the South.
African American politicians came from
many backgrounds.
Hiram Revels
Hiram Revels was born
free in North Carolina and went to college in
Illinois. He became a Methodist minister and
served as a chaplain in the Union army. In
1870 Revels became the fi rst African American
in the U.S. Senate. He took over the seat previ-
ously held by Confederate president Jefferson
Davis. Unlike Revels, Blanche K. Bruce grew up
in slavery in Virginia. Bruce became an impor-
tant Republican in Mississippi and served one
term as a U.S. senator.
State Governments Change Direction
Reconstruction governments provided money
for many new programs and organizations in
the South. They helped to establish some of
the fi rst state-funded public school systems in
the South. They also built new hospitals, pris-
ons, and orphanages and passed laws prohibit-
ing discrimination against African Americans.
Southern states under Republican con-
trol spent large amounts of money. They
aided the construction of railroads, bridges,
and public buildings. These improvements
were intended to help the southern economy
recover from the war. To get the money for
these projects, the Reconstruction govern-
ments raised taxes and issued bonds.
READING CHECK
Summarizing What reforms
did Reconstruction state governments carry out?
Blanche K. Bruce
escaped from slavery
and began a school
for African Americans
before the Civil War.
Bruce was the first
African American elected
to a full six-year term in
the U.S. Senate.
Hiram Revels
was the son of former
slaves and helped orga-
nize African American
regiments in the Civil War.
Revels was selected to
fill the U.S. Senate seat
formerly held by Jefferson
Davis, president of the
Confederacy.
FOCUS ON
READING
How does the
heading of this
section tell you
about what you
will learn?
RECONSTRUCTION 525
INTERPRETING MAPS
1. Location Which state had the most African American
state legislators?
2. Region Which southern states had the fewest African
American representatives?
GEOGRAPHY
SKILLS
African American Representation in the South, 1870
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-16
Ku Klux Klan
As more African Americans took offi ce, resis-
tance to Reconstruction increased among
white southerners. Democrats claimed that
the Reconstruction governments were cor-
rupt, illegal, and unjust. They also disliked
having federal soldiers stationed in their
states. Many white southerners disapproved
of African American offi ceholders. One Dem-
ocrat noted, “‘A white man’s government’
[is] the most popular rallying cry we have.”
In 1866 a group of white southerners in Ten-
nessee created the
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
.
.
This secret
This secret
society opposed civil rights, particularly
society opposed civil rights, particularly
suffrage, for African Americans.
suffrage, for African Americans. The Klan
used violence and terror against African
Americans. The group’s membership grew
rapidly as it spread throughout the South.
Klan members wore robes and disguises to
hide their identities. They attacked—and
even murdered—African Americans, white
Republican voters, and public offi cials, usu-
ally at night.
Local governments did little to stop the
violence. Many offi cials feared the Klan or
were sympathetic to its activities. In 1870 and
1871 the federal government took action.
Congress passed laws that made it a federal
crime to interfere with elections or to deny
citizens equal protection under the law.
Within a few years, the Klan was no
longer an organized threat. But groups of
whites continued to assault African Ameri-
cans and Republicans throughout the 1870s.
READING CHECK
Drawing Conclusions Why
did southerners join the Ku Klux Klan?
526
The Ku Klux Klan
Members of the Ku Klux Klan often attacked under
cover of darkness to hide their identities. This
klansman from Tennessee, shown on the left, even
disguised his horse.
Why do you think Klan members disguised
themselves?
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-17
RECONSTRUCTION 527
Reconstruction Ends
The violence of the Ku Klux Klan was not the
only challenge to Reconstruction. Republicans
slowly lost control of southern state govern-
ments to the Democratic Party. The General
Amnesty Act of 1872 allowed former Confed-
erates, except those who had held high ranks,
to serve in public offi ce. Many of these former
Confederates, most of whom were Democrats,
were soon elected to southern governments.
The Republican Party also began losing
its power in the North. Although President
Grant was re-elected in 1872, fi nancial and
political scandals in his administration upset
voters. In his fi rst term, a gold-buying scheme
in which Grant’s cousin took a leading role
led to a brief crisis on the stock market called
Black Friday. During his second term, his per-
sonal secretary was involved in the Whiskey
Ring scandal, in which whiskey distillers and
public offi cials worked together to steal liquor
taxes from the federal government. Further-
more, people blamed Republican policies for
the Panic of 1873.
Panic of 1873
This severe economic downturn began in
September 1873 when Jay Cooke and Com-
pany, a major investor in railroads and the
largest fi nancier of the Union’s Civil War
effort, declared bankruptcy. The company
had lied about the value of land along the
side of the Northern Pacifi c Railroad that
it owned and was trying to sell. When the
truth leaked out, the company failed.
The failure of such an important business
sent panic through the stock market, and
investors began selling shares of stock more
rapidly than people wanted to buy them.
Companies had to buy their shares back
from the investors. Soon, 89 of the nation’s
364 railroads had failed as well. The failure
of almost 18,000 other businesses followed
within two years, leaving the nation in an
economic crisis. By 1876 unemployment
had risen to 14 percent, with an estimated
2 million people out of work. The high
unemployment rate set off numerous
strikes and protests around the nation, many
involving railroad workers. In 1874 the Dem-
ocrats gained control of the House of Repre-
sentatives. Northerners were becoming less
concerned about southern racism and more
concerned about their fi nancial well-being.
Election of 1876
Republicans could tell that northern support
for Reconstruction was fading. Voters’ atten-
tion was shifting to economic problems. In
1874 the Republican Party lost control of
the House of Representatives to the Demo-
crats. The Republicans in Congress man-
aged to pass one last civil rights law. The
Civil Rights Act of 1875 guaranteed African
Americans equal rights in public places, such
as theaters and public transportation. But
as Americans became increasingly worried
about economic problems and government
corruption, the Republican Party began to
abandon Reconstruction.
Republicans selected Ohio governor
Rutherford B. Hayes as their 1876 presiden-
tial candidate. He believed in ending federal
support of the Reconstruction governments.
The Democrats nominated New York gov-
ernor Samuel J. Tilden. During the election,
Democrats in the South again used violence
at the polls to keep Republican voters away.
The election between Hayes and Tilden
was close. Tilden appeared to have won.
Republicans challenged the electoral votes in
Oregon and three southern states. A special
commission of members of Congress and
Supreme Court justices was appointed to
settle the issue.
The commission narrowly decided to give
all the disputed votes to Hayes. Hayes thus
won the presidency by one electoral vote.
In the
Compromise of 1877
Compromise of 1877
,
,
the Democrats
the Democrats
agreed to accept Hayes’svictory.
agreed to accept Hayes’s victory.
In return, they
In return, they
wanted all remaining federal troops removed
wanted all remaining federal troops removed
from the South.
from the South. They also asked for funding
for internal improvements in the South and
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-18
528 CHAPTER 16
the appointment of a southern Democrat to
the president’s cabinet. Shortly after he took
offi ce in 1877, President Hayes removed the
last of the federal troops from the South.
Redeemers
Gradually, Democrats regained control of
state governments in the South. In each
state, they moved quickly to get rid of the
Reconstruction reforms.
Democrats who brought their party back
to power in the South were called Redeemers.
They came from a variety of backgrounds.
For instance, U.S. senator John T. Morgan of
Alabama was a former general in the Confed-
erate army. Newspaper editor Henry Grady of
Georgia was interested in promoting south-
ern industry.
Redeemers wanted to reduce the size of
state government and limit the rights of Afri-
can Americans. They lowered state budgets
and got rid of a variety of social programs. The
Redeemers cut property taxes and reduced
public funding for schools. They also succeed-
ed in limiting African Americans’ civil rights.
African Americans’ Rights
Restricted
Redeemers set up the poll tax in an effort to
deny the vote to African Americans. The
poll
poll
tax
tax
was
was
a special tax people had to pay before
a special tax people had to pay before
they could vote.
they could vote.
Some states also targeted African Ameri-
can voters by requiring them to pass a lit-
eracy test. A so-called grandfather clause
written into law affected men whose fathers
or grandfathers could vote before 1867. In
those cases, a voter did not have to pay a poll
tax or pass a literacy test. As a result, almost
every white man could escape the voting
restrictions.
Redeemer governments also introduced
legal
segregation
segregation
,
,
the forced separation of
the forced separation of
whites and African Americans in public
whites and African Americans in public
places.
places.
Jim Crow laws
Jim Crow laws
laws that enforced
laws that enforced
segregation
segregation—became common in southern
states in the 1880s.
African Americans challenged Jim Crow
laws in court. In 1883, however, the U.S.
Supreme Court ruled that the Civil Rights
Act of 1875 was unconstitutional. The Court
Plessy v. Ferguson
(1896)
Background of the Case In
1892, Homer Plessy took a seat
in the “whites only” car of a train
in Louisiana. He was arrested, put
on trial, and convicted of violat-
ing Louisianas segregation law.
Plessy argued that the Louisiana
law violated the Thirteenth Amend-
ment and denied him the equal
protection of the law as guaranteed.
The Court’s Ruling
The Court ruled that the Louisiana
“separate-but-equal” law was constitutional.
The Court’s Reasoning
The Court stated that the Thirteenth and
Fourteenth Amendments did not apply.
The Court decided that the case had
nothing to do with the abolition of slavery
mentioned in the Thirteenth Amendment.
The justices also ruled that the Fourteenth
Amendment was not designed to eliminate
social barriers to equality between the
races, only political barriers.
Justice John Marshall Harlan dis-
agreed with the Courts ruling. In a
dissenting opinion, he wrote that “in
respect of civil rights, all citizens are
equal before the law.
Why It Matters
Plessy was important because it
approved the idea of separate but
equal facilities for people based on
race. The doctrine of separate but
equal led to segregation in trains,
buses, schools, restaurants, and many
other social institutions.
The separate-but-equal doctrine
led to unequal treatment of minority
groups for decades. It was finally struck
down by another Supreme Court ruling,
Brown v. Board of Education, in 1954.
ANALYZING INFORMATION
ANALYSIS
SKILL
1. Why did the Court reject Plessy’s
arguments?
2. Why was Plessy v. Ferguson an
important Supreme Court case?
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-19
RECONSTRUCTION 529
also ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment
applied only to the actions of state govern-
ments. This ruling allowed private individu-
als and businesses to practice segregation.
Plessy v. Ferguson
In 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court returned
to the issue of segregation. When Homer
Plessy, an African American, refused to
leave the whites-only Louisiana train car
he was riding on, he was arrested and
accused of breaking a state law requir-
ing separate cars for blacks and whites.
Plessy sued the railroad company and lost.
His lawyers argued that the law violated
his right to equal treatment under the Four-
teenth Amendment. He then appealed to
the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court
ruled against Plessy in
Plessy
Plessy
v.
v.
Ferguson
Ferguson
.
.
Segregation was allowed, said the Court,
Segregation was allowed, said the Court,
if “separate-but-equal” facilities were
if “separate-but-equal” facilities were
provided.
provided. Among the justices, only John
Marshall Harlan disagreed with the Court’s
decision. He explained his disagreement in
a dissenting opinion:
In the eye of the law, there is in the country no
superior, dominant [controlling], ruling class of
citizens….Our constitution is color-blind, and
neither knows nor tolerates classes among
citizens. In respect of civil rights, all citizens are
equal before the law.
—John Marshall Harlan, from Plessy v. Ferguson: A Brief
History with Documents, edited by Brook Thomas
Despite Harlan’s view, segregation became
widespread across the country. African Ameri-
cans were forced to use separate public schools,
libraries, and parks. When they existed, these
facilities were usually of poorer quality than
those created for whites. In practice, these so-
called separate but equal facilities were separate
and unequal.
Farming in the South
Few African Americans in the South could
afford to buy or even rent farms. Moving West
also was costly. Many African Americans there-
fore remained on plantations. Others tried to
make a living in the cities.
African Americans who stayed on plan-
tations often became part of a system known
as
sharecropping
sharecropping
,
,
or
or
sharing the crop. Land-
sharing the crop. Land-
owners provided the land, tools, and sup-
owners provided the land, tools, and sup-
plies, and sharecroppers provided the labor.
plies, and sharecroppers provided the labor.
At harvest time, the sharecropper usually
had to give most of the crop to the land-
owner. Whatever remained belonged to the
sharecropper. Many sharecroppers hoped to
save enough money from selling their share
of the crops to one day be able to buy a
farm. Unfortunately, only a few ever achieved
this dream.
Instead, most sharecroppers lived in a
cycle of debt. When they needed food, cloth-
ing, or supplies, most families had to buy
goods on credit because they had little cash.
When sharecroppers sold their crops, they
Slavery
• No rights
• Forced labor
No freedom of movement
without permission
Family members sold away
from one another
• No representation
in government
Freedom
• Slavery banned
Free to work for wages
Could move and live
anywhere
• Many families reunited
Could serve in
political office
Rights Denied
• Sharecropping system
put in place
Ability to vote and hold
office restricted
• White leadership regained
control of southern state
governments
Hopes Raised and Denied
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-20
When sharecroppers sold their crops, they
hoped to be able to pay off these debts. How-
ever, bad weather, poor harvests, or low crop
prices often made this dream impossible.
Sharecroppers usually grew cotton, one
of the South’s most important cash crops.
When too many farmers planted cotton,
however, the supply became excessive. As a
result, the price per bale of cotton dropped.
Many farmers understood the drawbacks
of planting cotton. However, farmers felt
pressure from banks and others to keep
raising cotton. A southern farmer explained
why so many sharecroppers depended on
cotton:
Cotton is the thing to get credit on in this coun-
try . . . . You can always sell cotton … [Y]ou load
up your wagon with wheat or corn . . . and I doubt
some days whether you could sell it.
–Farmer quoted in The Promise of the New South,
by Edward L. Ayers
READING CHECK
Finding Main Ideas How
were African Americans’ rights restricted?
Rebuilding Southern
Industry
The southern economy suffered through cycles
of good and bad years as cotton prices went up
and down. Some business leaders hoped indus-
try would strengthen the southern economy
and create a New South.
Southern Industry
Henry Grady, an Atlanta newspaper editor,
was a leader of the New South movement.
“The new South presents . . . a diversifi ed [var-
ied] industry that meets the complex needs of
this complex age,” he wrote. Grady and his
supporters felt that with its cheap and abun-
dant labor, the South could build factories
and provide a workforce for them.
The most successful industrial develop-
ment in the South involved textile production.
Businesspeople built textile mills in many
small towns to produce cotton fabric. Many
people from rural areas came to work in
the mills, but African Americans were not
allowed to work in most of them.
The New South
530 CHAPTER 16
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-21
SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section
you learned about the end of Recon-
struction. In the next chapter you will
learn about America’s continued westward
expansion.
RECONSTRUCTION 531
“The New
South...is
stirred with
the breath
of a new life.”
Atlanta rebuilt quickly after the war,
becoming a leading railroad and industrial
center. Newspaper editor Henry Grady
gave stirring speeches about the need for
industry in the South. He became one of
the best-known spokesmen of the
“New South.
Why might Grady point to Atlanta as a
model for economic change?
—Henry Grady
Southern Mill Life
Work in the cotton mills appealed to farm
families who had trouble making ends meet.
As one mill worker explained, “It was a neces-
sity to move and get a job, rather than depend
on the farm.” Recruiters sent out by the mills
promised good wages and steady work.
Entire families often worked in the same
cotton mill. Mills employed large numbers
of women and children. Many children
started working at about the age of 12. Some
children started working at an even earlier
age. Women did most of the spinning and
were valued workers. However, few women
had the opportunity to advance within the
company.
Many mill workers were proud of the skills
they used, but they did not enjoy their work.
One unhappy worker described it as “the
same thing over and over again. . . . The more
you do, the more they want done.” Workers
often labored 12 hours a day, six days a week.
Cotton dust and lint fi lled the air, causing
asthma and an illness known as brown-lung
disease. Fast-moving machinery caused
injuries and even deaths. Despite the long
hours and dangerous working conditions,
wages remained low. However, mill work
did offer an alternative to farming.
READING CHECK
Finding Main Ideas What did
southern business leaders hope industry would do?
Before After
Section 3 Assessment
Online Quiz
KEYWORD: SS8 HP16
Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People
1. a. Identify Who were some prominent
African American leaders during Reconstruction?
b. Evaluate What do you think was the most important
change made by Reconstruction state governments?
Explain your answer.
2. a. Recall Why didn’t some local governments stop the
Ku Klux Klan?
b. Draw Conclusions How did the Ku Klux Klan’s use of
terror interfere with elections in the South?
3. a. Recall How did Reconstruction come to an end?
b. Explain What was the relationship between Jim Crow
laws and segregation?
4. a. Identify Who was Henry Grady, and why was he
important?
b. Predict What are some possible results of the rise of
the “New South”?
Critical Thinking
5. Comparing Copy the chart below. Use it to compare the
rights of African Americans before and after Reconstruction.
WRITING JOURNAL
6. Relating Historical Change to Individual Choice
Despite the diffi culties of Reconstruction, the Freedmen’s
Bureau and plans to bring industry to the “New South”
did create new jobs. What might have led people to leave
their jobs for new ones?
HSS
8.11.1,
8.11.3, 8.11.4
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-22
Social Studies Skills
Analysis
Critical Thinking
Understand the Skill
Sometimes, history can seem very routine. One
event leads to others which, in turn, lead to still
others. You learn to look for cause-and-effect
relationships among events. You learn how point
of view and bias can infl uence decisions and actions.
These approaches to the study of history imply that
the events of the past are orderly and predictable.
In fact, many of the events of the past are
orderly and predictable! They may seem even more
so since they’re over and done with, and we know
how things turned out. Yet, predictable patterns of
behavior do exist throughout history. Recognizing
them is one of the great values and rewards of
studying the past. As the philosopher George
Santayana once famously said, Those who cannot
remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
At its most basic level, however, history is
people, and people are “human.” They make mis-
takes. Unexpected things happen to them, both
good things and bad. This is the unpredictable
element of history. The current phrase “stuff
happens” is just as true of the past as it is today.
Mistakes, oversights, and just plain “dumb luck”
have shaped the course of history—and have
helped to make the study of it so exciting!
Learn the Skill
California merchant John Sutter decided to build a
sawmill along the nearby American River in 1848.
He planned to sell the lumber it produced to settlers
who were moving into the area. Sutter put James
W. Marshall to work building the mill. To install
the large water wheel that would power the saw,
Chance, Oversight, and Error in History
Marshall fi rst had to deepen the river bed next to
the mill. During his digging, he noticed some shiny
bits of yellow metal in the water. The result of this
accidental fi nd was the California Gold Rush, which
sent thousands of Americans to California, and
speeded settlement of the West.
In 1863 the army of Confederate General Robert
E. Lee invaded Maryland. The Civil War had been
going well for the South. Lee hoped a southern
victory on Union soil would convince the British to
aid the South in the war. However, a Confederate
offi cer forgot his cigars as his unit left its camp in
the Maryland countryside. Wrapped around the
cigars was a copy of Lee’s battle plans. When a Union
soldier came upon the abandoned camp, he spotted
the cigars. This chance discovery enabled the Union
army to defeat Lee at the Battle of Antietam. The
Union victory helped keep the British out of the war.
More importantly, it allowed President Lincoln to
issue the Emancipation Proclamation and begin the
process of ending slavery in the United States.
Practice and Apply the Skill
In April 1865 President Lincoln was assassinated
while attending the theater in Washington, D.C.
Bodyguard John Parker was stationed outside the
door of the President’s box. However, Parker left his
post to fi nd a seat from which he could watch the
play. This allowed the killer to enter the box and
shoot the unprotected President.
Write an essay about how this chance
event altered the course of history. How might
Reconstruction, North–South relations, and African
Americans’ struggle for equality have been different
had Lincoln lived?
532 CHAPTER 16
Participation Study
HSS
HI4 Students recognize the role of
chance, oversight, and error in history.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-23
RECONSTRUCTION 533
Visual
Summary
Reform During Reconstruction, the
Freedmen’s Bureau opened schools
for former slaves and performed other
services to help the poorest southerners.
Dispute Differing ideas about how
to govern the South led to conflicts
between African Americans and white
southerners, as well as between
Republicans and Democrats.
Division After the Compromise
of 1877 ended Reconstruction,
segregation laws were enacted by
southern governments and upheld
by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Use the visual summary below to help you review
the main ideas of the chapter.
16
Reviewing Vocabulary,
Terms, and People
Complete each sentence by fi lling in the blank with the
correct term or person from the chapter.
1. ________________ were laws that allowed racial
segregation in public places.
2. The Radical Republicans were led by _______,
a member of Congress from Pennsylvania.
3. The period from 1865 to 1877 that focused
on reuniting the nation is known as _______.
4. Following the Civil War, many African
Americans in the South made a living by
participating in the __________ system.
5. After opposing Congress, Andrew Johnson
became the first president to face _____
proceedings.
6. The _____ Amendment made slavery in the
United States illegal.
7. In 1870, ________ became the first African
American to serve in the U.S. Senate.
Comprehension and
Critical Thinking
SECTION 1 (Pages 512–517)
HSS
8.10.7, 8.11.1, 8.11.3, 8.11.5
8. a. Describe How did the lives of African Ameri-
cans change after the Civil War?
b. Compare and Contrast How was President
Johnson’s Reconstruction plan similar and
different from President Lincoln’s Ten Percent
Plan?
c. Evaluate Which of the three Reconstruction
plans that were originally proposed do you
think would have been the most successful?
Why?
SECTION 2 (Pages 518–523)
HSS
8.11.3, 8.11.5
9. a. Identify Who were the Radical Republicans,
and how did they change Reconstruction?
b. Analyze How did the debate over the Four-
teenth Amendment affect the election of 1866?
c. Elaborate Do you think Congress was right to
impeach President Andrew Johnson? Explain.
CHAPTER
Standards Review
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-24
534 CHAPTER 16
SECTION 3 (Pages 524–531)
HSS
8.11.1, 8.11.3, 8.11.4
10. a. Describe What reforms did Reconstruction
governments in the South support?
b. Draw Conclusions In what ways did southern
governments attempt to reverse the accom-
plishments of Reconstruction?
c. Evaluate Do you think the South was success-
ful or unsuccessful in its rebuilding efforts?
Explain your answer.
Reviewing Themes
11. Politics Explain the political struggles that took
place during Reconstruction.
12. Society and Culture How were the lives of
ordinary southerners affected in the years after
Reconstruction?
Using the Internet
KEYWORD: SS8 US16
13. Activity: Drawing conclusions A challenge for
anyone trying to understand Reconstruction is
drawing conclusions from primary and second-
ary sources from the time period. This activity
will help you see how complex this can be.
Enter the activity keyword, and then rate the
credibility of the sources provided. Make sure
you explain whether the source is a primary
or secondary source, whether or not you think
the source is credible, and the reasons for your
thoughts.
Reading Skills
Reading for Essential and Relevant Information Use
the Reading Skills taught in this chapter to answer the
question about the reading selection below.
Radical Republicans … wanted the federal gov-
ernment to force change in the South. Like the
moderates, they thought the Black Codes were
cruel and unjust. The radicals, however, wanted
the federal government to be much more
involved in Reconstruction. (p. 519)
14. Which of the following is relevant information
for the passage above?
a. Thaddeus Stevens was a Radical Republican.
b. Andrew Johnson was a Democrat.
c. Radical Republicans wanted the federal gov-
ernment to make major changes in the South.
d. Radical Republicans were eventually removed
from power.
Social Studies Skills
Chance, Oversight, and Error in History Use the
Social Studies Skills taught in this chapter to answer the
question about the reading selection below.
Johnson’s speaking tour was a disaster. It did
little to win votes for the Democratic Party. He
even got into arguments with people in the
audience. (p. 521)
15. Which of the following is an example of
chance, oversight, or error that affected history?
a. Johnson got into arguments with audiences.
b. The tour was a disaster.
c. The tour didn’t win votes.
d. Johnson spoke for the Democratic Party.
FOCUS ON WRITING
16 . Writing A Job History Review your notes about
the changing job scene during Reconstruction.
Put yourself in the shoes of a person living
then. It could be anyone—a returning soldier,
a shopkeeper, a schoolteacher, or a politician.
What jobs would that person seek? Why would
he or she leave one job for another?
Write a brief job history for that person during
Reconstruction. Include at least four jobs. Make
each job description 2 to 4 sentences long. End
each one with a sentence or two about why the
person left that job. Add one sentence explaining
why they took the next job. Be sure to include
specific historical details.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-25
RECONSTRUCTION 535
DIRECTIONS: Read each question and write the
letter of the best response. Use the map below to
answer question 1.
!
Disputed
TX
1870
MS
1870
AL
1868
FL
1868
SC
1868
NC
1868
GA
1870
VA
1870
TN
1866
AR
1868
LA
1868
Gulf of Mexico
30°N
80°W
90°W
N
S
W
E
Which military district contained the largest
number of states?
A Military District 2
B Military District 3
C Military District 4
D Military District 5
@
What can you infer from the map information?
A South Carolina was diffi cult to reconstruct.
B The largest number of troops was in Military
District 1.
C Military District 5 was the last district to end
Reconstruction.
D Tennessee was readmitted to the Union
before the other southern states.
#
The quickest approach to reuniting the
nation was proposed by the
A Ten Percent Plan.
B Wade-Davis Bill.
C Civil Rights Act of 1866.
D Compromise of 1877.
$
What development convinced Republicans in
Congress to take control of Reconstruction
from the president?
A President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated
by a southern sympathizer.
B President Andrew Johnson vetoed the
Wade-Davis bill.
C Southern states began passing Black Codes
to deprive African Americans of their
freedoms.
D White southern women refused to support
the Fifteenth Amendment.
%
All of the following limited opportunities
for African Americans in the South after
Reconstruction ended except
A sharecropping.
B the Redeemers.
C Jim Crow laws.
D carpetbaggers.
Connecting with Past Learning
^
During Reconstruction, southerners were
ruled by a small number of outsiders known
as carpetbaggers. This situation is most
similar to the period of
A Mongol rule over China
B Roman control over Italy
C Chinese control of Japan
D Aztec rule over the Olmec
&
In Grade 7 you learned about Bartolomé de
Las Casas’s effort to improve conditions for
Native Americans. This was most similar to
which group’s efforts during Reconstruction?
A Redeemers
B Radical Republicans
C Democrats
D sharecroppers
Military District 1
Military District 2
Military District 3
Military District 4
Military District 5
Date former
Confederate state
was readmitted
to Union
1868
0 150 300 Miles
0 150 300 Kilometers
Standards Assessment
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-26
536 UNIT 5
Assignment
Collect information and write
an informative report on a
topic related to the Civil War.
A Social Studies
Report
A
ll research begins with a question. Why did the North
win the Civil War? Why did Abraham Lincoln choose
Ulysses S. Grant? In a research report, you find answers to
questions like these and share what you learn with your reader.
1. Prewrite
Choosing a Subject
Since you will spend a lot of time researching and writing about your
topic, pick one that interests you. First, think of several topics related
to the Civil War. Narrow your list to one topic by thinking about what
interests you and where you can find information about the topic.
Developing a Research Question
A guiding question related to your topic will help focus your research.
For example, here is a research question for the topic “Robert E. Lee’s
Role in the Civil War”: How did Lee’s decision to turn down the leadership
of the Union Army affect the Civil War? The answer to this question
becomes the thesis, or the big idea of your report.
Finding Historical Information
Use at least three sources of historical information besides your text-
book. Good sources include
books, maps, magazines, newspapers
television programs, movies, Internet sites, CD-ROMs
For each source, write down the kinds of information shown below.
When taking notes, put a circled number next to each source.
Encyclopedia article
1 “Title of Article.” Name of Encyclopedia. Edition or year published.
Book
2 Author. Title. City of Publication: Publisher, Year published.
Magazine or newspaper article
3 Author. “Title of Article.” Publication name Date: page number(s)
Internet site
4 Author (if known). “Document title.” Web Site. Date of electronic
publication. Date information was accessed <url>
TIP
Narrowing the Task The key
to a successful research report is
picking a topic that is broad enough
that you can find information, but
narrow enough that you can cover it
in detail. To narrow a subject, focus
on one aspect of the larger subject.
Then think about whether that one
aspect can be broken down into
smaller parts. Here’s an example of
how to narrow a topic:
Too Broad: Civil War Leaders
Less Broad: Civil War Generals
Narrower: Robert E. Lee’s Role in the
Civil War
ELA
Writing 8.2.3 Write research
reports.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-27
THE NATION BREAKS APART 537
TIP
Seeing Different Viewpoints
Consult a variety of sources,
including those with different points
of view on the topic. Reading sources
with different opinions will give you
a more complete picture of your
subject. For example, reading articles
about Robert E. Lee written by a
southern writer as well as a northern
writer may give you a more balanced
view of Lee.
Introduction
Start with a quote or an interesting
historical detail to grab your reader’s
attention.
State the main idea of your report.
Provide any historical background
readers need to understand your
main idea.
Body
Present your information under at
least three main ideas, using logical
order.
Write at least one paragraph for
each of these main ideas.
Add supporting details, facts, or
examples to each paragraph.
Conclusion
Restate your main idea, using slightly
different words.
Include a general comment about
your topic.
You might comment on how the
historical information in your report
relates to later historical events.
A Writer’s Framework
The Thesis/Big Idea: Robert E. Lee’s decision to decline the leadership
of the Union Army had serious consequences for the path of the
Civil War.
I. Lee’s Military Expertise
A. Achievements at the U.S. Military Academy
B. Achievements during the Mexican War
II. Lee’s Personality and Character
A. Intelligence and strength
B. Honesty and fairness
C. Daring and courage
III. Lee’s Military Victories
A. Battle of Fredericksburg
B. Battle of Chancellorsville
Taking Notes
As you read the source material, take thorough notes on facts, statis-
tics, comparisons, and quotations. Take special care to spell names
correctly and to record dates and facts accurately. If you use a direct
quotation from a source, copy it word for word and enclose it in quo-
tation marks. Along with each note, include the number of its source
and its page number.
Organizing Your Ideas and Information
Informative research reports are usually organized in one of these ways:
Chronological order (the order that events occurred)
Order of importance
Causes (actions or situations that make something else happen)
and effects (what happened as a result of something else)
Use one of these orders to organize your notes in an outline. Here is a
partial outline for a paper on Robert E. Lee.
2. Write
You can use this framework to help you write your first draft.
TIP
Recording Others Ideas You
will be taking three types of notes.
Paraphrases Restatements of all the
ideas in your own words.
Summaries Brief restatements of
only the most important parts.
Direct quotations The writer’s exact
words inside quotation marks.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-28
538 UNIT 5
INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
Attention grabber
Statement of thesis
BODY PARAGRAPHS
CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH
Summary of main points
Restatement of big idea
Studying a Model
Here is a model of a research report. Study it to see how one student
developed a paper. The first and the concluding paragraphs are shown
in full. The paragraphs in the body of the paper are summarized.
“I cannot raise my hand against my birthplace, my home,
my children.” With these words, Robert E. Lee changed
the course of the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln had turned to
Lee as his first choice for commander of the Union Army.
However, Lee turned Lincoln down, choosing instead to
side with his home state of Virginia and take command of
the Confederate Army. Lee’s decision to turn Lincoln down
weakened the North and strengthened the Confederates,
turning what might have been an easy victory for the North
into a long, costly war.
In the first part of the body, the student points out that Lee gradu-
ated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, served in the
Mexican War, and was a member of the Union Army. She goes on to
explain that he would have been a strong leader for the North, and his
absence made the North weaker.
In the middle of the report, the writer discusses Lee’s personality and
character. She includes information about the strength of charac-
ter he showed while in the military academy and while leading the
Confederate Army. She discusses and gives examples of his intelli-
gence, his daring, his courage, and his honesty.
In the last part of the body of the report, the student provides exam-
ples of Lee leading the outnumbered Confederate Army to a series of
victories. The student provides details of the battles of Fredericksburg
and Chancellorsville and explains how a lesser general than Lee may
have lost both battles.
Lee’s brilliant and resourceful leadership bedeviled a series
of Union generals. He won battles that most generals would
have lost. If Lee had used these skills to lead the larger and
more powerful Union Army, the Civil War might have ended
in months instead of years.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-29
THE NATION BREAKS APART 539
3. Evaluate and Revise
Evaluating and Revising Your Draft
Evaluate your first draft by carefully reading it twice. Ask the questions
below to decide which parts of your first draft should be revised.
TIP
Organizing Your Time By
creating a schedule and following it,
you can avoid that panicky moment
when the due date is near and you
haven’t even started your research.
To create your schedule and manage
your time, include these six steps.
1 Develop a question and research
your topic (10% of your total time).
2 Research and take notes (25%).
3 Write your main idea statement and
create an outline (15%).
4 Write a first draft (25%).
5 Evaluate and revise your first draft
(15%).
6 Proofread and publish your report
(10%).
Evaluation Questions for an Informative Report
Does the introduction attract the
readers’ interest and state the big
idea/thesis of your report?
Does the body of your report have at
least three paragraphs that develop
your big idea? Is the main idea in
each paragraph clearly stated?
Have you included enough
information to support each of your
main ideas? Are all facts, details,
and examples accurate? Are all
of them clearly related to the main
ideas they support?
Is the report clearly organized? Does
it use chronological order, order of
importance, or cause and effect?
Does the conclusion restate the
big idea of your report? Does it end
with a general comment about the
importance or significance of
your topic?
Have you included at least three
sources in your bibliography? Have
you included all the sources you
used and not any you did not use?
4. Proofread and Publish
Proofreading
To improve your report before sharing it, check the following:
The spelling and capitalization of all proper names for people,
places, things, and events.
Punctuation marks around any direct quotation.
Your list of sources (Works Cited or Bibliography) against a guide
to writing research papers. Make sure you follow the examples in
the guide when punctuating and capitalizing your source listings.
Publishing
Choose one or more of these ideas to publish your report.
Share your report with your classmates by turning it into an
informative speech.
Submit your report to an online discussion group that focuses on
the Civil War and ask for feedback.
With your classmates, create a magazine that includes reports
on several different topics or post the reports on your school
Web site.
5. Practice and Apply
Use the steps and strategies outlined in this workshop to research
and write an informative report on the Civil War.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction PDF
CHAPTER
Reconstruction
508 CHAPTER 16
1865
Black Jamaicans rebel
against the wealthy
planter class.
1865
Abraham Lincoln
is assassinated.
186 5
Job History When the Civil War ended, it was time to
rebuild. People were ready to get back to work. But life had
changed for many people and would continue to change.
As you read this chapter, think about jobs people may have
had during Reconstruction.
FOCUS ON WRITING
1865–1877
16
History–Social Science
8.10 Students analyze the multiple causes, key events, and complex
consequences of the Civil War.
8.11 Students analyze the character and lasting consequences of
Reconstruction.
Analysis Skills
HR 3 Students distinguish relevant from irrelevant information.
HI 4 Students recognize the role of chance, oversight, and error in
history.
English–Language Arts
Writing 8.2.5 Write documents related to career development.
Reading 8.2.0 Students read and understand grade-level apporpriate
material.
California Standards
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Download
HOLT
HOLT
RECONSTRUCTION 509
History’s Impact
1868
The Meiji dynasty
returns to power
in Japan.
1868
President Andrew
Johnson is
impeached and
almost removed
from office.
1869
The Suez Canal opens,
linking the Mediterranean
and Red seas.
1871
Otto von Bismarck and
Wilhelm I unite Germany.
1877
The Compromise of 1877
ends Reconstruction.
video series
Watch the video to under-
stand the impact of the
preservation of the Union.
1870
Hiram Revels
becomes the first
African American
to serve in the
U.S. Senate.
18 7 5 18 8 0
The ruins of this Virginia plantation stand as a
bleak reminder of the changes brought to the
South by the Civil War. In this chapter you will
learn about the challenges that faced the nation
after the Civil War and attempts to meet those
challenges.
18 7 0
What You Will Learn…
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction PDF Download
510 CHAPTER 00510 CHAPTER 16
Religion
Reading Social Studies
Additional reading
support can be
found in the
by Kylene Beers
Focus on Reading
History books are full of
information. As you read, you are confronted with
names, dates, places, terms, and descriptions on
every page. You don’t want to have to deal with
anything unimportant or untrue.
Identifying Relevant and Essential Information
Information in a history book should be relevant to
the topic you’re studying. It should also be essential
to understanding that topic and verifi able. Anything
else distracts from the material you are studying.
The fi rst passage below includes several pieces of
irrelevant and nonessential information. In the sec-
ond, this information has been removed. Note how
much easier the revised passage is to comprehend.
First Passage
President Abraham Lincoln, who was
very tall, wanted to reunite the nation
as quickly and painlessly as possible.
He had proposed a plan for readmit-
ting the southern states even before
the war ended, which happened on a
Sunday. Called the Ten Percent Plan,
it offered southerners amnesty, or offi -
cial pardon, for all illegal acts support-
ing the rebellion. Today a group called
Amnesty International works to protect
the rights of prisoners. Lincoln’s plan
certainly would have worked if it would
have been implemented.
Focus on Themes In this chapter, you will read
about the time immediately after the Civil War. You
will see how the government tried to help the South
rebuild itself and will learn about how life changed
for African Americans after slavery was declared
illegal. You will read about the political confl icts
that emerged as southern leadership worked to gain
control of Reconstruction efforts. Throughout the
chapter, you will read how the culture of the South
changed after the War.
Geography
Politics
Economics
Religion
Society
and Culture
Science and
Technology
Analyzing Historical Information
Revised Passage
President Abraham Lincoln wanted
to reunite the nation as quickly and
painlessly as possible. He had pro-
posed a plan for readmitting the
southern states even before the war
ended. Called the Ten Percent Plan,
it offered southerners amnesty, or
offi cial pardon, for all illegal acts sup-
porting the rebellion.
From Chapter 16, p. 513
Lincoln’s
appearance
and the day on
which the war
ended are not
essential facts.
Amnesty
International is
not relevant to
this topic.
There is no
way to prove
the accuracy
of the last
sentence.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-1
SECTION TITLE 511RECONSTRUCTION 511
Key Terms
Key Terms
and People
and People
You Try It!
The following passage is adapted from the chapter you are about
to read. As you read, look for irrelevant, nonessential, or unverifi able
information.
The Freedmens Bureau
In 1865 Congress established the Freed-
men’s Bureau, an agency providing relief not
only for freedpeople and certain poor peo-
ple, but white refugees as well. The Bureau
had a diffi cult job. It may have been one of
the most diffi cult jobs ever. At its high point,
about 900 agents served the entire South.
All 900 people could fi t into one hotel ball-
room today. Bureau commissioner Oliver
O. Howard eventually decided to use the
Bureau’s limited budget to distribute food to
the poor and to provide education and legal
help for freedpeople. One common food in
the South at that time was salted meat. The
Bureau also helped African American war
veterans. Today the Department of Veterans’
Affairs assists American war veterans.
From
Chapter 16,
p. 516
After you read the passage, answer the following questions.
1. Which sentence in this passage is unverifi able and should be cut?
2. Find two sentences in this passage that are irrelevant to the dis-
cussion of the Freedmen’s Bureau. What makes those sentences
irrelevant?
3. Look at the last sentence of the passage. Do you think this sen-
tence is essential to the discussion? Why or why not?
Chapter 16
Section 1
Reconstruction (p. 512)
Ten Percent Plan (p. 513)
Thirteenth Amendment (p. 514)
Freedmen’s Bureau (p. 516)
Andrew Johnson (p. 517)
Section 2
Black Codes (p. 518)
Radical Republicans (p. 519)
Civil Rights Act of 1866 (p. 520)
Fourteenth Amendment (p. 521)
Reconstruction Acts (p. 521)
impeachment (p. 522)
Fifteenth Amendment (p. 523)
Section 3
Hiram Revels (p. 525)
Ku Klux Klan (p. 526)
Compromise of 1877 (p. 527)
poll tax (p. 528)
segregation (p. 528)
Jim Crow laws (p. 528)
Plessy v. Ferguson (p. 529)
sharecropping (p. 529)
Academic Vocabulary
Success in school is related to
knowing academic vocabulary—
the words that are frequently used
in school assignments and discus-
sions. In this chapter, you will learn
the following academic words:
procedure (p. 513)
principle (p. 520)
As you read Chapter 16, ask yourself
what makes the information you
are reading essential to a study of
Reconstruction.
ELA
Analysis HI 3 Distinguish relevant, essential, and verifiable information.
HSS
Reading 8.2.0 Students read and understand grade-level-appropriate material.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-2
You are a young soldier who has been fi ghting in the Civil War
for many months. Now that the war is over, you are on your way
home. During your journey, you pass plantation manor homes,
houses, and barns that have been burned down. No one is doing
spring planting in the fi elds. As you near your familys farm, you
see that fences and sheds have been destroyed.
What would you think your future on
the farm would be like?
BUILDING BACKGROUND When the Civil War ended, much of
the South lay in ruins. Like the young soldier above, many people re-
turned to destroyed homes and farms. Harvests of corn, cotton, rice,
and other crops fell far below normal. Many farm animals had been
killed or were roaming free. These were some of the challenges in
restoring the nation.
Reconstruction Begins
After the Civil War ended in 1865, the U.S. government faced
the problem of dealing with the defeated southern states. The
nation dealt with the challenges of
Reconstruction
Reconstruction
,
,
the process of
the process of
readmitting the former Confederate states to the Union.
readmitting the former Confederate states to the Union. It lasted
from 1865 to 1877.
1
Rebuilding
the South
1. President Lincoln and
Congress differed in their
views as Reconstruction
began.
2. The end of the Civil War
meant freedom for African
Americans in the South.
3. President Johnson’s plan
began the process of
Reconstruction.
The nation faced many problems
in rebuilding the Union.
Key Terms and People
Reconstruction, p. 512
Ten Percent Plan, p. 513
Thirteenth Amendment, p. 514
Freedmen’s Bureau, p. 516
Andrew Johnson, p. 517
Main Ideas
The Big Idea
SECTION
What You Will Learn…
If YOU were there...
512 CHAPTER 16
HSS
8.10.7
Explain how the war
affected combatants, civilians, the
physical environment, and future
warfare.
8.11.1 List the original aims of Recon-
struction and describe its effects on
the political and social structures of
different regions.
8.11.3 Understand the effects of the
Freedmen’s Bureau and the restric-
tions placed on the rights and oppor-
tunities of freedmen, including racial
segregation and “Jim Crow” laws.
8.11.5 Understand the Thirteenth,
Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amend-
ments to the Constitution and analyze
their connection to Reconstruction.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-3
War destroyed Richmond, Virginia, once
the proud capital of the Confederacy.
Damaged South
Tired southern soldiers returned home to fi nd
that the world they had known before the war
was gone. Cities, towns, and farms had been
ruined. Because of high food prices and wide-
spread crop failures, many southerners faced
starvation. The Confederate money held by
most southerners was now worthless. Banks
failed, and merchants had gone bankrupt
because people could not pay their debts.
Former Confederate general Braxton
Bragg was one of many southerners who
faced economic hardship. He found that
all, all was lost, except my debts.” In South
Carolina, Mary Boykin Chesnut wrote in her
diary about the isolation she experienced
after the war. “We are shut in here. . . . All
RR’s [railroads] destroyed—bridges gone. We
are cut off from the world.”
Lincolns Plan
President Abraham Lincoln wanted to reunite
the nation as quickly and painlessly as pos-
sible. He had proposed a plan for readmitting
the southern states even before the war ended.
Called the
Te n Pe r ce n t
Ten Percent
Plan
Plan
,
,
it offered south-
it offered south-
erners amnesty, or official pardon,
erners amnesty, or offi cial pardon,
for all ille-
for all ille-
gal acts supporting the rebellion.
gal acts supporting the rebellion. To receive
amnesty, southerners had to do two things.
They had to swear an oath of loyalty to the
United States. They also had to agree that slav-
ery was illegal. Once 10 percent of voters in
a state made these pledges, they could form
a new government. The state then could be
readmitted to the Union.
Louisiana quickly elected a new state leg-
islature under the Ten Percent Plan. Other
southern states that had been occupied by
Union troops soon followed Louisiana back
into the United States.
Wade-Davis Bill
Some politicians argued that Congress, not
the president, should control the southern
states’ return to the Union. They believed
that Congress had the power to admit new
states. Also, many Republican members of
Congress thought the Ten Percent Plan did
not go far enough. A senator from Michigan
expressed their views.
The people of the North are not such fools as to . . .
turn around and say to the traitors, all you have
to do [to return] is . . . take an oath that henceforth
you will be true to the Government.
–Senator Jacob Howard, quoted in Reconstruction:
America’s Unfi nished Revolution, 1863–1877, by Eric Foner
Two Republicans—Senator Benjamin
Wade and Representative Henry Davis—had
an alternative to Lincoln’s plan. Under the
procedure of the Wade-Davis bill, a state had
to meet two conditions before it could rejoin
the Union. First, it had to ban slavery. Sec-
ond, a majority of adult males in the state
had to take the loyalty oath.
ACADEMIC
VOCABULARY
procedure
a series of steps
taken to accom-
plish a task
RECONSTRUCTION 513
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-4
514 CHAPTER 16
Under the Wade-Davis bill, only south-
erners who swore that they had never sup-
ported the Confederacy could vote or hold
offi ce. In general, the bill was much stricter
than the Ten Percent Plan. Its provisions
would make it harder for southern states to
rejoin the Union quickly.
President Lincoln therefore refused
to sign the bill into law. He thought that
few southern states would agree to meet
its requirements. He believed that his plan
would help restore order more quickly.
READING CHECK
Contrasting How was
the Ten Percent Plan different from the Wade-
Davis Bill?
Freedom for African
Americans
One thing Republicans agreed on was abol-
ishing slavery. The Emancipation Proclama-
tion had freed slaves only in areas that had
not been occupied by Union forces, not in
the border states. Many people feared that
the federal courts might someday declare it
unconstitutional.
Slavery Ends
On January 31, 1865, at President Lincoln’s
urging, Congress proposed the
Thirteenth
Thirteenth
Amendment
Amendment.
T
T
his amendment
his amendment
made slav-
made slav-
ery illegal throughout the United States.
ery illegal throughout the United States.
Testing New Freedoms
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-5
RECONSTRUCTION 515
The freedpeople at left have packed
their household belongings and are
leaving Richmond. Many people trav-
eled in search of relatives. Others
placed newspaper advertisements
looking for long-lost relatives. For
other freedpeople, like the couple
above, freedom brought the right to
marry.
In what ways did former slaves react
to freedom?
The amendment was ratifi ed and took effect
on December 18, 1865. When abolitionist
William Lloyd Garrison heard the news, he
declared that his work was now fi nished.
He called for the American Anti-Slavery
Society to break up. Not all abolitionists
agreed that their work was done, however.
Frederick Douglass insisted that “slavery is
not abolished until the black man has the
ballot [vote].”
Freedom brought important changes
to newly freed slaves. Many couples held
ceremonies to legalize marriages that had
not been recognized under slavery. Many
freedpeople searched for relatives who had
been sold away from their families years
earlier. Others placed newspaper ads seeking
information about their children. Many women
began to work at home instead of in the fi elds.
Still others adopted children of dead relatives
to keep families together. Church members
established voluntary associations and mutual-
aid societies to help those in need.
Now that they could travel without a
pass, many freedpeople moved from mostly
white counties to places with more African
Americans. Other freedpeople traveled sim-
ply to test their new freedom of movement.
A South Carolina woman explained this
need. “I must go, if I stay here I’ll never know
I’m free.”
For most former slaves, freedom to
travel was just the fi rst step on a long road
toward equal rights and new ways of life.
Adults took new last names and began to
insist on being called Mr. or Mrs. as a sign
of respect, rather than by their fi rst names
or by nicknames. Freedpeople began to
demand the same economic and political
rights as white citizens. Henry Adams, a for-
mer slave, argued that “if I cannot do like a
white man I am not free.”
Forty Acres to Farm?
Many former slaves wanted their own land
to farm. Near the end of the Civil War,
Union general William Tecumseh Sherman
had issued an order to break up plantations
in coastal South Carolina and Georgia. He
wanted to divide the land into 40-acre plots
and give them to former slaves as compensa-
tion for their forced labor before the war.
Many white planters refused to surren-
der their land. Some freedpeople pointed out
that it was only fair that they receive some
of this land because their labor had made
the plantations prosper. In the end, the U.S.
government returned the land to its original
owners. At this time, many freedpeople were
unsure about where they would live, what
kind of work they would do, and what rights
they had. Many freedoms that were theirs by
law were diffi cult to enforce.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-6
Freedmens Bureau
In 1865 Congress established the
Freedmens
Freedmens
Bureau
Bureau
,
,
an agency providing relief not only
an agency providing relief not only
for freedpeople and certain poor people, but
for freedpeople and certain poor people, but
white refugees as well.
white refugees as well. The Bureau had a
diffi cult job. At its high point, about 900
agents served the entire South. Bureau
commissioner Oliver O. Howard eventu-
ally decided to use the Bureau’s limited
budget to distribute food to the poor and to
provide education and legal help for freed-
people. The Bureau also helped African Amer-
ican war veterans.
The Freedmen’s Bureau played an impor-
tant role in establishing more schools in the
South. Laws against educating slaves meant
that most freedpeople had never learned to
read or write. Before the war ended, however,
northern groups, such as the American Mis-
sionary Association, began providing books
and teachers to African Americans. The
teachers were mostly women who were com-
mitted to helping freedpeople. One teacher
said of her students, “I never before saw chil-
dren so eager to learn. . . . It is wonderful
how [they] . . . can have so great a desire for
knowledge, and such a capacity for attaining
[reaching] it.”
After the war, some freedpeople organized
their own education efforts. For example, Freed-
men’s Bureau agents found that some African
Americans had opened schools in abandoned
buildings. Many white southerners contin-
ued to believe that African Americans should
not be educated. Despite opposition, by 1869
more than 150,000 African American students
were attending more than 3,000 schools. The
Freedmen’s Bureau also helped establish sever-
al universities for African Americans, including
Howard and Fisk universities.
Students quickly filled the new class-
rooms. Working adults attended classes in the
evening. African Americans hoped that edu-
cation would help them to understand and
protect their rights and to enable them to fi nd
better jobs. Both black and white southerners
benefi ted from the effort to provide greater
access to education in the South.
READING CHECK
Analyzing How did the Freed-
men’s Bureau help reform education in the South?
Congress created the Freedmen’s Bureau
to help freedpeople and poor southerners
recover from the Civil War. The Bureau
assisted people by:
providing supplies and medical
services
• establishing schools
• supervising contracts between
freedpeople and employers
taking care of lands abandoned or
captured during the war
What role did the Freedmen’s Bureau
play during Reconstruction?
Helping the Freedpeople
516 CHAPTER 16
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-7
RECONSTRUCTION 517
President Johnsons
Reconstruction Plan
While the Freedmen’s Bureau was help-
ing African Americans, the issue of how the
South would politically rejoin the Union
remained unresolved. Soon, however, a tragic
event ended Lincoln’s dream of peacefully
reuniting the country.
A New President
On the evening of April 14, 1865, President
Lincoln and his wife attended a play at Ford’s
Theater in Washington, D.C. During the play,
John Wilkes Booth, a southerner who opposed
Lincoln’s policies, sneaked into the president’s
theater box and shot him. Lincoln was rushed
to a boardinghouse across the street, where
he died early the next morning. Vice Presi-
dent
Andrew Johnson was sworn into offi ce
quickly. Reconstruction had now become his
responsibility. He would have to win the trust
of a nation shocked at their leader’s death.
Johnson’s plan for bringing southern
states back into the Union was similar to Lin-
coln’s plan. However, he decided that wealthy
southerners and former Confederate offi cials
would need a presidential pardon to receive
amnesty. Johnson shocked Radical Repub-
licans by eventually pardoning more than
7,000 people by 1866.
New State Governments
Johnson was a Democrat whom Republicans
had put on the ticket in 1864 to appeal to the
border states. A former slaveholder, he was a
stubborn man who would soon face a hostile
Congress.
Johnson offered a mild program for setting
up new southern state governments. First, he
appointed a temporary governor for each state.
Then he required that the states revise their
constitutions. Next, voters elected state and
federal representatives. The new state govern-
ment had to declare that secession was illegal.
It also had to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment
and refuse to pay Confederate debts.
By the end of 1865, all the southern states
except Texas had created new governments.
Johnson approved them all and declared that
the United States was restored. Newly elected
representatives came to Washington from
each reconstructed southern state. However,
Republicans complained that many new rep-
resentatives had been leaders of the Confed-
eracy. Congress therefore refused to readmit
the southern states into the Union. Clearly,
the nation was still divided.
READING CHECK
Summarizing What was
President Johnson’s plan for Reconstruction?
Problems Solutions
Online Quiz
KEYWORD: SS8 HP16
Section 1 Assessment
Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People
1. a. Identify What does Reconstruction mean?
b. Summarize What was President Lincoln’s
plan for Reconstruction?
2. a. Recall What is the Thirteenth Amendment?
b. Elaborate In your opinion, what was the most important
accomplishment of the Freedmen’s Bureau? Explain.
3. a. Recall Why was President Lincoln killed?
b. Analyze Why did some Americans oppose President
Johnson’s Reconstruction plan?
Critical Thinking
4. Explaining Copy the chart below and use it to explain the
federal government’s solutions for solving the problems
presented by Reconstruction.
FOCUS ON WRITING
5. Considering Historical Context Many people planned to
continue doing what they had done before the war. Others
planned to start a new life. How do you think events and con-
ditions you just read about might have affected their plans?
SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section
you learned about early plans for Recon-
struction. In the next section, you will
learn that disagreements about Recon-
struction became so serious that the presi-
dent was almost removed from offi ce.
HSS
8.10.7,
8.11.1, 8.11.3,
8.11.5
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-8
SECTION
What You Will Learn…
518 CHAPTER 16
2
1. Black Codes led to opposition
to President Johnson’s plan
for Reconstruction.
2. The Fourteenth Amendment
ensured citizenship for Afri-
can Americans.
3. Radical Republicans in
Congress took charge of
Reconstruction.
4. The Fifteenth Amendment
gave African Americans the
right to vote.
The return to power of the
pre-war southern leadership led
Republicans in Congress to take
control of Reconstruction.
Main Ideas
The Big Idea
The Fight over
Reconstruction
A member of Congress, you belong to the same political party
as the president. But you strongly disagree with his ideas about
Reconstruction and civil rights for African Americans. Now some
of the presidents opponents are trying to remove him from offi ce.
You do not think he is a good president. On the other hand, you
think removing him would be bad for the unity of the country.
Will you vote to remove the president?
BUILDING BACKGROUND Americans were bitterly divided about
what should happen in the South during Reconstruction. They dis-
agreed about ending racial inequality and guaranteeing civil rights
for African Americans. These conflicts split political parties. They led
to showdowns between Congress and the president. Political fights
even threatened the president’s job.
Opposition to President Johnson
In 1866 Congress continued to debate the rules for restoring the
Union. Meanwhile, new state legislatures approved by President
Johnson had already begun passing laws to deny African Americans’
civil rights. “This is a white man’s government, and intended for white
men only,” declared Governor Benjamin F. Perry of South Carolina.
Black Codes
Soon, every southern state passed
Black Codes
Black Codes
,
,
or
or
laws that greatly
laws that greatly
limited the freedom of African Americans.
limited the freedom of African Americans. They required African
Americans to sign work contracts, creating working conditions
similar to those under slavery. In most southern states, any Afri-
can Americans who could not prove they were employed could be
arrested. Their punishment might be one year of work without pay.
African Americans were also prevented from owning guns. In addi-
tion, they were not allowed to rent property except in cities.
The Black Codes alarmed many Americans. As one Civil War
veteran asked, “If you call this freedom, what do you call slavery?”
Key Terms and People
Black Codes, p. 518
Radical Republicans, p. 519
Civil Rights Act of 1866, p. 520
Fourteenth Amendment, p. 521
Reconstruction Acts, p. 521
impeachment, p. 522
Fifteenth Amendment, p. 523
If YOU were there...
HSS
8.11.3
Understand the
effects of the Freedmen’s Bureau
and the restrictions placed on the
rights and opportunities of freedmen,
including racial segregation and
“Jim Crow” laws.
8.11.5 Understand the Thirteenth,
Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amend-
ments to the Constitution and analyze
their connection to Reconstruction.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-9
ANALYZING PRIMARY SOURCES
African Americans organized to oppose the
codes. One group sent a petition to offi cials
in South Carolina.
We simply ask . . . that the same laws which gov-
ern white men shall govern black men . . . that, in
short, we be dealt with as others are—in equity
[fairness] and justice.
—Petition from an African American convention held
in South Carolina, quoted in There Is a River: The Black
Struggle for Freedom in America by Vincent Harding
Radical Republicans
The Black Codes angered many Republicans
who felt the South was returning to its old
ways. Most Republicans were moderates who
wanted the South to have loyal state govern-
ments. They also believed that African Ameri-
cans should have rights as citizens. They hoped
that the national government would not have
to force the South to follow federal laws.
Radical Republicans
Radical Republicans
,
,
on the other
on the other
hand, took a harsher stance. They wanted
hand, took a harsher stance. They wanted
the federal government to force change
the federal government to force change
in the South.
in the South. Like the moderates, they
thought the Black Codes were cruel and
unjust. The radicals, however, wanted
the federal government to be much more
involved in Reconstruction. They feared
that too many southern leaders remained
loyal to the former Confederacy and would
not enforce the new laws. Thaddeus Stevens
POLITICAL CARTOON
Republicans were outraged to see former Confeder-
ates return to power as leaders of the Democratic Party.
This 1868 political cartoon shows former Confederates
Raphael Semmes and Nathan Bedford Forrest. Semmes
was a Confederate admiral who had captured
62 Union merchant ships during the Civil War.
Forrest was a cavalry officer known for brutality
who later founded the Ku Klux Klan.
Supporting Radical Republican Ideas
How do the actions of
the people in these
illustrations support the
artists point of view?
How do events in
the background of
these illustrations
support the artist’s
point of view?
Primary Source
ANALYSIS
SKILL
Why do you think that the men are shown in their
Confederate uniforms?
519
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-10
520 CHAPTER 16
of Pennsylvania and Charles Sumner of Mas-
sachusetts were the leaders of the Radical
Republicans.
A harsh critic of President Johnson,
Stevens was known for his honesty and sharp
tongue. He wanted economic and political
justice for both African Americans and poor
white southerners. Sumner had been a strong
opponent of slavery before the Civil War.
He continued to argue tirelessly for African
Americans’ civil rights, including the right to
vote and the right to fair laws.
Both Stevens and Sumner believed
that President Johnson’s Reconstruction plan
was a failure. Although the Radicals did not
control Congress, they began to gain support
among moderates when President Johnson
ignored criticism of the Black Codes. Stevens
believed the federal government could not
allow racial inequality to survive.
READING CHECK
Comparing and Contrasting
How were Radical Republicans and moderate
Republicans similar and different?
Fourteenth Amendment
Urged on by the Radicals in 1866, Congress
proposed a new bill. It would give the Freed-
men’s Bureau more powers. The law would
allow the Freedmen’s Bureau to use military
courts to try people accused of violating Afri-
can Americans’ rights. The bill’s supporters
hoped that these courts would be fairer than
local courts in the South.
Johnson versus Congress
To the surprise of many in Congress, Johnson
vetoed the Freedmen’s Bureau Bill. He insist-
ed that Congress could not pass any new laws
until the southern states were represented in
Congress. Johnson also argued that the Freed-
men’s Bureau was unconstitutional.
Republicans responded with the
Civil
Civil
Rights Act of 1866
Rights Act of 1866
.
.
This act provided African
This act provided African
Americans with the same legal rights as white
Americans with the same legal rights as white
Americans.
Americans. President Johnson once again
used his veto power. He argued that the act
gave too much power to the federal govern-
ment. He also rejected the principle
of equal
POINTS OF VIEW
Johnson vs. Stevens
President Andrew Johnson argued
that the South should not be placed
under military control.
Military governments . . .
established for an indefinite
period, would have divided
the people into the vanquish-
ers and the vanquished, and
would have envenomed
[made poisonous] hatred
rather than have restored
affection.
—Andrew Johnson
Thaddeus Stevens believed that
Congress had the power to treat
the South as conquered territory.
The future condition of
the conquered power depends
on the will of the conqueror.
They must come in as new states
or remain as conquered provinces.
Congress . . . is the only power
that can act in the matter
.
—Thaddeus Stevens
Primary Source
ACADEMIC
VOCABULARY
principle basic
belief, rule, or law
How did Johnson’s and Stevens’s views
on the South differ?
ANALYSIS
SKILL
IDENTIFYING POINTS OF VIEW
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1868
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1868
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GA
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VA
1870
TN
1866
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1868
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Military District 1
Military District 2
Military District 3
Military District 4
Military District 5
Date former
Confederate state
was readmitted
to Union
1868
0 150 300 Miles
0 150 300 Kilometers
READING CHECK
Summarizing What issue did
the Fourteenth Amendment address, and how did
it affect the congressional elections of 1866?
Congress Takes Control of
Reconstruction
The 1866 elections gave the Republican Party
a commanding two-thirds majority in both
the House and the Senate. This majority gave
the Republicans the power to override any
presidential veto. In addition, the Republi-
cans became united as the moderates joined
with the Radicals. Together, they called for a
new form of Reconstruction.
Reconstruction Acts
In March 1867, Congress passed the fi rst
of several
Reconstruction Acts
Reconstruction Acts
.
.
These laws
These laws
divided the South into five districts.
divided the South into fi ve districts. A U.S.
military commander controlled each district.
rights for African Americans. Congress, how-
ever, overrode Johnson’s veto.
Many Republicans worried about what
would happen when the southern states were
readmitted.
Fearing that the Civil Rights Act
Fearing that the Civil Rights Act
might be overturned, the Republicans pro-
might be overturned, the Republicans pro-
posed
posed
the
the
Fourteenth Amendment
Fourteenth Amendment in the
summer of 1866. The Fourteenth Amend-
ment included the following provisions.
1. It defi ned all people born or naturalized
within the United States, except Native
Americans, as citizens.
2. It guaranteed citizens the equal protec-
tion of the laws.
3. It said that states could not “deprive any
person of life, liberty, or property, with-
out due process of law.”
4. It banned many former Confederate offi -
cials from holding state or federal offi ces.
5. It made state laws subject to federal
court review.
6. It gave Congress the power to pass any
laws needed to enforce it.
1866 Elections
President Johnson and most Democrats
opposed the Fourteenth Amendment. As
a result, civil rights for African Americans
became a key issue in the 1866 congressio-
nal elections. To help the Democrats, John-
son traveled around the country defending
his Reconstruction plan. Johnson’s speaking
tour was a disaster. It did little to win votes
for the Democratic Party. Johnson even got
into arguments with people in the audiences
of some of his speaking engagements.
Two major riots in the South also hurt
Johnson’s campaign. On May 1, 1866, a
dispute in Memphis, Tennessee, took place
between local police and black Union
soldiers. The dispute turned into a three-day
wave of violence against African Americans.
About three months later, another riot took
place during a political demonstration in
New Orleans. During that dispute, 34 Afri-
can Americans and three white Republicans
were killed.
INTERPRETING MAPS
1. Region Which district consisted of only one state?
2. Human-Environment Interaction Do you see any
reason why Military District 5 might be more difficult for
federal troops to control than the other districts?
GEOGRAPHY
SKILLS
Reconstruction Military Districts
521
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-12
The military would remain in control of the
South until the southern states rejoined the
Union. To be readmitted, a state had to write
a new state constitution supporting the Four-
teenth Amendment. Finally, the state had to
give African American men the right to vote.
Thaddeus Stevens was one of the new
Reconstruction Acts’ most enthusiastic
supporters. He spoke in Congress to defend
the acts.
Have not loyal blacks quite as good a right to
choose rulers and make laws as rebel whites?
Every man, no matter what his race or color . . .
has an equal right to justice, honesty, and fair
play with every other man; and the law should
secure him those rights.
–Thaddeus Stevens, quoted in Sources of the
American Republic, edited by Marvin Meyers et al.
President on Trial
President Johnson strongly disagreed with
Stevens. He argued that African Americans
did not deserve the same treatment as white
people. The Reconstruction Acts, he said, used
“powers not granted to the federal govern-
ment or any one of its branches.” Knowing
that Johnson did not support its Reconstruc-
tion policies, Congress passed a law limiting
his power. This law prevented the
president from removing cabinet
offi cials without Senate approval.
Johnson quickly broke the law by
ring Edwin Stanton, the secretary
of war.
For the fi rst time in United States
history, the House of Representatives
responded by voting to impeach the
president.
Impeachment
Impeachment
is the pro-
is the pro-
cess used by a legislative body to bring
cess used by a legislative body to bring
charges of wrongdoing against a pub-
charges of wrongdoing against a pub-
lic offi cial.
lic offi cial. The next step, under Arti-
cle I of the Constitution, was a trial in
the Senate. A two-thirds majority was
required to fi nd Johnson guilty and
remove him from offi ce.
Although Johnson was unpop-
ular with Republicans, some of
them believed he was being judged
unfairly. Others did not trust the
president pro tempore of the Sen-
ate, Benjamin Wade. He would
become president if Johnson were
removed from offi ce. By a single
vote, Senate Republicans failed to
convict Johnson. Even so, the trial
broke his power as president.
Election of 1868
Johnson did not run for another
term in 1868. Instead, the Demo-
The Reconstruction Amendments
This Reconstruction-era
painting shows African
Americans voting after
passage of the Fifteenth
Amendment.
What right did the Fifteenth
Amendment protect?
Fourteenth Amendment (1868)
Overturned the Dred Scott case by granting
citizenship to all people born in the United
States (except for Native Americans)
Fifteenth Amendment (1870)
Gave African American men the right to vote
Thirteenth Amendment (1865)
Banned slavery throughout the United States
522 CHAPTER 16
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-13
RECONSTRUCTION 523
crats chose former New York governor Horatio
Seymour as their presidential candidate. The
Republicans chose Ulysses S. Grant. As a war
hero, Grant appealed to many northern vot-
ers. He had no political experience but sup-
ported the congressional Reconstruction plan.
He ran under the slogan “Let Us Have Peace.”
Shortly after Grant was nominated,
Congress readmitted seven southern states—
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana,
North Carolina, and South Carolina. (Tennessee
had already been readmitted in 1866.) Under
the terms of readmission, these seven states
approved the Fourteenth Amendment. They
also agreed to let African American men vote.
However, white southerners used violence to try
to keep African Americans away from the polls.
Despite such tactics, hundreds of thou-
sands of African Americans voted for Grant
and the “party of Lincoln.” The New Orleans
Tribune reported that many former slaves “see
clearly enough that the Republican party [is]
their political life boat.” African American
votes helped Grant to win a narrow victory.
READING CHECK
Analyzing To what voters did
Grant appeal in the presidential election of 1868?
Fifteenth Amendment
After Grant’s victory, Congressional Republi-
cans wanted to protect their Reconstruction
plan. They worried that the southern states
might try to keep black voters from the polls
in future elections. Also, some Radical Repub-
licans argued that it was not fair that many
northern states still had laws preventing Afri-
can Americans from voting. After all, every
southern state was required to grant suffrage
to African American men.
In 1869 Congress proposed the
Fifteenth
Fifteenth
Amendment
Amendment
, which gave African American
, which gave African American
men the right to vote.
men the right to vote. Abolitionist William
Lloyd Garrison praised “this wonderful, qui-
et, sudden transformation of four millions of
human beings from . . . the auction block to the
ballot-box.” The amendment went into effect in
1870. It was one of the last important Recon-
struction laws passed at the federal level.
The Fifteenth Amendment did not please
every reformer, however. Many women were
angry because the amendment did not also
grant them the right to vote.
READING CHECK
Finding Main Ideas How did
Radical Republicans take control of Reconstruction?
Today the Voting
Rights Act of
1965 enforces
and expands the
voting protections
of the Fifteenth
Amendment.
THE IMPACT
TODAY
Section 2 Assessment
Online Quiz
KEYWORD: SS8 HP16
Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People
1. a. Describe What were Black Codes?
b. Make Inferences Why did Republicans think Johnson’s
Reconstruction plan was a failure?
2. a. Recall What was the Civil Rights Act of 1866?
b. Summarize Why was the Fourteenth Amendment
important?
3. a. Recall Why was President Johnson impeached?
b. Evaluate Which element of the Reconstruction Acts
do you believe was most important? Why?
4. a. Recall What does the Fifteenth Amendment state?
b. Elaborate Do you think that women should have been
included in the Fifteenth Amendment? Explain.
Critical Thinking
5. Analyzing Copy the chart below. Use it to identify the
main provisions of the Fourteenth Amendment and
their effects.
FOCUS ON WRITING
6. Recognizing Cause-and-Effect Relationships
As you have read in this section, social and political unrest
continued long after the war ended. How could this
unrest cause people to leave their jobs? What new jobs
might they fi nd?
SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section
you learned that Congress took control of
Reconstruction away from President John-
son and took steps to protect the rights of
African Americans. In the next section you
will learn about increasing opposition to
Reconstruction.
Provisions Effects
HSS
8.11.3,
8.11.5
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-14
SECTION
What You Will Learn…
If YOU were there...
524 CHAPTER 16
3
Reconstruction
in the South
You live on a farm in the South in the 1870s. Times are hard because
you do not own your farm. Instead, you and your family work in a
landowners cotton fi elds. You never seem to earn enough to buy
land of your own. Some of your neighbors have decided to give up
farming and move to the city. Others are going to work in the textile
mills. But you have always been a farmer.
Will you decide to change your way of life?
BUILDING BACKGROUND Reconstruction affected politics and
economics in the South. Republican and Democratic politicians
fought over policies and programs. New state governments began
reforms, but later leaders ended many of them. Some parts of the
southern economy improved. However, many farmers, like the family
above, went through hard times.
Reconstruction Governments
After Grant became president in 1869, the Republicans seemed
stronger than ever. They controlled most southern governments,
partly because of the support of African American voters. However,
most of the Republican offi ceholders were unpopular with white
southerners.
Carpetbaggers and Scalawags
Some of these offi ce-holders were northern-born Republicans who
had moved South after the war. Many white southerners called
them carpetbaggers. Supposedly, they had rushed South carrying
all their possessions in bags made from carpeting. Many south-
erners resented these northerners, accusing them—often unfairly—
of trying to profi t from Reconstruction.
Southern Democrats cared even less for white southern Repub-
licans. They referred to them as scalawags, or greedy rascals.
Democrats believed that these southerners had betrayed the South by
1. Reconstruction governments
helped reform the South.
2. The Ku Klux Klan was orga-
nized as African Americans
moved into positions of power.
3. As Reconstruction ended, the
rights of African Americans
were restricted.
4. Southern business leaders
relied on industry to rebuild
the South.
Main Ideas
As Reconstruction ended,
African Americans faced new
hurdles and the South attempted
to rebuild.
The Big Idea
Key Terms and People
Hiram Revels, p. 525
Ku Klux Klan, p. 526
Compromise of 1877, p. 527
poll tax, p. 528
segregation, p. 528
Jim Crow laws, p. 528
Plessy v. Ferguson, p. 529
sharecropping, p. 529
HSS
8.11.1
List the original aims
of Reconstruction and describe its
effects on the political and social
structures of different regions.
8.11.3 Understand the effects of the
Freedmen’s Bureau and the restrictions
placed on the rights and opportunities
of freedmen, including racial
segregation and “Jim Crow” laws.
8.11.4 Trace the rise of the Ku Klux
Klan and describe the Klan’s effects.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-15
TX
AR
LA
MS
AL
TN
GA
FL
NC
SC
VA
Washington, DC
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Member of U.S. Congress
State legislator
voting for the Republican Party. Many south-
ern Republicans were small farmers who had
supported the Union during the war. Others,
like Mississippi governor James Alcorn, were
former members of the Whig Party. They pre-
ferred to become Republicans rather than join
the Democrats.
African American Leaders
African Americans were the largest group of
southern Republican voters. During Recon-
struction, more than 600 African Americans
won election to state legislatures. Some 16
of these politicians were elected to Congress.
Other African Americans held local offi ces in
counties throughout the South.
African American politicians came from
many backgrounds.
Hiram Revels
Hiram Revels was born
free in North Carolina and went to college in
Illinois. He became a Methodist minister and
served as a chaplain in the Union army. In
1870 Revels became the fi rst African American
in the U.S. Senate. He took over the seat previ-
ously held by Confederate president Jefferson
Davis. Unlike Revels, Blanche K. Bruce grew up
in slavery in Virginia. Bruce became an impor-
tant Republican in Mississippi and served one
term as a U.S. senator.
State Governments Change Direction
Reconstruction governments provided money
for many new programs and organizations in
the South. They helped to establish some of
the fi rst state-funded public school systems in
the South. They also built new hospitals, pris-
ons, and orphanages and passed laws prohibit-
ing discrimination against African Americans.
Southern states under Republican con-
trol spent large amounts of money. They
aided the construction of railroads, bridges,
and public buildings. These improvements
were intended to help the southern economy
recover from the war. To get the money for
these projects, the Reconstruction govern-
ments raised taxes and issued bonds.
READING CHECK
Summarizing What reforms
did Reconstruction state governments carry out?
Blanche K. Bruce
escaped from slavery
and began a school
for African Americans
before the Civil War.
Bruce was the first
African American elected
to a full six-year term in
the U.S. Senate.
Hiram Revels
was the son of former
slaves and helped orga-
nize African American
regiments in the Civil War.
Revels was selected to
fill the U.S. Senate seat
formerly held by Jefferson
Davis, president of the
Confederacy.
FOCUS ON
READING
How does the
heading of this
section tell you
about what you
will learn?
RECONSTRUCTION 525
INTERPRETING MAPS
1. Location Which state had the most African American
state legislators?
2. Region Which southern states had the fewest African
American representatives?
GEOGRAPHY
SKILLS
African American Representation in the South, 1870
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-16
Ku Klux Klan
As more African Americans took offi ce, resis-
tance to Reconstruction increased among
white southerners. Democrats claimed that
the Reconstruction governments were cor-
rupt, illegal, and unjust. They also disliked
having federal soldiers stationed in their
states. Many white southerners disapproved
of African American offi ceholders. One Dem-
ocrat noted, “‘A white man’s government’
[is] the most popular rallying cry we have.”
In 1866 a group of white southerners in Ten-
nessee created the
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
.
.
This secret
This secret
society opposed civil rights, particularly
society opposed civil rights, particularly
suffrage, for African Americans.
suffrage, for African Americans. The Klan
used violence and terror against African
Americans. The group’s membership grew
rapidly as it spread throughout the South.
Klan members wore robes and disguises to
hide their identities. They attacked—and
even murdered—African Americans, white
Republican voters, and public offi cials, usu-
ally at night.
Local governments did little to stop the
violence. Many offi cials feared the Klan or
were sympathetic to its activities. In 1870 and
1871 the federal government took action.
Congress passed laws that made it a federal
crime to interfere with elections or to deny
citizens equal protection under the law.
Within a few years, the Klan was no
longer an organized threat. But groups of
whites continued to assault African Ameri-
cans and Republicans throughout the 1870s.
READING CHECK
Drawing Conclusions Why
did southerners join the Ku Klux Klan?
526
The Ku Klux Klan
Members of the Ku Klux Klan often attacked under
cover of darkness to hide their identities. This
klansman from Tennessee, shown on the left, even
disguised his horse.
Why do you think Klan members disguised
themselves?
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-17
RECONSTRUCTION 527
Reconstruction Ends
The violence of the Ku Klux Klan was not the
only challenge to Reconstruction. Republicans
slowly lost control of southern state govern-
ments to the Democratic Party. The General
Amnesty Act of 1872 allowed former Confed-
erates, except those who had held high ranks,
to serve in public offi ce. Many of these former
Confederates, most of whom were Democrats,
were soon elected to southern governments.
The Republican Party also began losing
its power in the North. Although President
Grant was re-elected in 1872, fi nancial and
political scandals in his administration upset
voters. In his fi rst term, a gold-buying scheme
in which Grant’s cousin took a leading role
led to a brief crisis on the stock market called
Black Friday. During his second term, his per-
sonal secretary was involved in the Whiskey
Ring scandal, in which whiskey distillers and
public offi cials worked together to steal liquor
taxes from the federal government. Further-
more, people blamed Republican policies for
the Panic of 1873.
Panic of 1873
This severe economic downturn began in
September 1873 when Jay Cooke and Com-
pany, a major investor in railroads and the
largest fi nancier of the Union’s Civil War
effort, declared bankruptcy. The company
had lied about the value of land along the
side of the Northern Pacifi c Railroad that
it owned and was trying to sell. When the
truth leaked out, the company failed.
The failure of such an important business
sent panic through the stock market, and
investors began selling shares of stock more
rapidly than people wanted to buy them.
Companies had to buy their shares back
from the investors. Soon, 89 of the nation’s
364 railroads had failed as well. The failure
of almost 18,000 other businesses followed
within two years, leaving the nation in an
economic crisis. By 1876 unemployment
had risen to 14 percent, with an estimated
2 million people out of work. The high
unemployment rate set off numerous
strikes and protests around the nation, many
involving railroad workers. In 1874 the Dem-
ocrats gained control of the House of Repre-
sentatives. Northerners were becoming less
concerned about southern racism and more
concerned about their fi nancial well-being.
Election of 1876
Republicans could tell that northern support
for Reconstruction was fading. Voters’ atten-
tion was shifting to economic problems. In
1874 the Republican Party lost control of
the House of Representatives to the Demo-
crats. The Republicans in Congress man-
aged to pass one last civil rights law. The
Civil Rights Act of 1875 guaranteed African
Americans equal rights in public places, such
as theaters and public transportation. But
as Americans became increasingly worried
about economic problems and government
corruption, the Republican Party began to
abandon Reconstruction.
Republicans selected Ohio governor
Rutherford B. Hayes as their 1876 presiden-
tial candidate. He believed in ending federal
support of the Reconstruction governments.
The Democrats nominated New York gov-
ernor Samuel J. Tilden. During the election,
Democrats in the South again used violence
at the polls to keep Republican voters away.
The election between Hayes and Tilden
was close. Tilden appeared to have won.
Republicans challenged the electoral votes in
Oregon and three southern states. A special
commission of members of Congress and
Supreme Court justices was appointed to
settle the issue.
The commission narrowly decided to give
all the disputed votes to Hayes. Hayes thus
won the presidency by one electoral vote.
In the
Compromise of 1877
Compromise of 1877
,
,
the Democrats
the Democrats
agreed to accept Hayes’svictory.
agreed to accept Hayes’s victory.
In return, they
In return, they
wanted all remaining federal troops removed
wanted all remaining federal troops removed
from the South.
from the South. They also asked for funding
for internal improvements in the South and
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-18
528 CHAPTER 16
the appointment of a southern Democrat to
the president’s cabinet. Shortly after he took
offi ce in 1877, President Hayes removed the
last of the federal troops from the South.
Redeemers
Gradually, Democrats regained control of
state governments in the South. In each
state, they moved quickly to get rid of the
Reconstruction reforms.
Democrats who brought their party back
to power in the South were called Redeemers.
They came from a variety of backgrounds.
For instance, U.S. senator John T. Morgan of
Alabama was a former general in the Confed-
erate army. Newspaper editor Henry Grady of
Georgia was interested in promoting south-
ern industry.
Redeemers wanted to reduce the size of
state government and limit the rights of Afri-
can Americans. They lowered state budgets
and got rid of a variety of social programs. The
Redeemers cut property taxes and reduced
public funding for schools. They also succeed-
ed in limiting African Americans’ civil rights.
African Americans’ Rights
Restricted
Redeemers set up the poll tax in an effort to
deny the vote to African Americans. The
poll
poll
tax
tax
was
was
a special tax people had to pay before
a special tax people had to pay before
they could vote.
they could vote.
Some states also targeted African Ameri-
can voters by requiring them to pass a lit-
eracy test. A so-called grandfather clause
written into law affected men whose fathers
or grandfathers could vote before 1867. In
those cases, a voter did not have to pay a poll
tax or pass a literacy test. As a result, almost
every white man could escape the voting
restrictions.
Redeemer governments also introduced
legal
segregation
segregation
,
,
the forced separation of
the forced separation of
whites and African Americans in public
whites and African Americans in public
places.
places.
Jim Crow laws
Jim Crow laws
laws that enforced
laws that enforced
segregation
segregation—became common in southern
states in the 1880s.
African Americans challenged Jim Crow
laws in court. In 1883, however, the U.S.
Supreme Court ruled that the Civil Rights
Act of 1875 was unconstitutional. The Court
Plessy v. Ferguson
(1896)
Background of the Case In
1892, Homer Plessy took a seat
in the “whites only” car of a train
in Louisiana. He was arrested, put
on trial, and convicted of violat-
ing Louisianas segregation law.
Plessy argued that the Louisiana
law violated the Thirteenth Amend-
ment and denied him the equal
protection of the law as guaranteed.
The Court’s Ruling
The Court ruled that the Louisiana
“separate-but-equal” law was constitutional.
The Court’s Reasoning
The Court stated that the Thirteenth and
Fourteenth Amendments did not apply.
The Court decided that the case had
nothing to do with the abolition of slavery
mentioned in the Thirteenth Amendment.
The justices also ruled that the Fourteenth
Amendment was not designed to eliminate
social barriers to equality between the
races, only political barriers.
Justice John Marshall Harlan dis-
agreed with the Courts ruling. In a
dissenting opinion, he wrote that “in
respect of civil rights, all citizens are
equal before the law.
Why It Matters
Plessy was important because it
approved the idea of separate but
equal facilities for people based on
race. The doctrine of separate but
equal led to segregation in trains,
buses, schools, restaurants, and many
other social institutions.
The separate-but-equal doctrine
led to unequal treatment of minority
groups for decades. It was finally struck
down by another Supreme Court ruling,
Brown v. Board of Education, in 1954.
ANALYZING INFORMATION
ANALYSIS
SKILL
1. Why did the Court reject Plessy’s
arguments?
2. Why was Plessy v. Ferguson an
important Supreme Court case?
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-19
RECONSTRUCTION 529
also ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment
applied only to the actions of state govern-
ments. This ruling allowed private individu-
als and businesses to practice segregation.
Plessy v. Ferguson
In 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court returned
to the issue of segregation. When Homer
Plessy, an African American, refused to
leave the whites-only Louisiana train car
he was riding on, he was arrested and
accused of breaking a state law requir-
ing separate cars for blacks and whites.
Plessy sued the railroad company and lost.
His lawyers argued that the law violated
his right to equal treatment under the Four-
teenth Amendment. He then appealed to
the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court
ruled against Plessy in
Plessy
Plessy
v.
v.
Ferguson
Ferguson
.
.
Segregation was allowed, said the Court,
Segregation was allowed, said the Court,
if “separate-but-equal” facilities were
if “separate-but-equal” facilities were
provided.
provided. Among the justices, only John
Marshall Harlan disagreed with the Court’s
decision. He explained his disagreement in
a dissenting opinion:
In the eye of the law, there is in the country no
superior, dominant [controlling], ruling class of
citizens….Our constitution is color-blind, and
neither knows nor tolerates classes among
citizens. In respect of civil rights, all citizens are
equal before the law.
—John Marshall Harlan, from Plessy v. Ferguson: A Brief
History with Documents, edited by Brook Thomas
Despite Harlan’s view, segregation became
widespread across the country. African Ameri-
cans were forced to use separate public schools,
libraries, and parks. When they existed, these
facilities were usually of poorer quality than
those created for whites. In practice, these so-
called separate but equal facilities were separate
and unequal.
Farming in the South
Few African Americans in the South could
afford to buy or even rent farms. Moving West
also was costly. Many African Americans there-
fore remained on plantations. Others tried to
make a living in the cities.
African Americans who stayed on plan-
tations often became part of a system known
as
sharecropping
sharecropping
,
,
or
or
sharing the crop. Land-
sharing the crop. Land-
owners provided the land, tools, and sup-
owners provided the land, tools, and sup-
plies, and sharecroppers provided the labor.
plies, and sharecroppers provided the labor.
At harvest time, the sharecropper usually
had to give most of the crop to the land-
owner. Whatever remained belonged to the
sharecropper. Many sharecroppers hoped to
save enough money from selling their share
of the crops to one day be able to buy a
farm. Unfortunately, only a few ever achieved
this dream.
Instead, most sharecroppers lived in a
cycle of debt. When they needed food, cloth-
ing, or supplies, most families had to buy
goods on credit because they had little cash.
When sharecroppers sold their crops, they
Slavery
• No rights
• Forced labor
No freedom of movement
without permission
Family members sold away
from one another
• No representation
in government
Freedom
• Slavery banned
Free to work for wages
Could move and live
anywhere
• Many families reunited
Could serve in
political office
Rights Denied
• Sharecropping system
put in place
Ability to vote and hold
office restricted
• White leadership regained
control of southern state
governments
Hopes Raised and Denied
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-20
When sharecroppers sold their crops, they
hoped to be able to pay off these debts. How-
ever, bad weather, poor harvests, or low crop
prices often made this dream impossible.
Sharecroppers usually grew cotton, one
of the South’s most important cash crops.
When too many farmers planted cotton,
however, the supply became excessive. As a
result, the price per bale of cotton dropped.
Many farmers understood the drawbacks
of planting cotton. However, farmers felt
pressure from banks and others to keep
raising cotton. A southern farmer explained
why so many sharecroppers depended on
cotton:
Cotton is the thing to get credit on in this coun-
try . . . . You can always sell cotton … [Y]ou load
up your wagon with wheat or corn . . . and I doubt
some days whether you could sell it.
–Farmer quoted in The Promise of the New South,
by Edward L. Ayers
READING CHECK
Finding Main Ideas How
were African Americans’ rights restricted?
Rebuilding Southern
Industry
The southern economy suffered through cycles
of good and bad years as cotton prices went up
and down. Some business leaders hoped indus-
try would strengthen the southern economy
and create a New South.
Southern Industry
Henry Grady, an Atlanta newspaper editor,
was a leader of the New South movement.
“The new South presents . . . a diversifi ed [var-
ied] industry that meets the complex needs of
this complex age,” he wrote. Grady and his
supporters felt that with its cheap and abun-
dant labor, the South could build factories
and provide a workforce for them.
The most successful industrial develop-
ment in the South involved textile production.
Businesspeople built textile mills in many
small towns to produce cotton fabric. Many
people from rural areas came to work in
the mills, but African Americans were not
allowed to work in most of them.
The New South
530 CHAPTER 16
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-21
SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section
you learned about the end of Recon-
struction. In the next chapter you will
learn about America’s continued westward
expansion.
RECONSTRUCTION 531
“The New
South...is
stirred with
the breath
of a new life.”
Atlanta rebuilt quickly after the war,
becoming a leading railroad and industrial
center. Newspaper editor Henry Grady
gave stirring speeches about the need for
industry in the South. He became one of
the best-known spokesmen of the
“New South.
Why might Grady point to Atlanta as a
model for economic change?
—Henry Grady
Southern Mill Life
Work in the cotton mills appealed to farm
families who had trouble making ends meet.
As one mill worker explained, “It was a neces-
sity to move and get a job, rather than depend
on the farm.” Recruiters sent out by the mills
promised good wages and steady work.
Entire families often worked in the same
cotton mill. Mills employed large numbers
of women and children. Many children
started working at about the age of 12. Some
children started working at an even earlier
age. Women did most of the spinning and
were valued workers. However, few women
had the opportunity to advance within the
company.
Many mill workers were proud of the skills
they used, but they did not enjoy their work.
One unhappy worker described it as “the
same thing over and over again. . . . The more
you do, the more they want done.” Workers
often labored 12 hours a day, six days a week.
Cotton dust and lint fi lled the air, causing
asthma and an illness known as brown-lung
disease. Fast-moving machinery caused
injuries and even deaths. Despite the long
hours and dangerous working conditions,
wages remained low. However, mill work
did offer an alternative to farming.
READING CHECK
Finding Main Ideas What did
southern business leaders hope industry would do?
Before After
Section 3 Assessment
Online Quiz
KEYWORD: SS8 HP16
Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People
1. a. Identify Who were some prominent
African American leaders during Reconstruction?
b. Evaluate What do you think was the most important
change made by Reconstruction state governments?
Explain your answer.
2. a. Recall Why didn’t some local governments stop the
Ku Klux Klan?
b. Draw Conclusions How did the Ku Klux Klan’s use of
terror interfere with elections in the South?
3. a. Recall How did Reconstruction come to an end?
b. Explain What was the relationship between Jim Crow
laws and segregation?
4. a. Identify Who was Henry Grady, and why was he
important?
b. Predict What are some possible results of the rise of
the “New South”?
Critical Thinking
5. Comparing Copy the chart below. Use it to compare the
rights of African Americans before and after Reconstruction.
WRITING JOURNAL
6. Relating Historical Change to Individual Choice
Despite the diffi culties of Reconstruction, the Freedmen’s
Bureau and plans to bring industry to the “New South”
did create new jobs. What might have led people to leave
their jobs for new ones?
HSS
8.11.1,
8.11.3, 8.11.4
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-22
Social Studies Skills
Analysis
Critical Thinking
Understand the Skill
Sometimes, history can seem very routine. One
event leads to others which, in turn, lead to still
others. You learn to look for cause-and-effect
relationships among events. You learn how point
of view and bias can infl uence decisions and actions.
These approaches to the study of history imply that
the events of the past are orderly and predictable.
In fact, many of the events of the past are
orderly and predictable! They may seem even more
so since they’re over and done with, and we know
how things turned out. Yet, predictable patterns of
behavior do exist throughout history. Recognizing
them is one of the great values and rewards of
studying the past. As the philosopher George
Santayana once famously said, Those who cannot
remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
At its most basic level, however, history is
people, and people are “human.” They make mis-
takes. Unexpected things happen to them, both
good things and bad. This is the unpredictable
element of history. The current phrase “stuff
happens” is just as true of the past as it is today.
Mistakes, oversights, and just plain “dumb luck”
have shaped the course of history—and have
helped to make the study of it so exciting!
Learn the Skill
California merchant John Sutter decided to build a
sawmill along the nearby American River in 1848.
He planned to sell the lumber it produced to settlers
who were moving into the area. Sutter put James
W. Marshall to work building the mill. To install
the large water wheel that would power the saw,
Chance, Oversight, and Error in History
Marshall fi rst had to deepen the river bed next to
the mill. During his digging, he noticed some shiny
bits of yellow metal in the water. The result of this
accidental fi nd was the California Gold Rush, which
sent thousands of Americans to California, and
speeded settlement of the West.
In 1863 the army of Confederate General Robert
E. Lee invaded Maryland. The Civil War had been
going well for the South. Lee hoped a southern
victory on Union soil would convince the British to
aid the South in the war. However, a Confederate
offi cer forgot his cigars as his unit left its camp in
the Maryland countryside. Wrapped around the
cigars was a copy of Lee’s battle plans. When a Union
soldier came upon the abandoned camp, he spotted
the cigars. This chance discovery enabled the Union
army to defeat Lee at the Battle of Antietam. The
Union victory helped keep the British out of the war.
More importantly, it allowed President Lincoln to
issue the Emancipation Proclamation and begin the
process of ending slavery in the United States.
Practice and Apply the Skill
In April 1865 President Lincoln was assassinated
while attending the theater in Washington, D.C.
Bodyguard John Parker was stationed outside the
door of the President’s box. However, Parker left his
post to fi nd a seat from which he could watch the
play. This allowed the killer to enter the box and
shoot the unprotected President.
Write an essay about how this chance
event altered the course of history. How might
Reconstruction, North–South relations, and African
Americans’ struggle for equality have been different
had Lincoln lived?
532 CHAPTER 16
Participation Study
HSS
HI4 Students recognize the role of
chance, oversight, and error in history.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-23
RECONSTRUCTION 533
Visual
Summary
Reform During Reconstruction, the
Freedmen’s Bureau opened schools
for former slaves and performed other
services to help the poorest southerners.
Dispute Differing ideas about how
to govern the South led to conflicts
between African Americans and white
southerners, as well as between
Republicans and Democrats.
Division After the Compromise
of 1877 ended Reconstruction,
segregation laws were enacted by
southern governments and upheld
by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Use the visual summary below to help you review
the main ideas of the chapter.
16
Reviewing Vocabulary,
Terms, and People
Complete each sentence by fi lling in the blank with the
correct term or person from the chapter.
1. ________________ were laws that allowed racial
segregation in public places.
2. The Radical Republicans were led by _______,
a member of Congress from Pennsylvania.
3. The period from 1865 to 1877 that focused
on reuniting the nation is known as _______.
4. Following the Civil War, many African
Americans in the South made a living by
participating in the __________ system.
5. After opposing Congress, Andrew Johnson
became the first president to face _____
proceedings.
6. The _____ Amendment made slavery in the
United States illegal.
7. In 1870, ________ became the first African
American to serve in the U.S. Senate.
Comprehension and
Critical Thinking
SECTION 1 (Pages 512–517)
HSS
8.10.7, 8.11.1, 8.11.3, 8.11.5
8. a. Describe How did the lives of African Ameri-
cans change after the Civil War?
b. Compare and Contrast How was President
Johnson’s Reconstruction plan similar and
different from President Lincoln’s Ten Percent
Plan?
c. Evaluate Which of the three Reconstruction
plans that were originally proposed do you
think would have been the most successful?
Why?
SECTION 2 (Pages 518–523)
HSS
8.11.3, 8.11.5
9. a. Identify Who were the Radical Republicans,
and how did they change Reconstruction?
b. Analyze How did the debate over the Four-
teenth Amendment affect the election of 1866?
c. Elaborate Do you think Congress was right to
impeach President Andrew Johnson? Explain.
CHAPTER
Standards Review
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-24
534 CHAPTER 16
SECTION 3 (Pages 524–531)
HSS
8.11.1, 8.11.3, 8.11.4
10. a. Describe What reforms did Reconstruction
governments in the South support?
b. Draw Conclusions In what ways did southern
governments attempt to reverse the accom-
plishments of Reconstruction?
c. Evaluate Do you think the South was success-
ful or unsuccessful in its rebuilding efforts?
Explain your answer.
Reviewing Themes
11. Politics Explain the political struggles that took
place during Reconstruction.
12. Society and Culture How were the lives of
ordinary southerners affected in the years after
Reconstruction?
Using the Internet
KEYWORD: SS8 US16
13. Activity: Drawing conclusions A challenge for
anyone trying to understand Reconstruction is
drawing conclusions from primary and second-
ary sources from the time period. This activity
will help you see how complex this can be.
Enter the activity keyword, and then rate the
credibility of the sources provided. Make sure
you explain whether the source is a primary
or secondary source, whether or not you think
the source is credible, and the reasons for your
thoughts.
Reading Skills
Reading for Essential and Relevant Information Use
the Reading Skills taught in this chapter to answer the
question about the reading selection below.
Radical Republicans … wanted the federal gov-
ernment to force change in the South. Like the
moderates, they thought the Black Codes were
cruel and unjust. The radicals, however, wanted
the federal government to be much more
involved in Reconstruction. (p. 519)
14. Which of the following is relevant information
for the passage above?
a. Thaddeus Stevens was a Radical Republican.
b. Andrew Johnson was a Democrat.
c. Radical Republicans wanted the federal gov-
ernment to make major changes in the South.
d. Radical Republicans were eventually removed
from power.
Social Studies Skills
Chance, Oversight, and Error in History Use the
Social Studies Skills taught in this chapter to answer the
question about the reading selection below.
Johnson’s speaking tour was a disaster. It did
little to win votes for the Democratic Party. He
even got into arguments with people in the
audience. (p. 521)
15. Which of the following is an example of
chance, oversight, or error that affected history?
a. Johnson got into arguments with audiences.
b. The tour was a disaster.
c. The tour didn’t win votes.
d. Johnson spoke for the Democratic Party.
FOCUS ON WRITING
16 . Writing A Job History Review your notes about
the changing job scene during Reconstruction.
Put yourself in the shoes of a person living
then. It could be anyone—a returning soldier,
a shopkeeper, a schoolteacher, or a politician.
What jobs would that person seek? Why would
he or she leave one job for another?
Write a brief job history for that person during
Reconstruction. Include at least four jobs. Make
each job description 2 to 4 sentences long. End
each one with a sentence or two about why the
person left that job. Add one sentence explaining
why they took the next job. Be sure to include
specific historical details.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-25
RECONSTRUCTION 535
DIRECTIONS: Read each question and write the
letter of the best response. Use the map below to
answer question 1.
!
Disputed
TX
1870
MS
1870
AL
1868
FL
1868
SC
1868
NC
1868
GA
1870
VA
1870
TN
1866
AR
1868
LA
1868
Gulf of Mexico
30°N
80°W
90°W
N
S
W
E
Which military district contained the largest
number of states?
A Military District 2
B Military District 3
C Military District 4
D Military District 5
@
What can you infer from the map information?
A South Carolina was diffi cult to reconstruct.
B The largest number of troops was in Military
District 1.
C Military District 5 was the last district to end
Reconstruction.
D Tennessee was readmitted to the Union
before the other southern states.
#
The quickest approach to reuniting the
nation was proposed by the
A Ten Percent Plan.
B Wade-Davis Bill.
C Civil Rights Act of 1866.
D Compromise of 1877.
$
What development convinced Republicans in
Congress to take control of Reconstruction
from the president?
A President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated
by a southern sympathizer.
B President Andrew Johnson vetoed the
Wade-Davis bill.
C Southern states began passing Black Codes
to deprive African Americans of their
freedoms.
D White southern women refused to support
the Fifteenth Amendment.
%
All of the following limited opportunities
for African Americans in the South after
Reconstruction ended except
A sharecropping.
B the Redeemers.
C Jim Crow laws.
D carpetbaggers.
Connecting with Past Learning
^
During Reconstruction, southerners were
ruled by a small number of outsiders known
as carpetbaggers. This situation is most
similar to the period of
A Mongol rule over China
B Roman control over Italy
C Chinese control of Japan
D Aztec rule over the Olmec
&
In Grade 7 you learned about Bartolomé de
Las Casas’s effort to improve conditions for
Native Americans. This was most similar to
which group’s efforts during Reconstruction?
A Redeemers
B Radical Republicans
C Democrats
D sharecroppers
Military District 1
Military District 2
Military District 3
Military District 4
Military District 5
Date former
Confederate state
was readmitted
to Union
1868
0 150 300 Miles
0 150 300 Kilometers
Standards Assessment
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-26
536 UNIT 5
Assignment
Collect information and write
an informative report on a
topic related to the Civil War.
A Social Studies
Report
A
ll research begins with a question. Why did the North
win the Civil War? Why did Abraham Lincoln choose
Ulysses S. Grant? In a research report, you find answers to
questions like these and share what you learn with your reader.
1. Prewrite
Choosing a Subject
Since you will spend a lot of time researching and writing about your
topic, pick one that interests you. First, think of several topics related
to the Civil War. Narrow your list to one topic by thinking about what
interests you and where you can find information about the topic.
Developing a Research Question
A guiding question related to your topic will help focus your research.
For example, here is a research question for the topic “Robert E. Lee’s
Role in the Civil War”: How did Lee’s decision to turn down the leadership
of the Union Army affect the Civil War? The answer to this question
becomes the thesis, or the big idea of your report.
Finding Historical Information
Use at least three sources of historical information besides your text-
book. Good sources include
books, maps, magazines, newspapers
television programs, movies, Internet sites, CD-ROMs
For each source, write down the kinds of information shown below.
When taking notes, put a circled number next to each source.
Encyclopedia article
1 “Title of Article.” Name of Encyclopedia. Edition or year published.
Book
2 Author. Title. City of Publication: Publisher, Year published.
Magazine or newspaper article
3 Author. “Title of Article.” Publication name Date: page number(s)
Internet site
4 Author (if known). “Document title.” Web Site. Date of electronic
publication. Date information was accessed <url>
TIP
Narrowing the Task The key
to a successful research report is
picking a topic that is broad enough
that you can find information, but
narrow enough that you can cover it
in detail. To narrow a subject, focus
on one aspect of the larger subject.
Then think about whether that one
aspect can be broken down into
smaller parts. Here’s an example of
how to narrow a topic:
Too Broad: Civil War Leaders
Less Broad: Civil War Generals
Narrower: Robert E. Lee’s Role in the
Civil War
ELA
Writing 8.2.3 Write research
reports.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-27
THE NATION BREAKS APART 537
TIP
Seeing Different Viewpoints
Consult a variety of sources,
including those with different points
of view on the topic. Reading sources
with different opinions will give you
a more complete picture of your
subject. For example, reading articles
about Robert E. Lee written by a
southern writer as well as a northern
writer may give you a more balanced
view of Lee.
Introduction
Start with a quote or an interesting
historical detail to grab your reader’s
attention.
State the main idea of your report.
Provide any historical background
readers need to understand your
main idea.
Body
Present your information under at
least three main ideas, using logical
order.
Write at least one paragraph for
each of these main ideas.
Add supporting details, facts, or
examples to each paragraph.
Conclusion
Restate your main idea, using slightly
different words.
Include a general comment about
your topic.
You might comment on how the
historical information in your report
relates to later historical events.
A Writer’s Framework
The Thesis/Big Idea: Robert E. Lee’s decision to decline the leadership
of the Union Army had serious consequences for the path of the
Civil War.
I. Lee’s Military Expertise
A. Achievements at the U.S. Military Academy
B. Achievements during the Mexican War
II. Lee’s Personality and Character
A. Intelligence and strength
B. Honesty and fairness
C. Daring and courage
III. Lee’s Military Victories
A. Battle of Fredericksburg
B. Battle of Chancellorsville
Taking Notes
As you read the source material, take thorough notes on facts, statis-
tics, comparisons, and quotations. Take special care to spell names
correctly and to record dates and facts accurately. If you use a direct
quotation from a source, copy it word for word and enclose it in quo-
tation marks. Along with each note, include the number of its source
and its page number.
Organizing Your Ideas and Information
Informative research reports are usually organized in one of these ways:
Chronological order (the order that events occurred)
Order of importance
Causes (actions or situations that make something else happen)
and effects (what happened as a result of something else)
Use one of these orders to organize your notes in an outline. Here is a
partial outline for a paper on Robert E. Lee.
2. Write
You can use this framework to help you write your first draft.
TIP
Recording Others Ideas You
will be taking three types of notes.
Paraphrases Restatements of all the
ideas in your own words.
Summaries Brief restatements of
only the most important parts.
Direct quotations The writer’s exact
words inside quotation marks.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-28
538 UNIT 5
INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
Attention grabber
Statement of thesis
BODY PARAGRAPHS
CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH
Summary of main points
Restatement of big idea
Studying a Model
Here is a model of a research report. Study it to see how one student
developed a paper. The first and the concluding paragraphs are shown
in full. The paragraphs in the body of the paper are summarized.
“I cannot raise my hand against my birthplace, my home,
my children.” With these words, Robert E. Lee changed
the course of the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln had turned to
Lee as his first choice for commander of the Union Army.
However, Lee turned Lincoln down, choosing instead to
side with his home state of Virginia and take command of
the Confederate Army. Lee’s decision to turn Lincoln down
weakened the North and strengthened the Confederates,
turning what might have been an easy victory for the North
into a long, costly war.
In the first part of the body, the student points out that Lee gradu-
ated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, served in the
Mexican War, and was a member of the Union Army. She goes on to
explain that he would have been a strong leader for the North, and his
absence made the North weaker.
In the middle of the report, the writer discusses Lee’s personality and
character. She includes information about the strength of charac-
ter he showed while in the military academy and while leading the
Confederate Army. She discusses and gives examples of his intelli-
gence, his daring, his courage, and his honesty.
In the last part of the body of the report, the student provides exam-
ples of Lee leading the outnumbered Confederate Army to a series of
victories. The student provides details of the battles of Fredericksburg
and Chancellorsville and explains how a lesser general than Lee may
have lost both battles.
Lee’s brilliant and resourceful leadership bedeviled a series
of Union generals. He won battles that most generals would
have lost. If Lee had used these skills to lead the larger and
more powerful Union Army, the Civil War might have ended
in months instead of years.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-29
THE NATION BREAKS APART 539
3. Evaluate and Revise
Evaluating and Revising Your Draft
Evaluate your first draft by carefully reading it twice. Ask the questions
below to decide which parts of your first draft should be revised.
TIP
Organizing Your Time By
creating a schedule and following it,
you can avoid that panicky moment
when the due date is near and you
haven’t even started your research.
To create your schedule and manage
your time, include these six steps.
1 Develop a question and research
your topic (10% of your total time).
2 Research and take notes (25%).
3 Write your main idea statement and
create an outline (15%).
4 Write a first draft (25%).
5 Evaluate and revise your first draft
(15%).
6 Proofread and publish your report
(10%).
Evaluation Questions for an Informative Report
Does the introduction attract the
readers’ interest and state the big
idea/thesis of your report?
Does the body of your report have at
least three paragraphs that develop
your big idea? Is the main idea in
each paragraph clearly stated?
Have you included enough
information to support each of your
main ideas? Are all facts, details,
and examples accurate? Are all
of them clearly related to the main
ideas they support?
Is the report clearly organized? Does
it use chronological order, order of
importance, or cause and effect?
Does the conclusion restate the
big idea of your report? Does it end
with a general comment about the
importance or significance of
your topic?
Have you included at least three
sources in your bibliography? Have
you included all the sources you
used and not any you did not use?
4. Proofread and Publish
Proofreading
To improve your report before sharing it, check the following:
The spelling and capitalization of all proper names for people,
places, things, and events.
Punctuation marks around any direct quotation.
Your list of sources (Works Cited or Bibliography) against a guide
to writing research papers. Make sure you follow the examples in
the guide when punctuating and capitalizing your source listings.
Publishing
Choose one or more of these ideas to publish your report.
Share your report with your classmates by turning it into an
informative speech.
Submit your report to an online discussion group that focuses on
the Civil War and ask for feedback.
With your classmates, create a magazine that includes reports
on several different topics or post the reports on your school
Web site.
5. Practice and Apply
Use the steps and strategies outlined in this workshop to research
and write an informative report on the Civil War.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction PDF
CHAPTER
Reconstruction
508 CHAPTER 16
1865
Black Jamaicans rebel
against the wealthy
planter class.
1865
Abraham Lincoln
is assassinated.
186 5
Job History When the Civil War ended, it was time to
rebuild. People were ready to get back to work. But life had
changed for many people and would continue to change.
As you read this chapter, think about jobs people may have
had during Reconstruction.
FOCUS ON WRITING
1865–1877
16
History–Social Science
8.10 Students analyze the multiple causes, key events, and complex
consequences of the Civil War.
8.11 Students analyze the character and lasting consequences of
Reconstruction.
Analysis Skills
HR 3 Students distinguish relevant from irrelevant information.
HI 4 Students recognize the role of chance, oversight, and error in
history.
English–Language Arts
Writing 8.2.5 Write documents related to career development.
Reading 8.2.0 Students read and understand grade-level apporpriate
material.
California Standards
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Download
HOLT
HOLT
RECONSTRUCTION 509
History’s Impact
1868
The Meiji dynasty
returns to power
in Japan.
1868
President Andrew
Johnson is
impeached and
almost removed
from office.
1869
The Suez Canal opens,
linking the Mediterranean
and Red seas.
1871
Otto von Bismarck and
Wilhelm I unite Germany.
1877
The Compromise of 1877
ends Reconstruction.
video series
Watch the video to under-
stand the impact of the
preservation of the Union.
1870
Hiram Revels
becomes the first
African American
to serve in the
U.S. Senate.
18 7 5 18 8 0
The ruins of this Virginia plantation stand as a
bleak reminder of the changes brought to the
South by the Civil War. In this chapter you will
learn about the challenges that faced the nation
after the Civil War and attempts to meet those
challenges.
18 7 0
What You Will Learn…
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction PDF Download
510 CHAPTER 00510 CHAPTER 16
Religion
Reading Social Studies
Additional reading
support can be
found in the
by Kylene Beers
Focus on Reading
History books are full of
information. As you read, you are confronted with
names, dates, places, terms, and descriptions on
every page. You don’t want to have to deal with
anything unimportant or untrue.
Identifying Relevant and Essential Information
Information in a history book should be relevant to
the topic you’re studying. It should also be essential
to understanding that topic and verifi able. Anything
else distracts from the material you are studying.
The fi rst passage below includes several pieces of
irrelevant and nonessential information. In the sec-
ond, this information has been removed. Note how
much easier the revised passage is to comprehend.
First Passage
President Abraham Lincoln, who was
very tall, wanted to reunite the nation
as quickly and painlessly as possible.
He had proposed a plan for readmit-
ting the southern states even before
the war ended, which happened on a
Sunday. Called the Ten Percent Plan,
it offered southerners amnesty, or offi -
cial pardon, for all illegal acts support-
ing the rebellion. Today a group called
Amnesty International works to protect
the rights of prisoners. Lincoln’s plan
certainly would have worked if it would
have been implemented.
Focus on Themes In this chapter, you will read
about the time immediately after the Civil War. You
will see how the government tried to help the South
rebuild itself and will learn about how life changed
for African Americans after slavery was declared
illegal. You will read about the political confl icts
that emerged as southern leadership worked to gain
control of Reconstruction efforts. Throughout the
chapter, you will read how the culture of the South
changed after the War.
Geography
Politics
Economics
Religion
Society
and Culture
Science and
Technology
Analyzing Historical Information
Revised Passage
President Abraham Lincoln wanted
to reunite the nation as quickly and
painlessly as possible. He had pro-
posed a plan for readmitting the
southern states even before the war
ended. Called the Ten Percent Plan,
it offered southerners amnesty, or
offi cial pardon, for all illegal acts sup-
porting the rebellion.
From Chapter 16, p. 513
Lincoln’s
appearance
and the day on
which the war
ended are not
essential facts.
Amnesty
International is
not relevant to
this topic.
There is no
way to prove
the accuracy
of the last
sentence.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-1
SECTION TITLE 511RECONSTRUCTION 511
Key Terms
Key Terms
and People
and People
You Try It!
The following passage is adapted from the chapter you are about
to read. As you read, look for irrelevant, nonessential, or unverifi able
information.
The Freedmens Bureau
In 1865 Congress established the Freed-
men’s Bureau, an agency providing relief not
only for freedpeople and certain poor peo-
ple, but white refugees as well. The Bureau
had a diffi cult job. It may have been one of
the most diffi cult jobs ever. At its high point,
about 900 agents served the entire South.
All 900 people could fi t into one hotel ball-
room today. Bureau commissioner Oliver
O. Howard eventually decided to use the
Bureau’s limited budget to distribute food to
the poor and to provide education and legal
help for freedpeople. One common food in
the South at that time was salted meat. The
Bureau also helped African American war
veterans. Today the Department of Veterans’
Affairs assists American war veterans.
From
Chapter 16,
p. 516
After you read the passage, answer the following questions.
1. Which sentence in this passage is unverifi able and should be cut?
2. Find two sentences in this passage that are irrelevant to the dis-
cussion of the Freedmen’s Bureau. What makes those sentences
irrelevant?
3. Look at the last sentence of the passage. Do you think this sen-
tence is essential to the discussion? Why or why not?
Chapter 16
Section 1
Reconstruction (p. 512)
Ten Percent Plan (p. 513)
Thirteenth Amendment (p. 514)
Freedmen’s Bureau (p. 516)
Andrew Johnson (p. 517)
Section 2
Black Codes (p. 518)
Radical Republicans (p. 519)
Civil Rights Act of 1866 (p. 520)
Fourteenth Amendment (p. 521)
Reconstruction Acts (p. 521)
impeachment (p. 522)
Fifteenth Amendment (p. 523)
Section 3
Hiram Revels (p. 525)
Ku Klux Klan (p. 526)
Compromise of 1877 (p. 527)
poll tax (p. 528)
segregation (p. 528)
Jim Crow laws (p. 528)
Plessy v. Ferguson (p. 529)
sharecropping (p. 529)
Academic Vocabulary
Success in school is related to
knowing academic vocabulary—
the words that are frequently used
in school assignments and discus-
sions. In this chapter, you will learn
the following academic words:
procedure (p. 513)
principle (p. 520)
As you read Chapter 16, ask yourself
what makes the information you
are reading essential to a study of
Reconstruction.
ELA
Analysis HI 3 Distinguish relevant, essential, and verifiable information.
HSS
Reading 8.2.0 Students read and understand grade-level-appropriate material.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-2
You are a young soldier who has been fi ghting in the Civil War
for many months. Now that the war is over, you are on your way
home. During your journey, you pass plantation manor homes,
houses, and barns that have been burned down. No one is doing
spring planting in the fi elds. As you near your familys farm, you
see that fences and sheds have been destroyed.
What would you think your future on
the farm would be like?
BUILDING BACKGROUND When the Civil War ended, much of
the South lay in ruins. Like the young soldier above, many people re-
turned to destroyed homes and farms. Harvests of corn, cotton, rice,
and other crops fell far below normal. Many farm animals had been
killed or were roaming free. These were some of the challenges in
restoring the nation.
Reconstruction Begins
After the Civil War ended in 1865, the U.S. government faced
the problem of dealing with the defeated southern states. The
nation dealt with the challenges of
Reconstruction
Reconstruction
,
,
the process of
the process of
readmitting the former Confederate states to the Union.
readmitting the former Confederate states to the Union. It lasted
from 1865 to 1877.
1
Rebuilding
the South
1. President Lincoln and
Congress differed in their
views as Reconstruction
began.
2. The end of the Civil War
meant freedom for African
Americans in the South.
3. President Johnson’s plan
began the process of
Reconstruction.
The nation faced many problems
in rebuilding the Union.
Key Terms and People
Reconstruction, p. 512
Ten Percent Plan, p. 513
Thirteenth Amendment, p. 514
Freedmen’s Bureau, p. 516
Andrew Johnson, p. 517
Main Ideas
The Big Idea
SECTION
What You Will Learn…
If YOU were there...
512 CHAPTER 16
HSS
8.10.7
Explain how the war
affected combatants, civilians, the
physical environment, and future
warfare.
8.11.1 List the original aims of Recon-
struction and describe its effects on
the political and social structures of
different regions.
8.11.3 Understand the effects of the
Freedmen’s Bureau and the restric-
tions placed on the rights and oppor-
tunities of freedmen, including racial
segregation and “Jim Crow” laws.
8.11.5 Understand the Thirteenth,
Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amend-
ments to the Constitution and analyze
their connection to Reconstruction.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-3
War destroyed Richmond, Virginia, once
the proud capital of the Confederacy.
Damaged South
Tired southern soldiers returned home to fi nd
that the world they had known before the war
was gone. Cities, towns, and farms had been
ruined. Because of high food prices and wide-
spread crop failures, many southerners faced
starvation. The Confederate money held by
most southerners was now worthless. Banks
failed, and merchants had gone bankrupt
because people could not pay their debts.
Former Confederate general Braxton
Bragg was one of many southerners who
faced economic hardship. He found that
all, all was lost, except my debts.” In South
Carolina, Mary Boykin Chesnut wrote in her
diary about the isolation she experienced
after the war. “We are shut in here. . . . All
RR’s [railroads] destroyed—bridges gone. We
are cut off from the world.”
Lincolns Plan
President Abraham Lincoln wanted to reunite
the nation as quickly and painlessly as pos-
sible. He had proposed a plan for readmitting
the southern states even before the war ended.
Called the
Te n Pe r ce n t
Ten Percent
Plan
Plan
,
,
it offered south-
it offered south-
erners amnesty, or official pardon,
erners amnesty, or offi cial pardon,
for all ille-
for all ille-
gal acts supporting the rebellion.
gal acts supporting the rebellion. To receive
amnesty, southerners had to do two things.
They had to swear an oath of loyalty to the
United States. They also had to agree that slav-
ery was illegal. Once 10 percent of voters in
a state made these pledges, they could form
a new government. The state then could be
readmitted to the Union.
Louisiana quickly elected a new state leg-
islature under the Ten Percent Plan. Other
southern states that had been occupied by
Union troops soon followed Louisiana back
into the United States.
Wade-Davis Bill
Some politicians argued that Congress, not
the president, should control the southern
states’ return to the Union. They believed
that Congress had the power to admit new
states. Also, many Republican members of
Congress thought the Ten Percent Plan did
not go far enough. A senator from Michigan
expressed their views.
The people of the North are not such fools as to . . .
turn around and say to the traitors, all you have
to do [to return] is . . . take an oath that henceforth
you will be true to the Government.
–Senator Jacob Howard, quoted in Reconstruction:
America’s Unfi nished Revolution, 1863–1877, by Eric Foner
Two Republicans—Senator Benjamin
Wade and Representative Henry Davis—had
an alternative to Lincoln’s plan. Under the
procedure of the Wade-Davis bill, a state had
to meet two conditions before it could rejoin
the Union. First, it had to ban slavery. Sec-
ond, a majority of adult males in the state
had to take the loyalty oath.
ACADEMIC
VOCABULARY
procedure
a series of steps
taken to accom-
plish a task
RECONSTRUCTION 513
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-4
514 CHAPTER 16
Under the Wade-Davis bill, only south-
erners who swore that they had never sup-
ported the Confederacy could vote or hold
offi ce. In general, the bill was much stricter
than the Ten Percent Plan. Its provisions
would make it harder for southern states to
rejoin the Union quickly.
President Lincoln therefore refused
to sign the bill into law. He thought that
few southern states would agree to meet
its requirements. He believed that his plan
would help restore order more quickly.
READING CHECK
Contrasting How was
the Ten Percent Plan different from the Wade-
Davis Bill?
Freedom for African
Americans
One thing Republicans agreed on was abol-
ishing slavery. The Emancipation Proclama-
tion had freed slaves only in areas that had
not been occupied by Union forces, not in
the border states. Many people feared that
the federal courts might someday declare it
unconstitutional.
Slavery Ends
On January 31, 1865, at President Lincoln’s
urging, Congress proposed the
Thirteenth
Thirteenth
Amendment
Amendment.
T
T
his amendment
his amendment
made slav-
made slav-
ery illegal throughout the United States.
ery illegal throughout the United States.
Testing New Freedoms
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-5
RECONSTRUCTION 515
The freedpeople at left have packed
their household belongings and are
leaving Richmond. Many people trav-
eled in search of relatives. Others
placed newspaper advertisements
looking for long-lost relatives. For
other freedpeople, like the couple
above, freedom brought the right to
marry.
In what ways did former slaves react
to freedom?
The amendment was ratifi ed and took effect
on December 18, 1865. When abolitionist
William Lloyd Garrison heard the news, he
declared that his work was now fi nished.
He called for the American Anti-Slavery
Society to break up. Not all abolitionists
agreed that their work was done, however.
Frederick Douglass insisted that “slavery is
not abolished until the black man has the
ballot [vote].”
Freedom brought important changes
to newly freed slaves. Many couples held
ceremonies to legalize marriages that had
not been recognized under slavery. Many
freedpeople searched for relatives who had
been sold away from their families years
earlier. Others placed newspaper ads seeking
information about their children. Many women
began to work at home instead of in the fi elds.
Still others adopted children of dead relatives
to keep families together. Church members
established voluntary associations and mutual-
aid societies to help those in need.
Now that they could travel without a
pass, many freedpeople moved from mostly
white counties to places with more African
Americans. Other freedpeople traveled sim-
ply to test their new freedom of movement.
A South Carolina woman explained this
need. “I must go, if I stay here I’ll never know
I’m free.”
For most former slaves, freedom to
travel was just the fi rst step on a long road
toward equal rights and new ways of life.
Adults took new last names and began to
insist on being called Mr. or Mrs. as a sign
of respect, rather than by their fi rst names
or by nicknames. Freedpeople began to
demand the same economic and political
rights as white citizens. Henry Adams, a for-
mer slave, argued that “if I cannot do like a
white man I am not free.”
Forty Acres to Farm?
Many former slaves wanted their own land
to farm. Near the end of the Civil War,
Union general William Tecumseh Sherman
had issued an order to break up plantations
in coastal South Carolina and Georgia. He
wanted to divide the land into 40-acre plots
and give them to former slaves as compensa-
tion for their forced labor before the war.
Many white planters refused to surren-
der their land. Some freedpeople pointed out
that it was only fair that they receive some
of this land because their labor had made
the plantations prosper. In the end, the U.S.
government returned the land to its original
owners. At this time, many freedpeople were
unsure about where they would live, what
kind of work they would do, and what rights
they had. Many freedoms that were theirs by
law were diffi cult to enforce.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-6
Freedmens Bureau
In 1865 Congress established the
Freedmens
Freedmens
Bureau
Bureau
,
,
an agency providing relief not only
an agency providing relief not only
for freedpeople and certain poor people, but
for freedpeople and certain poor people, but
white refugees as well.
white refugees as well. The Bureau had a
diffi cult job. At its high point, about 900
agents served the entire South. Bureau
commissioner Oliver O. Howard eventu-
ally decided to use the Bureau’s limited
budget to distribute food to the poor and to
provide education and legal help for freed-
people. The Bureau also helped African Amer-
ican war veterans.
The Freedmen’s Bureau played an impor-
tant role in establishing more schools in the
South. Laws against educating slaves meant
that most freedpeople had never learned to
read or write. Before the war ended, however,
northern groups, such as the American Mis-
sionary Association, began providing books
and teachers to African Americans. The
teachers were mostly women who were com-
mitted to helping freedpeople. One teacher
said of her students, “I never before saw chil-
dren so eager to learn. . . . It is wonderful
how [they] . . . can have so great a desire for
knowledge, and such a capacity for attaining
[reaching] it.”
After the war, some freedpeople organized
their own education efforts. For example, Freed-
men’s Bureau agents found that some African
Americans had opened schools in abandoned
buildings. Many white southerners contin-
ued to believe that African Americans should
not be educated. Despite opposition, by 1869
more than 150,000 African American students
were attending more than 3,000 schools. The
Freedmen’s Bureau also helped establish sever-
al universities for African Americans, including
Howard and Fisk universities.
Students quickly filled the new class-
rooms. Working adults attended classes in the
evening. African Americans hoped that edu-
cation would help them to understand and
protect their rights and to enable them to fi nd
better jobs. Both black and white southerners
benefi ted from the effort to provide greater
access to education in the South.
READING CHECK
Analyzing How did the Freed-
men’s Bureau help reform education in the South?
Congress created the Freedmen’s Bureau
to help freedpeople and poor southerners
recover from the Civil War. The Bureau
assisted people by:
providing supplies and medical
services
• establishing schools
• supervising contracts between
freedpeople and employers
taking care of lands abandoned or
captured during the war
What role did the Freedmen’s Bureau
play during Reconstruction?
Helping the Freedpeople
516 CHAPTER 16
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-7
RECONSTRUCTION 517
President Johnsons
Reconstruction Plan
While the Freedmen’s Bureau was help-
ing African Americans, the issue of how the
South would politically rejoin the Union
remained unresolved. Soon, however, a tragic
event ended Lincoln’s dream of peacefully
reuniting the country.
A New President
On the evening of April 14, 1865, President
Lincoln and his wife attended a play at Ford’s
Theater in Washington, D.C. During the play,
John Wilkes Booth, a southerner who opposed
Lincoln’s policies, sneaked into the president’s
theater box and shot him. Lincoln was rushed
to a boardinghouse across the street, where
he died early the next morning. Vice Presi-
dent
Andrew Johnson was sworn into offi ce
quickly. Reconstruction had now become his
responsibility. He would have to win the trust
of a nation shocked at their leader’s death.
Johnson’s plan for bringing southern
states back into the Union was similar to Lin-
coln’s plan. However, he decided that wealthy
southerners and former Confederate offi cials
would need a presidential pardon to receive
amnesty. Johnson shocked Radical Repub-
licans by eventually pardoning more than
7,000 people by 1866.
New State Governments
Johnson was a Democrat whom Republicans
had put on the ticket in 1864 to appeal to the
border states. A former slaveholder, he was a
stubborn man who would soon face a hostile
Congress.
Johnson offered a mild program for setting
up new southern state governments. First, he
appointed a temporary governor for each state.
Then he required that the states revise their
constitutions. Next, voters elected state and
federal representatives. The new state govern-
ment had to declare that secession was illegal.
It also had to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment
and refuse to pay Confederate debts.
By the end of 1865, all the southern states
except Texas had created new governments.
Johnson approved them all and declared that
the United States was restored. Newly elected
representatives came to Washington from
each reconstructed southern state. However,
Republicans complained that many new rep-
resentatives had been leaders of the Confed-
eracy. Congress therefore refused to readmit
the southern states into the Union. Clearly,
the nation was still divided.
READING CHECK
Summarizing What was
President Johnson’s plan for Reconstruction?
Problems Solutions
Online Quiz
KEYWORD: SS8 HP16
Section 1 Assessment
Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People
1. a. Identify What does Reconstruction mean?
b. Summarize What was President Lincoln’s
plan for Reconstruction?
2. a. Recall What is the Thirteenth Amendment?
b. Elaborate In your opinion, what was the most important
accomplishment of the Freedmen’s Bureau? Explain.
3. a. Recall Why was President Lincoln killed?
b. Analyze Why did some Americans oppose President
Johnson’s Reconstruction plan?
Critical Thinking
4. Explaining Copy the chart below and use it to explain the
federal government’s solutions for solving the problems
presented by Reconstruction.
FOCUS ON WRITING
5. Considering Historical Context Many people planned to
continue doing what they had done before the war. Others
planned to start a new life. How do you think events and con-
ditions you just read about might have affected their plans?
SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section
you learned about early plans for Recon-
struction. In the next section, you will
learn that disagreements about Recon-
struction became so serious that the presi-
dent was almost removed from offi ce.
HSS
8.10.7,
8.11.1, 8.11.3,
8.11.5
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-8
SECTION
What You Will Learn…
518 CHAPTER 16
2
1. Black Codes led to opposition
to President Johnson’s plan
for Reconstruction.
2. The Fourteenth Amendment
ensured citizenship for Afri-
can Americans.
3. Radical Republicans in
Congress took charge of
Reconstruction.
4. The Fifteenth Amendment
gave African Americans the
right to vote.
The return to power of the
pre-war southern leadership led
Republicans in Congress to take
control of Reconstruction.
Main Ideas
The Big Idea
The Fight over
Reconstruction
A member of Congress, you belong to the same political party
as the president. But you strongly disagree with his ideas about
Reconstruction and civil rights for African Americans. Now some
of the presidents opponents are trying to remove him from offi ce.
You do not think he is a good president. On the other hand, you
think removing him would be bad for the unity of the country.
Will you vote to remove the president?
BUILDING BACKGROUND Americans were bitterly divided about
what should happen in the South during Reconstruction. They dis-
agreed about ending racial inequality and guaranteeing civil rights
for African Americans. These conflicts split political parties. They led
to showdowns between Congress and the president. Political fights
even threatened the president’s job.
Opposition to President Johnson
In 1866 Congress continued to debate the rules for restoring the
Union. Meanwhile, new state legislatures approved by President
Johnson had already begun passing laws to deny African Americans’
civil rights. “This is a white man’s government, and intended for white
men only,” declared Governor Benjamin F. Perry of South Carolina.
Black Codes
Soon, every southern state passed
Black Codes
Black Codes
,
,
or
or
laws that greatly
laws that greatly
limited the freedom of African Americans.
limited the freedom of African Americans. They required African
Americans to sign work contracts, creating working conditions
similar to those under slavery. In most southern states, any Afri-
can Americans who could not prove they were employed could be
arrested. Their punishment might be one year of work without pay.
African Americans were also prevented from owning guns. In addi-
tion, they were not allowed to rent property except in cities.
The Black Codes alarmed many Americans. As one Civil War
veteran asked, “If you call this freedom, what do you call slavery?”
Key Terms and People
Black Codes, p. 518
Radical Republicans, p. 519
Civil Rights Act of 1866, p. 520
Fourteenth Amendment, p. 521
Reconstruction Acts, p. 521
impeachment, p. 522
Fifteenth Amendment, p. 523
If YOU were there...
HSS
8.11.3
Understand the
effects of the Freedmen’s Bureau
and the restrictions placed on the
rights and opportunities of freedmen,
including racial segregation and
“Jim Crow” laws.
8.11.5 Understand the Thirteenth,
Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amend-
ments to the Constitution and analyze
their connection to Reconstruction.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-9
ANALYZING PRIMARY SOURCES
African Americans organized to oppose the
codes. One group sent a petition to offi cials
in South Carolina.
We simply ask . . . that the same laws which gov-
ern white men shall govern black men . . . that, in
short, we be dealt with as others are—in equity
[fairness] and justice.
—Petition from an African American convention held
in South Carolina, quoted in There Is a River: The Black
Struggle for Freedom in America by Vincent Harding
Radical Republicans
The Black Codes angered many Republicans
who felt the South was returning to its old
ways. Most Republicans were moderates who
wanted the South to have loyal state govern-
ments. They also believed that African Ameri-
cans should have rights as citizens. They hoped
that the national government would not have
to force the South to follow federal laws.
Radical Republicans
Radical Republicans
,
,
on the other
on the other
hand, took a harsher stance. They wanted
hand, took a harsher stance. They wanted
the federal government to force change
the federal government to force change
in the South.
in the South. Like the moderates, they
thought the Black Codes were cruel and
unjust. The radicals, however, wanted
the federal government to be much more
involved in Reconstruction. They feared
that too many southern leaders remained
loyal to the former Confederacy and would
not enforce the new laws. Thaddeus Stevens
POLITICAL CARTOON
Republicans were outraged to see former Confeder-
ates return to power as leaders of the Democratic Party.
This 1868 political cartoon shows former Confederates
Raphael Semmes and Nathan Bedford Forrest. Semmes
was a Confederate admiral who had captured
62 Union merchant ships during the Civil War.
Forrest was a cavalry officer known for brutality
who later founded the Ku Klux Klan.
Supporting Radical Republican Ideas
How do the actions of
the people in these
illustrations support the
artists point of view?
How do events in
the background of
these illustrations
support the artist’s
point of view?
Primary Source
ANALYSIS
SKILL
Why do you think that the men are shown in their
Confederate uniforms?
519
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-10
520 CHAPTER 16
of Pennsylvania and Charles Sumner of Mas-
sachusetts were the leaders of the Radical
Republicans.
A harsh critic of President Johnson,
Stevens was known for his honesty and sharp
tongue. He wanted economic and political
justice for both African Americans and poor
white southerners. Sumner had been a strong
opponent of slavery before the Civil War.
He continued to argue tirelessly for African
Americans’ civil rights, including the right to
vote and the right to fair laws.
Both Stevens and Sumner believed
that President Johnson’s Reconstruction plan
was a failure. Although the Radicals did not
control Congress, they began to gain support
among moderates when President Johnson
ignored criticism of the Black Codes. Stevens
believed the federal government could not
allow racial inequality to survive.
READING CHECK
Comparing and Contrasting
How were Radical Republicans and moderate
Republicans similar and different?
Fourteenth Amendment
Urged on by the Radicals in 1866, Congress
proposed a new bill. It would give the Freed-
men’s Bureau more powers. The law would
allow the Freedmen’s Bureau to use military
courts to try people accused of violating Afri-
can Americans’ rights. The bill’s supporters
hoped that these courts would be fairer than
local courts in the South.
Johnson versus Congress
To the surprise of many in Congress, Johnson
vetoed the Freedmen’s Bureau Bill. He insist-
ed that Congress could not pass any new laws
until the southern states were represented in
Congress. Johnson also argued that the Freed-
men’s Bureau was unconstitutional.
Republicans responded with the
Civil
Civil
Rights Act of 1866
Rights Act of 1866
.
.
This act provided African
This act provided African
Americans with the same legal rights as white
Americans with the same legal rights as white
Americans.
Americans. President Johnson once again
used his veto power. He argued that the act
gave too much power to the federal govern-
ment. He also rejected the principle
of equal
POINTS OF VIEW
Johnson vs. Stevens
President Andrew Johnson argued
that the South should not be placed
under military control.
Military governments . . .
established for an indefinite
period, would have divided
the people into the vanquish-
ers and the vanquished, and
would have envenomed
[made poisonous] hatred
rather than have restored
affection.
—Andrew Johnson
Thaddeus Stevens believed that
Congress had the power to treat
the South as conquered territory.
The future condition of
the conquered power depends
on the will of the conqueror.
They must come in as new states
or remain as conquered provinces.
Congress . . . is the only power
that can act in the matter
.
—Thaddeus Stevens
Primary Source
ACADEMIC
VOCABULARY
principle basic
belief, rule, or law
How did Johnson’s and Stevens’s views
on the South differ?
ANALYSIS
SKILL
IDENTIFYING POINTS OF VIEW
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-11
Disputed
TX
1870
MS
1870
AL
1868
FL
1868
SC
1868
NC
1868
GA
1870
VA
1870
TN
1866
AR
1868
LA
1868
Gulf of Mexico
2
0
°N
T
r
o
p
i
c
o
f
C
a
n
c
e
r
3
0
°N
80°W
90°W
N
S
W
E
Military District 1
Military District 2
Military District 3
Military District 4
Military District 5
Date former
Confederate state
was readmitted
to Union
1868
0 150 300 Miles
0 150 300 Kilometers
READING CHECK
Summarizing What issue did
the Fourteenth Amendment address, and how did
it affect the congressional elections of 1866?
Congress Takes Control of
Reconstruction
The 1866 elections gave the Republican Party
a commanding two-thirds majority in both
the House and the Senate. This majority gave
the Republicans the power to override any
presidential veto. In addition, the Republi-
cans became united as the moderates joined
with the Radicals. Together, they called for a
new form of Reconstruction.
Reconstruction Acts
In March 1867, Congress passed the fi rst
of several
Reconstruction Acts
Reconstruction Acts
.
.
These laws
These laws
divided the South into five districts.
divided the South into fi ve districts. A U.S.
military commander controlled each district.
rights for African Americans. Congress, how-
ever, overrode Johnson’s veto.
Many Republicans worried about what
would happen when the southern states were
readmitted.
Fearing that the Civil Rights Act
Fearing that the Civil Rights Act
might be overturned, the Republicans pro-
might be overturned, the Republicans pro-
posed
posed
the
the
Fourteenth Amendment
Fourteenth Amendment in the
summer of 1866. The Fourteenth Amend-
ment included the following provisions.
1. It defi ned all people born or naturalized
within the United States, except Native
Americans, as citizens.
2. It guaranteed citizens the equal protec-
tion of the laws.
3. It said that states could not “deprive any
person of life, liberty, or property, with-
out due process of law.”
4. It banned many former Confederate offi -
cials from holding state or federal offi ces.
5. It made state laws subject to federal
court review.
6. It gave Congress the power to pass any
laws needed to enforce it.
1866 Elections
President Johnson and most Democrats
opposed the Fourteenth Amendment. As
a result, civil rights for African Americans
became a key issue in the 1866 congressio-
nal elections. To help the Democrats, John-
son traveled around the country defending
his Reconstruction plan. Johnson’s speaking
tour was a disaster. It did little to win votes
for the Democratic Party. Johnson even got
into arguments with people in the audiences
of some of his speaking engagements.
Two major riots in the South also hurt
Johnson’s campaign. On May 1, 1866, a
dispute in Memphis, Tennessee, took place
between local police and black Union
soldiers. The dispute turned into a three-day
wave of violence against African Americans.
About three months later, another riot took
place during a political demonstration in
New Orleans. During that dispute, 34 Afri-
can Americans and three white Republicans
were killed.
INTERPRETING MAPS
1. Region Which district consisted of only one state?
2. Human-Environment Interaction Do you see any
reason why Military District 5 might be more difficult for
federal troops to control than the other districts?
GEOGRAPHY
SKILLS
Reconstruction Military Districts
521
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-12
The military would remain in control of the
South until the southern states rejoined the
Union. To be readmitted, a state had to write
a new state constitution supporting the Four-
teenth Amendment. Finally, the state had to
give African American men the right to vote.
Thaddeus Stevens was one of the new
Reconstruction Acts’ most enthusiastic
supporters. He spoke in Congress to defend
the acts.
Have not loyal blacks quite as good a right to
choose rulers and make laws as rebel whites?
Every man, no matter what his race or color . . .
has an equal right to justice, honesty, and fair
play with every other man; and the law should
secure him those rights.
–Thaddeus Stevens, quoted in Sources of the
American Republic, edited by Marvin Meyers et al.
President on Trial
President Johnson strongly disagreed with
Stevens. He argued that African Americans
did not deserve the same treatment as white
people. The Reconstruction Acts, he said, used
“powers not granted to the federal govern-
ment or any one of its branches.” Knowing
that Johnson did not support its Reconstruc-
tion policies, Congress passed a law limiting
his power. This law prevented the
president from removing cabinet
offi cials without Senate approval.
Johnson quickly broke the law by
ring Edwin Stanton, the secretary
of war.
For the fi rst time in United States
history, the House of Representatives
responded by voting to impeach the
president.
Impeachment
Impeachment
is the pro-
is the pro-
cess used by a legislative body to bring
cess used by a legislative body to bring
charges of wrongdoing against a pub-
charges of wrongdoing against a pub-
lic offi cial.
lic offi cial. The next step, under Arti-
cle I of the Constitution, was a trial in
the Senate. A two-thirds majority was
required to fi nd Johnson guilty and
remove him from offi ce.
Although Johnson was unpop-
ular with Republicans, some of
them believed he was being judged
unfairly. Others did not trust the
president pro tempore of the Sen-
ate, Benjamin Wade. He would
become president if Johnson were
removed from offi ce. By a single
vote, Senate Republicans failed to
convict Johnson. Even so, the trial
broke his power as president.
Election of 1868
Johnson did not run for another
term in 1868. Instead, the Demo-
The Reconstruction Amendments
This Reconstruction-era
painting shows African
Americans voting after
passage of the Fifteenth
Amendment.
What right did the Fifteenth
Amendment protect?
Fourteenth Amendment (1868)
Overturned the Dred Scott case by granting
citizenship to all people born in the United
States (except for Native Americans)
Fifteenth Amendment (1870)
Gave African American men the right to vote
Thirteenth Amendment (1865)
Banned slavery throughout the United States
522 CHAPTER 16
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-13
RECONSTRUCTION 523
crats chose former New York governor Horatio
Seymour as their presidential candidate. The
Republicans chose Ulysses S. Grant. As a war
hero, Grant appealed to many northern vot-
ers. He had no political experience but sup-
ported the congressional Reconstruction plan.
He ran under the slogan “Let Us Have Peace.”
Shortly after Grant was nominated,
Congress readmitted seven southern states—
Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana,
North Carolina, and South Carolina. (Tennessee
had already been readmitted in 1866.) Under
the terms of readmission, these seven states
approved the Fourteenth Amendment. They
also agreed to let African American men vote.
However, white southerners used violence to try
to keep African Americans away from the polls.
Despite such tactics, hundreds of thou-
sands of African Americans voted for Grant
and the “party of Lincoln.” The New Orleans
Tribune reported that many former slaves “see
clearly enough that the Republican party [is]
their political life boat.” African American
votes helped Grant to win a narrow victory.
READING CHECK
Analyzing To what voters did
Grant appeal in the presidential election of 1868?
Fifteenth Amendment
After Grant’s victory, Congressional Republi-
cans wanted to protect their Reconstruction
plan. They worried that the southern states
might try to keep black voters from the polls
in future elections. Also, some Radical Repub-
licans argued that it was not fair that many
northern states still had laws preventing Afri-
can Americans from voting. After all, every
southern state was required to grant suffrage
to African American men.
In 1869 Congress proposed the
Fifteenth
Fifteenth
Amendment
Amendment
, which gave African American
, which gave African American
men the right to vote.
men the right to vote. Abolitionist William
Lloyd Garrison praised “this wonderful, qui-
et, sudden transformation of four millions of
human beings from . . . the auction block to the
ballot-box.” The amendment went into effect in
1870. It was one of the last important Recon-
struction laws passed at the federal level.
The Fifteenth Amendment did not please
every reformer, however. Many women were
angry because the amendment did not also
grant them the right to vote.
READING CHECK
Finding Main Ideas How did
Radical Republicans take control of Reconstruction?
Today the Voting
Rights Act of
1965 enforces
and expands the
voting protections
of the Fifteenth
Amendment.
THE IMPACT
TODAY
Section 2 Assessment
Online Quiz
KEYWORD: SS8 HP16
Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People
1. a. Describe What were Black Codes?
b. Make Inferences Why did Republicans think Johnson’s
Reconstruction plan was a failure?
2. a. Recall What was the Civil Rights Act of 1866?
b. Summarize Why was the Fourteenth Amendment
important?
3. a. Recall Why was President Johnson impeached?
b. Evaluate Which element of the Reconstruction Acts
do you believe was most important? Why?
4. a. Recall What does the Fifteenth Amendment state?
b. Elaborate Do you think that women should have been
included in the Fifteenth Amendment? Explain.
Critical Thinking
5. Analyzing Copy the chart below. Use it to identify the
main provisions of the Fourteenth Amendment and
their effects.
FOCUS ON WRITING
6. Recognizing Cause-and-Effect Relationships
As you have read in this section, social and political unrest
continued long after the war ended. How could this
unrest cause people to leave their jobs? What new jobs
might they fi nd?
SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section
you learned that Congress took control of
Reconstruction away from President John-
son and took steps to protect the rights of
African Americans. In the next section you
will learn about increasing opposition to
Reconstruction.
Provisions Effects
HSS
8.11.3,
8.11.5
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-14
SECTION
What You Will Learn…
If YOU were there...
524 CHAPTER 16
3
Reconstruction
in the South
You live on a farm in the South in the 1870s. Times are hard because
you do not own your farm. Instead, you and your family work in a
landowners cotton fi elds. You never seem to earn enough to buy
land of your own. Some of your neighbors have decided to give up
farming and move to the city. Others are going to work in the textile
mills. But you have always been a farmer.
Will you decide to change your way of life?
BUILDING BACKGROUND Reconstruction affected politics and
economics in the South. Republican and Democratic politicians
fought over policies and programs. New state governments began
reforms, but later leaders ended many of them. Some parts of the
southern economy improved. However, many farmers, like the family
above, went through hard times.
Reconstruction Governments
After Grant became president in 1869, the Republicans seemed
stronger than ever. They controlled most southern governments,
partly because of the support of African American voters. However,
most of the Republican offi ceholders were unpopular with white
southerners.
Carpetbaggers and Scalawags
Some of these offi ce-holders were northern-born Republicans who
had moved South after the war. Many white southerners called
them carpetbaggers. Supposedly, they had rushed South carrying
all their possessions in bags made from carpeting. Many south-
erners resented these northerners, accusing them—often unfairly—
of trying to profi t from Reconstruction.
Southern Democrats cared even less for white southern Repub-
licans. They referred to them as scalawags, or greedy rascals.
Democrats believed that these southerners had betrayed the South by
1. Reconstruction governments
helped reform the South.
2. The Ku Klux Klan was orga-
nized as African Americans
moved into positions of power.
3. As Reconstruction ended, the
rights of African Americans
were restricted.
4. Southern business leaders
relied on industry to rebuild
the South.
Main Ideas
As Reconstruction ended,
African Americans faced new
hurdles and the South attempted
to rebuild.
The Big Idea
Key Terms and People
Hiram Revels, p. 525
Ku Klux Klan, p. 526
Compromise of 1877, p. 527
poll tax, p. 528
segregation, p. 528
Jim Crow laws, p. 528
Plessy v. Ferguson, p. 529
sharecropping, p. 529
HSS
8.11.1
List the original aims
of Reconstruction and describe its
effects on the political and social
structures of different regions.
8.11.3 Understand the effects of the
Freedmen’s Bureau and the restrictions
placed on the rights and opportunities
of freedmen, including racial
segregation and “Jim Crow” laws.
8.11.4 Trace the rise of the Ku Klux
Klan and describe the Klan’s effects.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-15
TX
AR
LA
MS
AL
TN
GA
FL
NC
SC
VA
Washington, DC
Gulf of Mexico
ATLANTIC
OCEAN
30°N
25
°N
80°W
85°W95°W90°W
N
S
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0 150 300 Miles
0 150 300 Kilometers
Member of U.S. Congress
State legislator
voting for the Republican Party. Many south-
ern Republicans were small farmers who had
supported the Union during the war. Others,
like Mississippi governor James Alcorn, were
former members of the Whig Party. They pre-
ferred to become Republicans rather than join
the Democrats.
African American Leaders
African Americans were the largest group of
southern Republican voters. During Recon-
struction, more than 600 African Americans
won election to state legislatures. Some 16
of these politicians were elected to Congress.
Other African Americans held local offi ces in
counties throughout the South.
African American politicians came from
many backgrounds.
Hiram Revels
Hiram Revels was born
free in North Carolina and went to college in
Illinois. He became a Methodist minister and
served as a chaplain in the Union army. In
1870 Revels became the fi rst African American
in the U.S. Senate. He took over the seat previ-
ously held by Confederate president Jefferson
Davis. Unlike Revels, Blanche K. Bruce grew up
in slavery in Virginia. Bruce became an impor-
tant Republican in Mississippi and served one
term as a U.S. senator.
State Governments Change Direction
Reconstruction governments provided money
for many new programs and organizations in
the South. They helped to establish some of
the fi rst state-funded public school systems in
the South. They also built new hospitals, pris-
ons, and orphanages and passed laws prohibit-
ing discrimination against African Americans.
Southern states under Republican con-
trol spent large amounts of money. They
aided the construction of railroads, bridges,
and public buildings. These improvements
were intended to help the southern economy
recover from the war. To get the money for
these projects, the Reconstruction govern-
ments raised taxes and issued bonds.
READING CHECK
Summarizing What reforms
did Reconstruction state governments carry out?
Blanche K. Bruce
escaped from slavery
and began a school
for African Americans
before the Civil War.
Bruce was the first
African American elected
to a full six-year term in
the U.S. Senate.
Hiram Revels
was the son of former
slaves and helped orga-
nize African American
regiments in the Civil War.
Revels was selected to
fill the U.S. Senate seat
formerly held by Jefferson
Davis, president of the
Confederacy.
FOCUS ON
READING
How does the
heading of this
section tell you
about what you
will learn?
RECONSTRUCTION 525
INTERPRETING MAPS
1. Location Which state had the most African American
state legislators?
2. Region Which southern states had the fewest African
American representatives?
GEOGRAPHY
SKILLS
African American Representation in the South, 1870
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-16
Ku Klux Klan
As more African Americans took offi ce, resis-
tance to Reconstruction increased among
white southerners. Democrats claimed that
the Reconstruction governments were cor-
rupt, illegal, and unjust. They also disliked
having federal soldiers stationed in their
states. Many white southerners disapproved
of African American offi ceholders. One Dem-
ocrat noted, “‘A white man’s government’
[is] the most popular rallying cry we have.”
In 1866 a group of white southerners in Ten-
nessee created the
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
.
.
This secret
This secret
society opposed civil rights, particularly
society opposed civil rights, particularly
suffrage, for African Americans.
suffrage, for African Americans. The Klan
used violence and terror against African
Americans. The group’s membership grew
rapidly as it spread throughout the South.
Klan members wore robes and disguises to
hide their identities. They attacked—and
even murdered—African Americans, white
Republican voters, and public offi cials, usu-
ally at night.
Local governments did little to stop the
violence. Many offi cials feared the Klan or
were sympathetic to its activities. In 1870 and
1871 the federal government took action.
Congress passed laws that made it a federal
crime to interfere with elections or to deny
citizens equal protection under the law.
Within a few years, the Klan was no
longer an organized threat. But groups of
whites continued to assault African Ameri-
cans and Republicans throughout the 1870s.
READING CHECK
Drawing Conclusions Why
did southerners join the Ku Klux Klan?
526
The Ku Klux Klan
Members of the Ku Klux Klan often attacked under
cover of darkness to hide their identities. This
klansman from Tennessee, shown on the left, even
disguised his horse.
Why do you think Klan members disguised
themselves?
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-17
RECONSTRUCTION 527
Reconstruction Ends
The violence of the Ku Klux Klan was not the
only challenge to Reconstruction. Republicans
slowly lost control of southern state govern-
ments to the Democratic Party. The General
Amnesty Act of 1872 allowed former Confed-
erates, except those who had held high ranks,
to serve in public offi ce. Many of these former
Confederates, most of whom were Democrats,
were soon elected to southern governments.
The Republican Party also began losing
its power in the North. Although President
Grant was re-elected in 1872, fi nancial and
political scandals in his administration upset
voters. In his fi rst term, a gold-buying scheme
in which Grant’s cousin took a leading role
led to a brief crisis on the stock market called
Black Friday. During his second term, his per-
sonal secretary was involved in the Whiskey
Ring scandal, in which whiskey distillers and
public offi cials worked together to steal liquor
taxes from the federal government. Further-
more, people blamed Republican policies for
the Panic of 1873.
Panic of 1873
This severe economic downturn began in
September 1873 when Jay Cooke and Com-
pany, a major investor in railroads and the
largest fi nancier of the Union’s Civil War
effort, declared bankruptcy. The company
had lied about the value of land along the
side of the Northern Pacifi c Railroad that
it owned and was trying to sell. When the
truth leaked out, the company failed.
The failure of such an important business
sent panic through the stock market, and
investors began selling shares of stock more
rapidly than people wanted to buy them.
Companies had to buy their shares back
from the investors. Soon, 89 of the nation’s
364 railroads had failed as well. The failure
of almost 18,000 other businesses followed
within two years, leaving the nation in an
economic crisis. By 1876 unemployment
had risen to 14 percent, with an estimated
2 million people out of work. The high
unemployment rate set off numerous
strikes and protests around the nation, many
involving railroad workers. In 1874 the Dem-
ocrats gained control of the House of Repre-
sentatives. Northerners were becoming less
concerned about southern racism and more
concerned about their fi nancial well-being.
Election of 1876
Republicans could tell that northern support
for Reconstruction was fading. Voters’ atten-
tion was shifting to economic problems. In
1874 the Republican Party lost control of
the House of Representatives to the Demo-
crats. The Republicans in Congress man-
aged to pass one last civil rights law. The
Civil Rights Act of 1875 guaranteed African
Americans equal rights in public places, such
as theaters and public transportation. But
as Americans became increasingly worried
about economic problems and government
corruption, the Republican Party began to
abandon Reconstruction.
Republicans selected Ohio governor
Rutherford B. Hayes as their 1876 presiden-
tial candidate. He believed in ending federal
support of the Reconstruction governments.
The Democrats nominated New York gov-
ernor Samuel J. Tilden. During the election,
Democrats in the South again used violence
at the polls to keep Republican voters away.
The election between Hayes and Tilden
was close. Tilden appeared to have won.
Republicans challenged the electoral votes in
Oregon and three southern states. A special
commission of members of Congress and
Supreme Court justices was appointed to
settle the issue.
The commission narrowly decided to give
all the disputed votes to Hayes. Hayes thus
won the presidency by one electoral vote.
In the
Compromise of 1877
Compromise of 1877
,
,
the Democrats
the Democrats
agreed to accept Hayes’svictory.
agreed to accept Hayes’s victory.
In return, they
In return, they
wanted all remaining federal troops removed
wanted all remaining federal troops removed
from the South.
from the South. They also asked for funding
for internal improvements in the South and
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-18
528 CHAPTER 16
the appointment of a southern Democrat to
the president’s cabinet. Shortly after he took
offi ce in 1877, President Hayes removed the
last of the federal troops from the South.
Redeemers
Gradually, Democrats regained control of
state governments in the South. In each
state, they moved quickly to get rid of the
Reconstruction reforms.
Democrats who brought their party back
to power in the South were called Redeemers.
They came from a variety of backgrounds.
For instance, U.S. senator John T. Morgan of
Alabama was a former general in the Confed-
erate army. Newspaper editor Henry Grady of
Georgia was interested in promoting south-
ern industry.
Redeemers wanted to reduce the size of
state government and limit the rights of Afri-
can Americans. They lowered state budgets
and got rid of a variety of social programs. The
Redeemers cut property taxes and reduced
public funding for schools. They also succeed-
ed in limiting African Americans’ civil rights.
African Americans’ Rights
Restricted
Redeemers set up the poll tax in an effort to
deny the vote to African Americans. The
poll
poll
tax
tax
was
was
a special tax people had to pay before
a special tax people had to pay before
they could vote.
they could vote.
Some states also targeted African Ameri-
can voters by requiring them to pass a lit-
eracy test. A so-called grandfather clause
written into law affected men whose fathers
or grandfathers could vote before 1867. In
those cases, a voter did not have to pay a poll
tax or pass a literacy test. As a result, almost
every white man could escape the voting
restrictions.
Redeemer governments also introduced
legal
segregation
segregation
,
,
the forced separation of
the forced separation of
whites and African Americans in public
whites and African Americans in public
places.
places.
Jim Crow laws
Jim Crow laws
laws that enforced
laws that enforced
segregation
segregation—became common in southern
states in the 1880s.
African Americans challenged Jim Crow
laws in court. In 1883, however, the U.S.
Supreme Court ruled that the Civil Rights
Act of 1875 was unconstitutional. The Court
Plessy v. Ferguson
(1896)
Background of the Case In
1892, Homer Plessy took a seat
in the “whites only” car of a train
in Louisiana. He was arrested, put
on trial, and convicted of violat-
ing Louisianas segregation law.
Plessy argued that the Louisiana
law violated the Thirteenth Amend-
ment and denied him the equal
protection of the law as guaranteed.
The Court’s Ruling
The Court ruled that the Louisiana
“separate-but-equal” law was constitutional.
The Court’s Reasoning
The Court stated that the Thirteenth and
Fourteenth Amendments did not apply.
The Court decided that the case had
nothing to do with the abolition of slavery
mentioned in the Thirteenth Amendment.
The justices also ruled that the Fourteenth
Amendment was not designed to eliminate
social barriers to equality between the
races, only political barriers.
Justice John Marshall Harlan dis-
agreed with the Courts ruling. In a
dissenting opinion, he wrote that “in
respect of civil rights, all citizens are
equal before the law.
Why It Matters
Plessy was important because it
approved the idea of separate but
equal facilities for people based on
race. The doctrine of separate but
equal led to segregation in trains,
buses, schools, restaurants, and many
other social institutions.
The separate-but-equal doctrine
led to unequal treatment of minority
groups for decades. It was finally struck
down by another Supreme Court ruling,
Brown v. Board of Education, in 1954.
ANALYZING INFORMATION
ANALYSIS
SKILL
1. Why did the Court reject Plessy’s
arguments?
2. Why was Plessy v. Ferguson an
important Supreme Court case?
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-19
RECONSTRUCTION 529
also ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment
applied only to the actions of state govern-
ments. This ruling allowed private individu-
als and businesses to practice segregation.
Plessy v. Ferguson
In 1896, the U.S. Supreme Court returned
to the issue of segregation. When Homer
Plessy, an African American, refused to
leave the whites-only Louisiana train car
he was riding on, he was arrested and
accused of breaking a state law requir-
ing separate cars for blacks and whites.
Plessy sued the railroad company and lost.
His lawyers argued that the law violated
his right to equal treatment under the Four-
teenth Amendment. He then appealed to
the U.S. Supreme Court. The Supreme Court
ruled against Plessy in
Plessy
Plessy
v.
v.
Ferguson
Ferguson
.
.
Segregation was allowed, said the Court,
Segregation was allowed, said the Court,
if “separate-but-equal” facilities were
if “separate-but-equal” facilities were
provided.
provided. Among the justices, only John
Marshall Harlan disagreed with the Court’s
decision. He explained his disagreement in
a dissenting opinion:
In the eye of the law, there is in the country no
superior, dominant [controlling], ruling class of
citizens….Our constitution is color-blind, and
neither knows nor tolerates classes among
citizens. In respect of civil rights, all citizens are
equal before the law.
—John Marshall Harlan, from Plessy v. Ferguson: A Brief
History with Documents, edited by Brook Thomas
Despite Harlan’s view, segregation became
widespread across the country. African Ameri-
cans were forced to use separate public schools,
libraries, and parks. When they existed, these
facilities were usually of poorer quality than
those created for whites. In practice, these so-
called separate but equal facilities were separate
and unequal.
Farming in the South
Few African Americans in the South could
afford to buy or even rent farms. Moving West
also was costly. Many African Americans there-
fore remained on plantations. Others tried to
make a living in the cities.
African Americans who stayed on plan-
tations often became part of a system known
as
sharecropping
sharecropping
,
,
or
or
sharing the crop. Land-
sharing the crop. Land-
owners provided the land, tools, and sup-
owners provided the land, tools, and sup-
plies, and sharecroppers provided the labor.
plies, and sharecroppers provided the labor.
At harvest time, the sharecropper usually
had to give most of the crop to the land-
owner. Whatever remained belonged to the
sharecropper. Many sharecroppers hoped to
save enough money from selling their share
of the crops to one day be able to buy a
farm. Unfortunately, only a few ever achieved
this dream.
Instead, most sharecroppers lived in a
cycle of debt. When they needed food, cloth-
ing, or supplies, most families had to buy
goods on credit because they had little cash.
When sharecroppers sold their crops, they
Slavery
• No rights
• Forced labor
No freedom of movement
without permission
Family members sold away
from one another
• No representation
in government
Freedom
• Slavery banned
Free to work for wages
Could move and live
anywhere
• Many families reunited
Could serve in
political office
Rights Denied
• Sharecropping system
put in place
Ability to vote and hold
office restricted
• White leadership regained
control of southern state
governments
Hopes Raised and Denied
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-20
When sharecroppers sold their crops, they
hoped to be able to pay off these debts. How-
ever, bad weather, poor harvests, or low crop
prices often made this dream impossible.
Sharecroppers usually grew cotton, one
of the South’s most important cash crops.
When too many farmers planted cotton,
however, the supply became excessive. As a
result, the price per bale of cotton dropped.
Many farmers understood the drawbacks
of planting cotton. However, farmers felt
pressure from banks and others to keep
raising cotton. A southern farmer explained
why so many sharecroppers depended on
cotton:
Cotton is the thing to get credit on in this coun-
try . . . . You can always sell cotton … [Y]ou load
up your wagon with wheat or corn . . . and I doubt
some days whether you could sell it.
–Farmer quoted in The Promise of the New South,
by Edward L. Ayers
READING CHECK
Finding Main Ideas How
were African Americans’ rights restricted?
Rebuilding Southern
Industry
The southern economy suffered through cycles
of good and bad years as cotton prices went up
and down. Some business leaders hoped indus-
try would strengthen the southern economy
and create a New South.
Southern Industry
Henry Grady, an Atlanta newspaper editor,
was a leader of the New South movement.
“The new South presents . . . a diversifi ed [var-
ied] industry that meets the complex needs of
this complex age,” he wrote. Grady and his
supporters felt that with its cheap and abun-
dant labor, the South could build factories
and provide a workforce for them.
The most successful industrial develop-
ment in the South involved textile production.
Businesspeople built textile mills in many
small towns to produce cotton fabric. Many
people from rural areas came to work in
the mills, but African Americans were not
allowed to work in most of them.
The New South
530 CHAPTER 16
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-21
SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section
you learned about the end of Recon-
struction. In the next chapter you will
learn about America’s continued westward
expansion.
RECONSTRUCTION 531
“The New
South...is
stirred with
the breath
of a new life.”
Atlanta rebuilt quickly after the war,
becoming a leading railroad and industrial
center. Newspaper editor Henry Grady
gave stirring speeches about the need for
industry in the South. He became one of
the best-known spokesmen of the
“New South.
Why might Grady point to Atlanta as a
model for economic change?
—Henry Grady
Southern Mill Life
Work in the cotton mills appealed to farm
families who had trouble making ends meet.
As one mill worker explained, “It was a neces-
sity to move and get a job, rather than depend
on the farm.” Recruiters sent out by the mills
promised good wages and steady work.
Entire families often worked in the same
cotton mill. Mills employed large numbers
of women and children. Many children
started working at about the age of 12. Some
children started working at an even earlier
age. Women did most of the spinning and
were valued workers. However, few women
had the opportunity to advance within the
company.
Many mill workers were proud of the skills
they used, but they did not enjoy their work.
One unhappy worker described it as “the
same thing over and over again. . . . The more
you do, the more they want done.” Workers
often labored 12 hours a day, six days a week.
Cotton dust and lint fi lled the air, causing
asthma and an illness known as brown-lung
disease. Fast-moving machinery caused
injuries and even deaths. Despite the long
hours and dangerous working conditions,
wages remained low. However, mill work
did offer an alternative to farming.
READING CHECK
Finding Main Ideas What did
southern business leaders hope industry would do?
Before After
Section 3 Assessment
Online Quiz
KEYWORD: SS8 HP16
Reviewing Ideas, Terms, and People
1. a. Identify Who were some prominent
African American leaders during Reconstruction?
b. Evaluate What do you think was the most important
change made by Reconstruction state governments?
Explain your answer.
2. a. Recall Why didn’t some local governments stop the
Ku Klux Klan?
b. Draw Conclusions How did the Ku Klux Klan’s use of
terror interfere with elections in the South?
3. a. Recall How did Reconstruction come to an end?
b. Explain What was the relationship between Jim Crow
laws and segregation?
4. a. Identify Who was Henry Grady, and why was he
important?
b. Predict What are some possible results of the rise of
the “New South”?
Critical Thinking
5. Comparing Copy the chart below. Use it to compare the
rights of African Americans before and after Reconstruction.
WRITING JOURNAL
6. Relating Historical Change to Individual Choice
Despite the diffi culties of Reconstruction, the Freedmen’s
Bureau and plans to bring industry to the “New South”
did create new jobs. What might have led people to leave
their jobs for new ones?
HSS
8.11.1,
8.11.3, 8.11.4
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-22
Social Studies Skills
Analysis
Critical Thinking
Understand the Skill
Sometimes, history can seem very routine. One
event leads to others which, in turn, lead to still
others. You learn to look for cause-and-effect
relationships among events. You learn how point
of view and bias can infl uence decisions and actions.
These approaches to the study of history imply that
the events of the past are orderly and predictable.
In fact, many of the events of the past are
orderly and predictable! They may seem even more
so since they’re over and done with, and we know
how things turned out. Yet, predictable patterns of
behavior do exist throughout history. Recognizing
them is one of the great values and rewards of
studying the past. As the philosopher George
Santayana once famously said, Those who cannot
remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
At its most basic level, however, history is
people, and people are “human.” They make mis-
takes. Unexpected things happen to them, both
good things and bad. This is the unpredictable
element of history. The current phrase “stuff
happens” is just as true of the past as it is today.
Mistakes, oversights, and just plain “dumb luck”
have shaped the course of history—and have
helped to make the study of it so exciting!
Learn the Skill
California merchant John Sutter decided to build a
sawmill along the nearby American River in 1848.
He planned to sell the lumber it produced to settlers
who were moving into the area. Sutter put James
W. Marshall to work building the mill. To install
the large water wheel that would power the saw,
Chance, Oversight, and Error in History
Marshall fi rst had to deepen the river bed next to
the mill. During his digging, he noticed some shiny
bits of yellow metal in the water. The result of this
accidental fi nd was the California Gold Rush, which
sent thousands of Americans to California, and
speeded settlement of the West.
In 1863 the army of Confederate General Robert
E. Lee invaded Maryland. The Civil War had been
going well for the South. Lee hoped a southern
victory on Union soil would convince the British to
aid the South in the war. However, a Confederate
offi cer forgot his cigars as his unit left its camp in
the Maryland countryside. Wrapped around the
cigars was a copy of Lee’s battle plans. When a Union
soldier came upon the abandoned camp, he spotted
the cigars. This chance discovery enabled the Union
army to defeat Lee at the Battle of Antietam. The
Union victory helped keep the British out of the war.
More importantly, it allowed President Lincoln to
issue the Emancipation Proclamation and begin the
process of ending slavery in the United States.
Practice and Apply the Skill
In April 1865 President Lincoln was assassinated
while attending the theater in Washington, D.C.
Bodyguard John Parker was stationed outside the
door of the President’s box. However, Parker left his
post to fi nd a seat from which he could watch the
play. This allowed the killer to enter the box and
shoot the unprotected President.
Write an essay about how this chance
event altered the course of history. How might
Reconstruction, North–South relations, and African
Americans’ struggle for equality have been different
had Lincoln lived?
532 CHAPTER 16
Participation Study
HSS
HI4 Students recognize the role of
chance, oversight, and error in history.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-23
RECONSTRUCTION 533
Visual
Summary
Reform During Reconstruction, the
Freedmen’s Bureau opened schools
for former slaves and performed other
services to help the poorest southerners.
Dispute Differing ideas about how
to govern the South led to conflicts
between African Americans and white
southerners, as well as between
Republicans and Democrats.
Division After the Compromise
of 1877 ended Reconstruction,
segregation laws were enacted by
southern governments and upheld
by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Use the visual summary below to help you review
the main ideas of the chapter.
16
Reviewing Vocabulary,
Terms, and People
Complete each sentence by fi lling in the blank with the
correct term or person from the chapter.
1. ________________ were laws that allowed racial
segregation in public places.
2. The Radical Republicans were led by _______,
a member of Congress from Pennsylvania.
3. The period from 1865 to 1877 that focused
on reuniting the nation is known as _______.
4. Following the Civil War, many African
Americans in the South made a living by
participating in the __________ system.
5. After opposing Congress, Andrew Johnson
became the first president to face _____
proceedings.
6. The _____ Amendment made slavery in the
United States illegal.
7. In 1870, ________ became the first African
American to serve in the U.S. Senate.
Comprehension and
Critical Thinking
SECTION 1 (Pages 512–517)
HSS
8.10.7, 8.11.1, 8.11.3, 8.11.5
8. a. Describe How did the lives of African Ameri-
cans change after the Civil War?
b. Compare and Contrast How was President
Johnson’s Reconstruction plan similar and
different from President Lincoln’s Ten Percent
Plan?
c. Evaluate Which of the three Reconstruction
plans that were originally proposed do you
think would have been the most successful?
Why?
SECTION 2 (Pages 518–523)
HSS
8.11.3, 8.11.5
9. a. Identify Who were the Radical Republicans,
and how did they change Reconstruction?
b. Analyze How did the debate over the Four-
teenth Amendment affect the election of 1866?
c. Elaborate Do you think Congress was right to
impeach President Andrew Johnson? Explain.
CHAPTER
Standards Review
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-24
534 CHAPTER 16
SECTION 3 (Pages 524–531)
HSS
8.11.1, 8.11.3, 8.11.4
10. a. Describe What reforms did Reconstruction
governments in the South support?
b. Draw Conclusions In what ways did southern
governments attempt to reverse the accom-
plishments of Reconstruction?
c. Evaluate Do you think the South was success-
ful or unsuccessful in its rebuilding efforts?
Explain your answer.
Reviewing Themes
11. Politics Explain the political struggles that took
place during Reconstruction.
12. Society and Culture How were the lives of
ordinary southerners affected in the years after
Reconstruction?
Using the Internet
KEYWORD: SS8 US16
13. Activity: Drawing conclusions A challenge for
anyone trying to understand Reconstruction is
drawing conclusions from primary and second-
ary sources from the time period. This activity
will help you see how complex this can be.
Enter the activity keyword, and then rate the
credibility of the sources provided. Make sure
you explain whether the source is a primary
or secondary source, whether or not you think
the source is credible, and the reasons for your
thoughts.
Reading Skills
Reading for Essential and Relevant Information Use
the Reading Skills taught in this chapter to answer the
question about the reading selection below.
Radical Republicans … wanted the federal gov-
ernment to force change in the South. Like the
moderates, they thought the Black Codes were
cruel and unjust. The radicals, however, wanted
the federal government to be much more
involved in Reconstruction. (p. 519)
14. Which of the following is relevant information
for the passage above?
a. Thaddeus Stevens was a Radical Republican.
b. Andrew Johnson was a Democrat.
c. Radical Republicans wanted the federal gov-
ernment to make major changes in the South.
d. Radical Republicans were eventually removed
from power.
Social Studies Skills
Chance, Oversight, and Error in History Use the
Social Studies Skills taught in this chapter to answer the
question about the reading selection below.
Johnson’s speaking tour was a disaster. It did
little to win votes for the Democratic Party. He
even got into arguments with people in the
audience. (p. 521)
15. Which of the following is an example of
chance, oversight, or error that affected history?
a. Johnson got into arguments with audiences.
b. The tour was a disaster.
c. The tour didn’t win votes.
d. Johnson spoke for the Democratic Party.
FOCUS ON WRITING
16 . Writing A Job History Review your notes about
the changing job scene during Reconstruction.
Put yourself in the shoes of a person living
then. It could be anyone—a returning soldier,
a shopkeeper, a schoolteacher, or a politician.
What jobs would that person seek? Why would
he or she leave one job for another?
Write a brief job history for that person during
Reconstruction. Include at least four jobs. Make
each job description 2 to 4 sentences long. End
each one with a sentence or two about why the
person left that job. Add one sentence explaining
why they took the next job. Be sure to include
specific historical details.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-25
RECONSTRUCTION 535
DIRECTIONS: Read each question and write the
letter of the best response. Use the map below to
answer question 1.
!
Disputed
TX
1870
MS
1870
AL
1868
FL
1868
SC
1868
NC
1868
GA
1870
VA
1870
TN
1866
AR
1868
LA
1868
Gulf of Mexico
30°N
80°W
90°W
N
S
W
E
Which military district contained the largest
number of states?
A Military District 2
B Military District 3
C Military District 4
D Military District 5
@
What can you infer from the map information?
A South Carolina was diffi cult to reconstruct.
B The largest number of troops was in Military
District 1.
C Military District 5 was the last district to end
Reconstruction.
D Tennessee was readmitted to the Union
before the other southern states.
#
The quickest approach to reuniting the
nation was proposed by the
A Ten Percent Plan.
B Wade-Davis Bill.
C Civil Rights Act of 1866.
D Compromise of 1877.
$
What development convinced Republicans in
Congress to take control of Reconstruction
from the president?
A President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated
by a southern sympathizer.
B President Andrew Johnson vetoed the
Wade-Davis bill.
C Southern states began passing Black Codes
to deprive African Americans of their
freedoms.
D White southern women refused to support
the Fifteenth Amendment.
%
All of the following limited opportunities
for African Americans in the South after
Reconstruction ended except
A sharecropping.
B the Redeemers.
C Jim Crow laws.
D carpetbaggers.
Connecting with Past Learning
^
During Reconstruction, southerners were
ruled by a small number of outsiders known
as carpetbaggers. This situation is most
similar to the period of
A Mongol rule over China
B Roman control over Italy
C Chinese control of Japan
D Aztec rule over the Olmec
&
In Grade 7 you learned about Bartolomé de
Las Casas’s effort to improve conditions for
Native Americans. This was most similar to
which group’s efforts during Reconstruction?
A Redeemers
B Radical Republicans
C Democrats
D sharecroppers
Military District 1
Military District 2
Military District 3
Military District 4
Military District 5
Date former
Confederate state
was readmitted
to Union
1868
0 150 300 Miles
0 150 300 Kilometers
Standards Assessment
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-26
536 UNIT 5
Assignment
Collect information and write
an informative report on a
topic related to the Civil War.
A Social Studies
Report
A
ll research begins with a question. Why did the North
win the Civil War? Why did Abraham Lincoln choose
Ulysses S. Grant? In a research report, you find answers to
questions like these and share what you learn with your reader.
1. Prewrite
Choosing a Subject
Since you will spend a lot of time researching and writing about your
topic, pick one that interests you. First, think of several topics related
to the Civil War. Narrow your list to one topic by thinking about what
interests you and where you can find information about the topic.
Developing a Research Question
A guiding question related to your topic will help focus your research.
For example, here is a research question for the topic “Robert E. Lee’s
Role in the Civil War”: How did Lee’s decision to turn down the leadership
of the Union Army affect the Civil War? The answer to this question
becomes the thesis, or the big idea of your report.
Finding Historical Information
Use at least three sources of historical information besides your text-
book. Good sources include
books, maps, magazines, newspapers
television programs, movies, Internet sites, CD-ROMs
For each source, write down the kinds of information shown below.
When taking notes, put a circled number next to each source.
Encyclopedia article
1 “Title of Article.” Name of Encyclopedia. Edition or year published.
Book
2 Author. Title. City of Publication: Publisher, Year published.
Magazine or newspaper article
3 Author. “Title of Article.” Publication name Date: page number(s)
Internet site
4 Author (if known). “Document title.” Web Site. Date of electronic
publication. Date information was accessed <url>
TIP
Narrowing the Task The key
to a successful research report is
picking a topic that is broad enough
that you can find information, but
narrow enough that you can cover it
in detail. To narrow a subject, focus
on one aspect of the larger subject.
Then think about whether that one
aspect can be broken down into
smaller parts. Here’s an example of
how to narrow a topic:
Too Broad: Civil War Leaders
Less Broad: Civil War Generals
Narrower: Robert E. Lee’s Role in the
Civil War
ELA
Writing 8.2.3 Write research
reports.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-27
THE NATION BREAKS APART 537
TIP
Seeing Different Viewpoints
Consult a variety of sources,
including those with different points
of view on the topic. Reading sources
with different opinions will give you
a more complete picture of your
subject. For example, reading articles
about Robert E. Lee written by a
southern writer as well as a northern
writer may give you a more balanced
view of Lee.
Introduction
Start with a quote or an interesting
historical detail to grab your reader’s
attention.
State the main idea of your report.
Provide any historical background
readers need to understand your
main idea.
Body
Present your information under at
least three main ideas, using logical
order.
Write at least one paragraph for
each of these main ideas.
Add supporting details, facts, or
examples to each paragraph.
Conclusion
Restate your main idea, using slightly
different words.
Include a general comment about
your topic.
You might comment on how the
historical information in your report
relates to later historical events.
A Writer’s Framework
The Thesis/Big Idea: Robert E. Lee’s decision to decline the leadership
of the Union Army had serious consequences for the path of the
Civil War.
I. Lee’s Military Expertise
A. Achievements at the U.S. Military Academy
B. Achievements during the Mexican War
II. Lee’s Personality and Character
A. Intelligence and strength
B. Honesty and fairness
C. Daring and courage
III. Lee’s Military Victories
A. Battle of Fredericksburg
B. Battle of Chancellorsville
Taking Notes
As you read the source material, take thorough notes on facts, statis-
tics, comparisons, and quotations. Take special care to spell names
correctly and to record dates and facts accurately. If you use a direct
quotation from a source, copy it word for word and enclose it in quo-
tation marks. Along with each note, include the number of its source
and its page number.
Organizing Your Ideas and Information
Informative research reports are usually organized in one of these ways:
Chronological order (the order that events occurred)
Order of importance
Causes (actions or situations that make something else happen)
and effects (what happened as a result of something else)
Use one of these orders to organize your notes in an outline. Here is a
partial outline for a paper on Robert E. Lee.
2. Write
You can use this framework to help you write your first draft.
TIP
Recording Others Ideas You
will be taking three types of notes.
Paraphrases Restatements of all the
ideas in your own words.
Summaries Brief restatements of
only the most important parts.
Direct quotations The writer’s exact
words inside quotation marks.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-28
538 UNIT 5
INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH
Attention grabber
Statement of thesis
BODY PARAGRAPHS
CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH
Summary of main points
Restatement of big idea
Studying a Model
Here is a model of a research report. Study it to see how one student
developed a paper. The first and the concluding paragraphs are shown
in full. The paragraphs in the body of the paper are summarized.
“I cannot raise my hand against my birthplace, my home,
my children.” With these words, Robert E. Lee changed
the course of the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln had turned to
Lee as his first choice for commander of the Union Army.
However, Lee turned Lincoln down, choosing instead to
side with his home state of Virginia and take command of
the Confederate Army. Lee’s decision to turn Lincoln down
weakened the North and strengthened the Confederates,
turning what might have been an easy victory for the North
into a long, costly war.
In the first part of the body, the student points out that Lee gradu-
ated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, served in the
Mexican War, and was a member of the Union Army. She goes on to
explain that he would have been a strong leader for the North, and his
absence made the North weaker.
In the middle of the report, the writer discusses Lee’s personality and
character. She includes information about the strength of charac-
ter he showed while in the military academy and while leading the
Confederate Army. She discusses and gives examples of his intelli-
gence, his daring, his courage, and his honesty.
In the last part of the body of the report, the student provides exam-
ples of Lee leading the outnumbered Confederate Army to a series of
victories. The student provides details of the battles of Fredericksburg
and Chancellorsville and explains how a lesser general than Lee may
have lost both battles.
Lee’s brilliant and resourceful leadership bedeviled a series
of Union generals. He won battles that most generals would
have lost. If Lee had used these skills to lead the larger and
more powerful Union Army, the Civil War might have ended
in months instead of years.
US_History_Textbook_8th_Grade_Chapter_16_Reconstruction Image-29
THE NATION BREAKS APART 539
3. Evaluate and Revise
Evaluating and Revising Your Draft
Evaluate your first draft by carefully reading it twice. Ask the questions
below to decide which parts of your first draft should be revised.
TIP
Organizing Your Time By
creating a schedule and following it,
you can avoid that panicky moment
when the due date is near and you
haven’t even started your research.
To create your schedule and manage
your time, include these six steps.
1 Develop a question and research
your topic (10% of your total time).
2 Research and take notes (25%).
3 Write your main idea statement and
create an outline (15%).
4 Write a first draft (25%).
5 Evaluate and revise your first draft
(15%).
6 Proofread and publish your report
(10%).
Evaluation Questions for an Informative Report
Does the introduction attract the
readers’ interest and state the big
idea/thesis of your report?
Does the body of your report have at
least three paragraphs that develop
your big idea? Is the main idea in
each paragraph clearly stated?
Have you included enough
information to support each of your
main ideas? Are all facts, details,
and examples accurate? Are all
of them clearly related to the main
ideas they support?
Is the report clearly organized? Does
it use chronological order, order of
importance, or cause and effect?
Does the conclusion restate the
big idea of your report? Does it end
with a general comment about the
importance or significance of
your topic?
Have you included at least three
sources in your bibliography? Have
you included all the sources you
used and not any you did not use?
4. Proofread and Publish
Proofreading
To improve your report before sharing it, check the following:
The spelling and capitalization of all proper names for people,
places, things, and events.
Punctuation marks around any direct quotation.
Your list of sources (Works Cited or Bibliography) against a guide
to writing research papers. Make sure you follow the examples in
the guide when punctuating and capitalizing your source listings.
Publishing
Choose one or more of these ideas to publish your report.
Share your report with your classmates by turning it into an
informative speech.
Submit your report to an online discussion group that focuses on
the Civil War and ask for feedback.
With your classmates, create a magazine that includes reports
on several different topics or post the reports on your school
Web site.
5. Practice and Apply
Use the steps and strategies outlined in this workshop to research
and write an informative report on the Civil War.

Subjects

U.S. History

Grade Levels

K12

Resource Type

PDF

US History Textbook 8th Grade Chapter 16 Reconstruction PDF Download

CHAPTER 16 California Standards Science Students analyze the multiple causes , key events , and complex consequences of the Civil War . Students analyze the character and lasting consequences of Reconstruction . Analysis Skills Students distinguish irrelevant information . HI Students recognize the role of chance , oversight , and error in history . Arts Writing Write documents related to career development . Reading Students read and understand material . FOCUS ON WRITING Job History When the Civil War ended . it was time to rebuild . People were ready to get back to work . But life had changed for many people and would continue to change . As you read this chapter , think about jobs people may have had during Reconstruction . Abraham is rebel against the wealthy planter class . 508 CHAPTER 16

History Impact video series Watch the video to stand the impact of the preservation of the Union . The ruins of this Virginia plantation stand as a bleak reminder of the changes brought to the . South by the Civil War . In this chapter you will learn about the challenges that faced the nation after the Civil War and attempts to meet those challenges . i ' 1877 President Andrew . Hiram Revels The Compromise of 1877 Johnson is . becomes the first ends impeached and . African American almost removed to serve in the from office . returns to power linking the Mediterranean Wilhelm I unite Germany . in Japan . and Red seas . Otto von Bismarck and RECONSTRUCTION 509

Reading Social Studies Economics Geography Politics Focus on Themes In this chapter , you will read about the time immediately after the Civil War . You will see how the government tried to help the South rebuild itself and will learn about how life changed for African Americans after slavery was declared by Beers and Culture illegal . You will read about the political conflicts that emerged as southern leadership worked to gain control of Reconstruction efforts . Throughout the chapter , you will read how the culture of the South changed after the War . Analyzing Historical Information Focus on Reading History books are full of information . As you read , you are confronted with names , dates , places , terms , and descriptions on every page . You do want to have to deal with anything unimportant or untrue . Identifying Relevant and Essential Information I much easier the revised passage is to comprehend . Information in a history book should be relevant to First Passage President Abraham Lincoln , who was Very tall , wanted to reunite the nation as quickly and painlessly as possible . He had proposed a plan for ting the southern states even before the war ended , which happened on a Sunday . Called the Ten Percent Plan , it offered southerners amnesty , or cial pardon , for all illegal acts ing the rebellion . Today a group called International works to protect the rights of prisoners . Lincoln plan certainly would have worked if it would have been implemented . 510 CHAPTER 16 appearance and the day on which the war ended are not essential facts . Amnesty International is not relevant to this topic . of the last sentence . the topic you studying . It should also be essential to understanding that topic and verifiable . Anything else distracts from the material you are studying . The first passage below includes several pieces of I irrelevant and nonessential information . In the ond , this information has been removed . Note how Revised Passage President Abraham Lincoln wanted to reunite the nation as quickly and painlessly as possible . He had posed a plan for the southern states even before the war ended . Called the Ten Percent Plan , it offered southerners amnesty , or pardon , for all illegal acts porting the rebellion . From Chapter 16 , 513 There is no way to prove the accuracy Additional reading support can be found in the .

ELA Analysis Distinguish relevant , essential , and verifiable information . Reading Students read and understand material . You Try It ! The following passage is adapted from the chapter you are about to read . As you read , look for irrelevant , nonessential , or unverifiable information . The Freedmen Bureau In 1865 Congress established the From men Bureau , an agency providing relief not 15 only for and certain poor ple , but white refugees as well . The Bureau had a difficult job . It may have been one of the most jobs ever . At its high point , about 900 agents served the entire South . All 900 people could fit into one hotel room today . Bureau commissioner Oliver . Howard eventually decided to use the Bureau limited budget to distribute food to the poor and to provide education and legal help for . One common food in the South at that time was salted meat . The Bureau also helped African American war veterans . Today the Department of Veterans Affairs assists American war veterans . After you read the passage , answer the following questions . Which sentence in this passage is unverifiable and should be cut ?

Find two sentences in this passage that are irrelevant to the of the Freedmen Bureau . What makes those sentences irrelevant ?

Look at the last sentence of the passage . Do you think this is essential to the discussion ?

Why or why not ?

As you read Chapter 16 , ask yourself what makes the information you are reading essential to a study of Reconstruction . a . People Chapter 16 Section Reconstruction ( 512 ) Ten Percent Plan ( 513 ) Thirteenth Amendment ( 514 Freedmen Bureau ( 516 ) Andrew Johnson ( Section Black Codes ( 518 ) Radical Republicans ( 519 ) Civil Rights Act of 1866 ( 520 ) Fourteenth Amendment ( 521 ) Reconstruction Acts ( 521 ) impeachment ( 522 ) Fifteenth Amendment ( 523 ) Section Hiram Revels ( Ku Klux Klan ( 526 ) Compromise of 1877 ( 527 ) poll tax ( 528 ) segregation ( 528 Jim Crow laws ( 528 ) Ferguson ( 529 sharecropping ( Academic Vocabulary Success in school is related to knowing academic the words that are frequently used in school assignments and . In this chapter , you will learn the following academic words procedure ( 513 ) principle ( RECONSTRUCTION I

Rebuilding the South What You Learn If were You are a young soldier who has been in the Civil War Preside ' arid for many months . Now that the war is over , you are on your way Congress differed in their , Views as Reconstruction home . During your journey , you pass plantation manor homes , houses , and barns that have been burned down . No one is doing . The end of the Civil War , I mean , freedom fa , spring planting in the fields . As you near your familys farm , you i the see that fences and sheds have been destroyed . plan began the process of What would you think your future on Reconstruction . the farm would be like ?

The Big Idea The nation faced many problems in rebuilding the Union . BUILDING BACKGROUND When the Civil War ended , much of the South lay in ruins . Like the young soldier above , many people turned to destroyed homes and farms . Harvests of corn , cotton , rice , and other crops fell far below normal . Many farm animals had been killed orwere roaming free . These were some of the challenges in restoring the nation . Key Terms and People Reconstruction , 512 Ten Percent Plan , Thirteenth Amendment , 514 Freedmen Bureau , 516 Andrew Johnson , 517 IE Explain how the war affected combatants , civilians , the physical environment , and future warfare . original aims of and describe its effects on the political and social structures of different regions . Understand the effects of the Freedmen Bureau and the tions placed on the rights and of freedmen , including racial segregation and Jim Crow laws . Understand the Thirteenth , Fourteenth , and Fifteenth ments to the Constitution and analyze their connection to Reconstruction . Reconstruction Begins After the Civil War ended in 1865 , the government faced the problem of dealing with the defeated southern states . The nation dealt with the challenges of Reconstruction , the process of the former Confederate states to the Union . It lasted from 1865 to 1877 . 512 CHAPTER 16

Damaged South Tired southern soldiers returned home to that the world they had known before the war was gone . Cities , towns , and farms had been mined . Because of high food prices and spread crop failures , many southerners faced starvation . The Confederate money held by most was now worthless . Banks failed , and merchants had gone bankrupt because people could not pay their debts . Former Confederate general Braxton Bragg was one of many who faced economic hardship . He found that all , all was lost , except my In South Carolina , Mary wrote in her diary about the isolation she experienced after the war . We are shut in here . All railroads gone . We are cut off from the Lincoln Plan President Abraham Lincoln wanted to reunite the nation as quickly and painlessly as . He had proposed a plan for the southern states even before the war ended . Called the Ten Percent Plan , it offered amnesty , or pardon , for all gal acts supporting the rebellion . To receive amnesty , had to do two things . They had to swear an oath of loyalty to the United States . They also had to agree that ery was illegal . Once 10 percent of voters in a state made these pledges , they could form a new government . The state then could be readmitted to the Union . Louisiana quickly elected a new state under the Ten Percent Plan . Other southern states that had been occupied by Union troops soon followed Louisiana back into the United States . Bill Some politicians argued that Congress , not the president , should control the southern states return to the Union . They believed that Congress had the power to admit new states . Also , many Republican members of Congress thought the Ten Percent Plan did not go far enough . A senator from Michigan expressed their views . The people of the North are not such fools as to turn around and say to the traitors , all you have to do to return is take an oath that henceforth you will be true to the Jacob Howard , quoted in Reconstruction America Revolution , by Eric Two Benjamin Wade and Representative Henry an alternative to Lincoln plan . Under the procedure of the bill , a state had to meet two conditions before it could rejoin the Union . First , it had to ban slavery . ond , a majority of adult males in the state had to take the loyalty oath . War destroyed Richmond , Virginia , once the proud capital of the Confederacy . ACADEMIC VOCABULARY procedure a series of steps a task

Testing New Freedoms ?

AIL . wish . in how of hi . Mano . lulu . nu Peggy . Villa . who win and by Den . of has county . In ! use cud haul . url . Team . Anna no talk at the Eagle , DOVE . Ida New York , Lug . mu ' Under the bill , only who swore that they had never ported the Confederacy could vote or hold . In general , the bill was much stricter than the Ten Percent Plan . Its provisions would make it harder for southern states to rejoin the Union quickly . President Lincoln therefore refused to sign the bill into law . He thought that few southern states would agree to meet its requirements . He believed that his plan would help restore order more quickly . Contrasting Howwas the Ten Percent Plan different from the Davis Bill ?

CHAPTER 16 Freedom for African Americans One thing Republicans agreed on was slavery . The Emancipation tion had freed slaves only in areas that had not been occupied by Union forces , not in the border states . Many people feared that the federal courts might someday declare it unconstitutional . Slavery Ends On January 31 , 1865 , at President urging , Congress proposed the Thirteenth Amendment . This amendment made ery illegal throughout the United States .

The at left have packed their household belongings and are leaving Richmond . Many people in search of relatives . Others placed newspaper advertisements looking for relatives . For other , like the couple above , freedom brought the right to many . The amendment was and took effect on December 18 , 1865 . When abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison heard the news , he declared that his work was now . He called for the American Society to break up . Not all abolitionists agreed that their work was done , however . Frederick insisted that slavery is not abolished until the black man has the ballot vote . Freedom brought important changes to newly freed slaves . Many couples held ceremonies to legalize marriages that had not been recognized under slavery . Many searched for relatives who had been sold away from their families years earlier . Others placed newspaper ads seeking information about their children . Many women began to work at home instead of in the fields . Still others adopted children of dead relatives to keep families together . Church members established voluntary associations and aid societies to help those in need . Now that they could travel without a pass , many moved from mostly white counties to places with more African Americans . Other traveled ply to test their new freedom of movement . A South Carolina woman explained this need . I must go , if I stay here never know I For most former slaves , freedom to travel was just the first step on a long road toward equal rights and new ways of life . Adults took new last names and began to insist on being called or as a sign of respect , rather than by their first names or by nicknames . began to demand the same economic and political rights as white citizens . Henry Adams , a mer slave , argued that ifl can not do like a white man I am not Forty Acres to Farm ?

Many former slaves wanted their own land to farm . Near the end of the Civil War , Union general William Tecumseh Sherman had issued an order to break up plantations in coastal South Carolina and Georgia . He wanted to divide the land into plots and give them to former slaves as tion for their forced labor before the war . Many white planters refused to der their land . Some pointed out that it was only fair that they receive some of this land because their labor had made the plantations prosper . In the end , the government returned the land to its original owners . At this time , many were unsure about where they would live , what kind of work they would do , and what rights they had . Many freedoms that were theirs by law were difficult to enforce . RECONSTRUCTION

Freedmen Bureau In 1865 Congress established the Bureau , an agency providing relief not only for and certain poor people , but white refugees as well . The Bureau had a job . At its high point , about 900 agents served the entire South . Bureau commissioner Oliver . Howard ally decided to use the Bureau limited budget to distribute food to the poor and to provide education and legal help for people . The Bureau also helped African ican war veterans . The Freedmen Bureau played an tant role in establishing more schools in the South . Laws against educating slaves meant that most had never learned to read or write . Before the war ended , however , northern groups , such as the American Association , began providing books and teachers to African Americans . The teachers were mostly women who were to helping . One teacher said of her students , I never before saw dren so eager to learn . It is wonderful how they . can have so great a desire for knowledge , and such a capacity for attaining reaching After the war , some organized their own education efforts . For example , men Bureau agents found that some African Americans had opened schools in abandoned buildings . Many white to believe that African Americans should not be educated . Despite opposition , by 1869 more than African American students were attending more than schools . The Freedmen Bureau also helped establish al universities for African Americans , including Howard and Fisk universities . Students quickly the new rooms . Working adults attended classes in the evening . African Americans hoped that cation would help them to understand and protect their rights and to enable them to better jobs . Both black and white from the effort to provide greater access to education in the South . Analyzing How did the men Bureau help reform education in the South ?

Helping the Congress created the Freedmen Bureau to help and poor southerners recover from the Civil War . The Bureau assisted people by providing supplies and medical services establishing schools supervising contracts between and employers taking care of lands abandoned or captured during the war What role did the Freedmen Bureau play during Reconstruction ?

President Reconstruction Plan While the Freedmen Bureau was ing African Americans , the issue of how the South would politically rejoin the Union remained unresolved . Soon , however , a tragic event ended Lincoln dream of peacefully reuniting the country . A New President On the evening of April 14 , 1865 , President Lincoln and his wife attended a play at Theater in Washington , During the play , John Wilkes Booth , a who opposed Lincoln policies , sneaked into the theater box and shot him . Lincoln was rushed to a boardinghouse across the street , where he died early the next morning . Vice dent Andrew Johnson was swom into quickly . Reconstruction had now become his responsibility . He would have to win the trust of a nation shocked at their leader death . Johnson plan for bringing southern states back into the Union was similar to plan . However , he decided that wealthy southerners and former Confederate would need a presidential pardon to receive amnesty . Johnson shocked Radical by eventually pardoning more than people by 1866 . New State Governments Johnson was a Democrat whom Republicans had put on the ticket in 1864 to appeal to the border states . A former slaveholder , he was a stubborn man who would soon face a hostile Congress . Johnson offered a mild program for setting up new southern state . First , he appointed a temporary for each state . Then he required that the states revise their constitutions . Next , voters elected state and federal representatives . The new state ment had to declare that secession was illegal . It also had to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment and refuse to pay Confederate debts . By the end of 1865 , all the southern states except Texas had created new governments . Johnson approved them all and declared that the United States was restored . Newly elected representatives came to Washington from each reconstructed southern state . However , Republicans complained that many new had been leaders of the . Congress therefore refused to readmit the southern states into the Union . Clearly , the nation was still divided . Summarizing What was President Johnson plan for Reconstruction ?

SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section you learned about early plans for . In the next section , you will learn that disagreements about became so serious that the dent was almost removed from . him ( on Section Assessment Reviewing Ideas , Terms , and People , a . Identify What does Reconstruction mean ?

Summarize What was President Lincoln ' plan for Reconstruction ?

a . Recall What is the Thirteenth Amendment ?

Elaborate In your opinion , what was the most important accomplishment of the Freedmen Bureau ?

Explain . a . Recall Why was President Lincoln killed ?

Analyze Why did some Americans oppose President Johnson Reconstruction plan ?

Critical Thinking . Explaining Copy the chart below and use it to explain the federal government solutions for solving the problems presented by Reconstruction . Considering Historical Context Many people planned to continue doing what they had done before the war . Others planned to start a new life . How do you think events and you just read about might have affected their plans ?

RECONSTRUCTION 511 SECTION What You Will Learn . Black Codes led to opposition to plan for Reconstruction . The Fourteenth Amendment ensured citizenship for can Americans . Radical Republicans in Congress took charge of Reconstruction . The Fifteenth Amendment gave African Americans the right to vote . The Big Idea The return to power of the southern leadership led Republicans in Congress to take control of Reconstruction . Key Terms and People Black Codes , 518 Radical Republicans , 519 Civil Rights Act of 1866 , 520 Fourteenth Amendment , 521 Reconstruction Acts , 521 impeachment , 522 Fifteenth Amendment , 523 IE Understand the effects of the Freedmen Bureau and the restrictions placed on the rights and opportunities of freedmen , including racial segregation and Jim Crow laws . Understandthe Thirteenth , Fourteenth , and Fifteenth ments to the Constitution and analyze their connection to Reconstruction . 518 CHAPTER 16 The Fight over Reconstruction If YOU were there A member of Congress , you belong to the same political party as the president . But you strongly disagree with his ideas about Reconstruction and civil rights for African Americans . Now some of the presidents opponents are trying to remove him from office . You do not think he is a good president . On the other hand , you think removing him would be bad for the unity of the country . Will you vote to remove the president ?

BUILDING BACKGROUND Americans were bitterly divided about what should happen in the South during Reconstruction . They agreed about ending racial inequality and guaranteeing civil rights Americans . These conflicts split political parties . They led to showdowns between Congress and the president . Political fights even threatened the president job . Opposition to President Johnson In 1866 Congress continued to debate the rules for restoring the Union . Meanwhile , new state legislatures approved by President Johnson had already begun passing laws to deny African Americans civil rights . This is a white man government , and intended for white men only , declared Governor Benjamin Perry of South Carolina . Black Codes Soon , every southern state passed Black Codes , or laws that greatly limited the freedom of African Americans . They required African Americans to sign work contracts , creating working conditions similar to those under slavery . In most southern states , any can Americans who could not prove they were employed could be arrested . Their punishment might be one year of work without pay . African Americans were also prevented from owning guns . In tion , they were not allowed to rent property except in cities . The Black Codes alarmed many Americans . As one Civil War veteran asked , If you call this freedom , what do you call slavery ?

African Americans organized to oppose the codes . One group sent a petition to in South Carolina . We simply ask . the same laws which ern white men shall govern black men that , in short , we be dealt with as others equity fairness and justice . from an African American convention held in South Carolina , quoted in There Is a River The Block Struggle for Freedom in America by Vincent Harding Radical Republicans The Black Codes angered many Republicans who felt the South was returning to its old ways . Most Republicans were moderates who wanted the South to have loyal state Primary Source POLITICAL CARTOON Supporting Radical Republican Ideas was a Confederate admiral who had captured 62 Union during the Civil War Forrest was a cavalry officer known for brutality who later founded the Ku Klux Klan . Republicans were outraged to see former ates return to power as leaders of the Democratic Party . This 1863 political cartoon shows former Confederates Raphael and Nathan Bedford Forrest . How do the actions of the people in these illustrations support the artist point of view ?

SKILL ANALYZING PRIMAl Why do you think that the men are shown in their Confederate uniforms ?

They also believed that African cans should have rights as citizens . They hoped that the national government would not have to force the South to follow federal laws . Radical Republicans , on the other hand , took a harsher stance . They wanted the federal government to force change in the South . Like the moderates , they thought the Black Codes were cruel and unjust . The radicals , however , wanted the federal government to be much more involved in Reconstruction . They feared that too many southern leaders remained loyal to the former Confederacy and would not enforce the new laws . Thaddeus Stevens How do events in the background of these illustrations ' artist I point of view ?

lIa tuna ' Primary Source POINTS OF VIEW Johnson Stevens Johnson argued that the South should notbe placed under military control Military governments . established for an indefinite period , would have divided the people into the ers and the vanquished , and would have envenomed made poisonous hatred rather than have restored affection . Johnson ACADEMIC VOCABULARY principle basic of Pennsylvania and Charles Sumner of were the leaders of the Radical Republicans . A harsh critic of President Johnson , Stevens was known for his honesty and sharp tongue . He wanted economic and political justice for both African Americans and poor white southerners . Sumner had been a strong opponent of slavery before the Civil War . He continued to argue tirelessly for African Americans civil rights , including the right to vote and the right to fair laws . Both Stevens and Sumner believed that Reconstruction plan was a failure . Although the Radicals did not control Congress , they began to gain support among moderates when President Johnson ignored criticism of the Black Codes . Stevens believed the federal government could not allow racial inequality to survive . Comparing and Contrasting How were Radical Republicans and moderate belief , rule , or law Republicans similar and different ?

520 CHAPTER 16 Thaddeus Stevens believed that Congress had the power to treat the South as conquered territory . The future condition of the conquered power depends on the will of the conqueror They must come in as new states or remain as conquered provinces . Congress . is the only power that can act in the matter . Stevens ANALYSIS SKILL How did Johnson and Stevens views on the South IDENTIFYING POINTS OF VIEW Fourteenth Amendment Urged on by the Radicals in 1866 , Congress proposed a new bill . It would give the men Bureau more powers . The law would allow the Freedmen Bureau to use military courts to try people accused of violating can Americans rights . The bill supporters hoped that these courts would be fairer than local courts in the South . Johnson versus Congress To the surprise of many in Congress , Johnson vetoed the Freedmen Bureau Bill . He ed that Congress could not pass any new laws until the southern states were represented in also argued that the men Bureau was unconstitutional . Republicans responded with the Civil Rights Act of 1866 . This act provided African Americans with the same legal rights as white Americans . President Johnson once again used his veto power . He argued that the act gave too much power to the federal ment . He also rejected the principle of equal

rights for African Americans . Congress , ever , overrode Johnson veto . Many Republicans worried about what would happen when the southern states were readmitted . Fearing that the Civil Rights Act might be overturned , the Republicans posed the Fourteenth Amendment in the summer of 1866 . The Fourteenth ment included the following provisions . It all people born or naturalized within the United States , except Native Americans , as citizens . It guaranteed citizens the equal tion of the laws . It said that states could not deprive any person of life , liberty , or property , out due process of . It banned many former Confederate from holding state or federal . It made state laws subject to federal court review . It gave Congress the power to pass any laws needed to enforce it . 1866 Elections President Johnson and most Democrats opposed the Fourteenth Amendment . As a result , civil rights for African Americans became a key issue in the 1866 nal elections . To help the Democrats , son traveled around the country defending his Reconstruction plan . Johnson speaking tour was a disaster . It did little to win votes for the Democratic Party . Johnson even got into arguments with people in the audiences of some of his speaking engagements . Two major riots in the South also hurt Johnson campaign . On May , 1866 , a dispute in Memphis , Tennessee , took place between local police and black Union soldiers . The dispute turned into a wave of violence against African Americans . About three months later , another riot took place during a political demonstration in New Orleans . During that dispute , 34 can Americans and three white Republicans were killed . Summarizing What issue did the Fourteenth Amendment address , and how did it affect the congressional elections of 1866 ?

Congress Takes Control of Reconstruction The 1866 elections gave the Republican Party a commanding majority in both the House and the Senate . This majority gave the Republicans the power to override any presidential veto . In addition , the cans became united as the moderates joined with the Radicals . Together , they called for a new form of Reconstruction . Reconstruction Acts In March 1867 , Congress passed the first of several Reconstruction Acts . These laws divided the South into districts . A military commander controlled each district . Reconstruction Military Districts Military District I Military District Military District I Military District I Military District 150 1868 Date former Confederate state was readmitted to Union 300 Miles . 150 Ivy i . 1870 so Gulf of Mexico INTERPRETING MAPS GEOGRAPHY SKILLS . Region Which district consisted of only one state ?

Interaction Do you see any reason why Military District might be more federal troops to control than the other districts ?

The would remain in control of the South until the southern states rejoined the Union . To be readmitted , a state had to write a new state constitution supporting the teenth Amendment . Finally , the state had to give African American men the right to vote . Thaddeus Stevens was one of the new Reconstruction Acts most enthusiastic supporters . He spoke in Congress to defend the Have not loyal blacks quite as good a rig to choose rulers and make laws as rebel whites ?

Every man , no matter what his race or color . Thirteenth Amendment ( 1865 ) Banned slavery throughout the United States Fourteenth Amendment ( 1868 ) Overturned the Scott case by granting citizenship to all people born in the United States ( except for Native Americans ) Fifteenth Amendment ( 1810 ) A Gave African American men the right to vote 522 CHAPTER 16 This painting shows African Americans voting after passage of the Fifteenth What right did the Fifteenth Amendment protect ?

has an equal rig , honesty , and fair play with every other man and the law should secure him those Stevens , quoted in Source of the American by Marvin Meyers et al . President on Trial President Johnson strongly disagreed with Stevens . He argued that African Americans did not deserve the same treatment as white people . The Reconstruction Acts , he said , used powers not granted to the federal ment or any one of its Knowing that Johnson did not support its tion policies , Congress passed a law limiting his power . This law prevented the president from removing cabinet without Senate approval . Johnson quickly broke the law by Edwin Stanton , the secretary of war . For the first time in United States history , the House of Representatives responded by voting to impeach the president . Impeachment is the cess used by a legislative body to bring charges of wrongdoing against a . The next step , under cle I of the Constitution , was a trial in the Senate . A majority was required to Johnson guilty and remove him from . Although Johnson was with Republicans , some of them believed he was being judged unfairly . Others did not trust the president pro of the ate , Benjamin Wade . He would become president if Johnson were removed from office . By a single vote , Senate Republicans failed to convict Johnson . Even so , the trial broke his power as president . Election of 1868 Johnson did not run for another term in 1868 . Instead , the

chose former New York governor Horatio Seymour as their presidential candidate . The Republicans chose Ulysses Grant . As a war hero , Grant appealed to many northern ers . He had no political experience but ported the congressional Reconstruction plan . He ran under the slogan Let Us Have Shortly after Grant was nominated , Congress readmitted seven southern Alabama , Arkansas , Florida , Georgia , Louisiana , North Carolina , and South Carolina . Tennessee had already been readmitted in 1866 . Under the terms of readmission , these seven states approved the Fourteenth Amendment . They also agreed to let African American men vote . However , white used violence to try to keep African Americans away from the polls . Despite such tactics , hundreds of sands of African Americans voted for Grant and the party of The New Orleans Tribune reported that many former slaves see clearly enough that the Republican party is their political life African American votes helped Grant to win a narrow victory . Analyzing To what voters did Grant appeal in the presidential election of 1868 ?

Fifteenth Amendment After Grant Victory , Congressional cans wanted to protect their Reconstruction plan . They worried that the southern states might try to keep black voters from the polls in future elections . Also , some Radical argued that it was not fair that many northern states still had laws preventing can Americans from voting . After all , every southern state was required to grant suffrage to African American men . In 1869 Congress proposed the Fifteenth Amendment , which gave African American men the right to vote . Abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison praised this wonderful , et , sudden transformation of four millions of human beings from . the auction block to the The amendment went into effect in 1870 . It was one of the last important laws passed at the federal level . The Fifteenth Amendment did not please every reformer , however . Many women were rue IMPACT TODAY Today the Voting angry because the amendment did not also Rights grant them the right to vote . 355 and expands the I Finding Main Ideas How did Radical Republicans take control of Reconstruction ! Amendment , SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section you learned that Congress took control of Reconstruction away from President son and took steps to protect the rights of African Americans . In the next section you will learn about increasing opposition to Reconstruction . online Quiz KEYWORD Reviewing Ideas , Terms , and People , a . Describe What were Black Codes ?

Make Why did Republicans think Reconstruction plan was a failure ?

a . Recall What was the Civil Rights Act of 1866 ?

Summarize Why was the Fourteenth Amendment important ?

a . Recall Why was President Johnson impeached ?

Evaluate Which element of the Reconstruction Acts do you believe was most important ?

Why ?

a . Recall What does the Fifteenth Amendment state ?

Elaborate Do you think that women should have been included in the Fifteenth Amendment ?

Explain . Section Assessment Critical Thinking . Analyzing Copy the chart below . Use it to identify the main provisions of the Fourteenth Amendment and their effects . Provisions Effects . Recognizing Relationships As you have read in this section , social and political unrest continued long after the war ended . How could this unrest cause people to leave their jobs ?

What new jobs might they find ?

RECONSTRUCTION 523 What You Will Learn . Reconstruction governments helped reform the South . The Ku Klux Klan was as African Americans moved into positions of power . As Reconstruction ended , the rights of African Americans were restricted . Southern business leaders relied on industry to rebuild the South . The Big Idea As Reconstruction ended , African Americans faced new hurdles and the South attempted to rebuild . Key Terms and People Hiram Revels , 525 Ku Klux Klan , 526 Compromise of 1877 , 527 poll tax , 528 segregation , 528 Jim Crow laws , 528 Ferguson , 529 sharecropping , 529 IE original aims of Reconstruction and describe its effects on the political and social structures of different regions . Understand the effects of the Freedmen Bureau and the restrictions placed on the rights and opportunities , including racial segregation and Jim Crow laws . rise ofthe Ku Klux Klan and describe the effects . 524 CHAPTER 16 Reconstruction in the South If YOU were there You live on a farm in the South in the . Times are hard because you do not own your farm . Instead , you and your family work in a landowners cotton . You never seem to earn enough to buy land of your own . Some of your neighbors have decided to give up farming and move to the city Others are going to work in the textile mills . But you have always been a farmer Will you decide to change your way of life ?

BUILDING BACKGROUND Reconstruction affected politics and economics in the South . Republican and Democratic politicians fought over policies and programs . New state governments began reforms , but later leaders ended many ofthem . Some parts of the southern economy improved . However , many farmers , like the family above , went through hard times . Reconstruction Governments After Grant became president in 1869 , the Republicans seemed stronger than ever . They controlled most southern governments , partly because of the support of African American voters . However , most of the Republican were unpopular with white southerners . Carpetbaggers and Scalawags Some of these were Republicans who had moved South after the war . Many white southerners called them carpetbaggers . Supposedly , they had rushed South carrying all their possessions in bags made from carpeting . Many resented these northerners , accusing of trying to from Reconstruction . Southern Democrats cared even less for white southern . They referred to them as Scalawags , or greedy rascals . Democrats believed that these had betrayed the South by

Member of Congress Hiram Revels was the son of former slaves and helped nile African American regiments in the Civil War . Revels was selected to fill the Senate seat formerly held by Jefferson Davis , president of the Confederacy . Blanche Bruce escaped from slavery and began a school for African Americans before the Civil War . Bruce was the African American elected to a full term in the I voting for the Republican Party . Many ern Republicans were small farmers who had supported the Union during the war . Others , like Mississippi governor James , were former members of the Whig Party . They to become Republicans rather than join the Democrats . African American Leaders African Americans were the largest group of southern Republican voters . During , more than 600 African Americans won election to state legislatures . Some 16 of these politicians were elected to Congress . Other African Americans held local offices in counties throughout the South . African American politicians came from many backgrounds . Hiram Revels was born free in North Carolina and went to college in Illinois . He became a Methodist minister and served as a chaplain in the Union army . In 1870 Revels became the first African American the Senate . He took over the seat held by Confederate president Jefferson State legislator 150 300 Miles . 150 300 Kilometers Gulf of Mexico SKILLS INTERPRETING MAPS . Location Which state had the most African American state legislators ?

Region Which southern states had the fewest African American representatives ?

Davis . Unlike Revels , Blanche Bruce grew up in slavery in Virginia . Bruce became an tant Republican in Mississippi and served one term as a senator . State Governments Change Direction Reconstruction governments provided money for many new programs and organizations in the South . They helped to establish some of the first public school systems in the South . They also built new hospitals , ons , and orphanages and passed laws ing discrimination against African Americans . Southern states under Republican trol spent large amounts of money . They aided the construction of railroads , bridges , and public buildings . These improvements were intended to help the southern economy recover from the war . To get the money for these projects , the Reconstruction ments raised taxes and issued bonds . Summarizing What reforms did Reconstruction state governments carry out ?

FOCUS ON READING How does the heading ofthis section tell you you will learn ?

RECONSTRUCTION 525 Ku Klux Klan As more African Americans took office , to Reconstruction increased among white . Democrats claimed that the Reconstruction governments were , illegal , and unjust . They also disliked having federal soldiers stationed in their states . Many white disapproved of African American . One noted , A white man government is the most popular rallying cry we In 1866 a group of white southerners in created the Ku Klux Klan . This secret society opposed civil rights , particularly suffrage , for African Americans . The Klan used violence and terror against African Americans . The group membership grew rapidly as it spread throughout the South . Klan members wore robes and disguises to hide their identities . They even Americans , white Republican voters , and public , ally at night . Local governments did little to stop the violence . Many officials feared the Klan or were sympathetic to its activities . In 1870 and 1871 the federal government took action . Congress passed laws that made it a federal crime to interfere with elections or to deny citizens equal protection under the law . Within a few years , the Klan was no longer an organized threat . But groups of whites continued to assault African cans and Republicans throughout the . Drawing Conclusions Why did join the Ku Klux Klan ?

Reconstruction Ends The violence of the Ku Klux Klan was not the only challenge to Reconstruction . Republicans slowly lost control of southern state ments to the Democratic Party . The General Amnesty Act of 1872 allowed former , except those who had held high ranks , to serve in public . Many of these former Confederates , most of whom were Democrats , were soon elected to southern governments . The Republican Party also began losing its power in the North . Although President Grant was in 1872 , and political scandals in his administration upset voters . In his term , a scheme in which Grant cousin took a leading role led to a brief crisis on the stock market called Black Friday . During his second term , his sonal secretary was involved in the Whiskey Ring scandal , in which whiskey distillers and public worked together to steal liquor taxes from the federal government . more , people blamed Republican policies for the Panic of 1873 . Panic of 1873 This severe economic downturn began in September 1873 when Jay Cooke and pany , a major investor in railroads and the largest of the Union Civil War effort , declared bankruptcy . The company had lied about the value of land along the side of the Northern Railroad that it owned and was trying to sell . When the truth leaked out , the company failed . The failure of such an important business sent panic through the stock market , and investors began selling shares of stock more rapidly than people wanted to buy them . Companies had to buy their shares back from the investors . Soon , 89 of the nation 364 railroads had failed as well . The failure of almost other businesses followed within two years , leaving the nation in an economic crisis . By 1876 unemployment had risen to 14 percent , with an estimated million people out of work . The high unemployment rate set off numerous strikes and protests around the nation , many involving railroad workers . In 1874 the gained control of the House of . Northerners were becoming less concerned about southern racism and more concerned about their . Election of 1876 Republicans could tell that northern support for Reconstruction was fading . Voters tion was shifting to economic problems . In 1874 the Republican Party lost control of the House of Representatives to the . The Republicans in Congress aged to pass one last civil rights law . The Civil Rights Act of 1875 guaranteed African Americans equal rights in public places , such as theaters and public transportation . But as Americans became increasingly worried about economic problems and government corruption , the Republican Party began to abandon Reconstruction . Republicans selected Ohio governor Rutherford Hayes as their 1876 candidate . He believed in ending federal support of the Reconstruction governments . The Democrats nominated New York Samuel . During the election , Democrats in the South again used violence at the polls to keep Republican voters away . The election between Hayes and was close . appeared to have won . Republicans challenged the electoral votes in Oregon and three southern states . A special commission of members of Congress and Supreme Court justices was appointed to settle the issue . The commission narrowly decided to give all the disputed votes to Hayes . Hayes thus won the presidency by one electoral vote . In the Compromise of 1877 , the Democrats agreed to accept Hayes victory . In return , they wanted all remaining federal troops removed from the South . They also asked for funding for internal improvements in the South and RECONSTRUCTION 521

Ferguson ( 896 ) Background of the Case In 1892 , Homer took a seat in the whites only car of a train Court Ruling The Court ruled that the Louisiana law was constitutional . Court Reasoning The Court stated that the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments did not apply . The Court decided that the case had nothing to do with the abolition of slavery mentioned in the Thirteenth Amendment . The justices also ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment was not designed to eliminate Why It Matters was important because it approved the idea of separate but equal facilities for people based on race . The doctrine of separate but equal led to segregation in trains , buses . schools , restaurants , and many other social institutions . The doctrine led to unequal treatment of minority groups for decades . It was finally struck in Louisiana . He was arrested , put on trial , and convicted of ing Louisiana segregation law . argued that the Louisiana law violated the Thirteenth ment and denied him the equal protection of the law as guaranteed . races . only political barriers . equal before the law ?

the appointment of a southern Democrat to the presidents cabinet . Shortly after he took in 1877 , President Hayes removed the last of the federal troops from the South . Redeemers Gradually , Democrats regained control of state governments in the South . In each state , they moved quickly to get rid of the Reconstruction reforms . Democrats who brought their party back to power in the South were called Redeemers . They came from a variety of backgrounds . For instance , senator John Morgan of Alabama was a former general in the army . Newspaper editor Henry Grady of Georgia was interested in promoting em industry . Redeemers wanted to reduce the size of state government and limit the rights of can Americans . They lowered state budgets and got rid of a variety of social programs . The Redeemers cut property taxes and reduced public funding for schools . They also ed in limiting African Americans civil rights . 528 CHAPTER 16 social barriers to equality between the Justice John Marshall Harlan agreed with the Court ruling . In a dissenting opinion . he wrote that in respect of civil rights , all citizens are down by another Supreme Court ruling , Brown Board of Education , in 1954 . ANALYSIS ANALYZING INFORMATION . Why did the Court reject arguments ?

Why was . Ferguson an important Supreme Court case ?

African Americans Rights Restricted Redeemers set up the poll tax in an effort to deny the vote to African Americans . The poll tax was a special tax people had to pay before they could vote . Some states also targeted African can voters by requiring them to pass a test . A grandfather clause written into law affected men whose fathers or grandfathers could vote before 1867 . In those cases , a voter did not have to pay a poll tax or pass a literacy test . As a result , almost every white man could escape the voting restrictions . Redeemer governments also introduced legal segregation , the forced separation of whites and African Americans in public places . Jim Crow laws that enforced common in southern states in the . African Americans challenged Jim Crow laws in court . In 1883 , however , the Supreme Court ruled that the Civil Rights Act of 1875 was unconstitutional . The Court

also ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment applied only to the actions of state ments . This ruling allowed private als and businesses to practice segregation . Ferguson In 1896 , the Supreme Court returned to the issue of segregation . When Homer , an African American , refused to leave the Louisiana train car he was riding on , he was arrested and accused of breaking a state law ing separate cars for blacks and whites . sued the railroad company and lost . His lawyers argued that the law violated his right to equal treatment under the teenth Amendment . He then appealed to the Supreme Court . The Supreme Court ruled against in Ferguson . Segregation was allowed , said the Court , if facilities were provided . Among the justices , only John Marshall Harlan disagreed with the decision . He explained his disagreement in a dissenting opinion In the eye of the law , there is in the country no superior , dominant controlling , ruling class of citizens Our constitution is , and neither knows nor tolerates classes among citizens . In respect of civil rights , all citizens are equal before the law . Marshall Harlan , from A Brief History with Documents , edited by Brook Thomas Slavery No rights Forced labor No freedom of movement without permission Family members sold away from one another No representation in government Hopes Raised and Denied Freedom Slavery banned Free to work for wages Could move and live anywhere reunited Could serve in political office Despite Harlan view , segregation became widespread across the country . African cans were forced to use separate public schools , libraries , and parks . When they existed , these facilities were usually of poorer quality than those created for whites . In practice , these called separate but equal facilities were separate and unequal . Farming in the South Few African Americans in the South could afford to buy or even rent farms . Moving West also was costly . Many African Americans fore remained on plantations . Others tried to make a living in the cities . African Americans who stayed on often became part of a system known as sharecropping , or sharing the crop . owners provided the land , tools , and plies , and sharecroppers provided the labor . At harvest time , the sharecropper usually had to give most of the crop to the owner . Whatever remained belonged to the sharecropper . Many sharecroppers hoped to save enough money from selling their share of the crops to one day be able to buy a farm . Unfortunately , only a few ever achieved this dream . Instead , most sharecroppers lived in a cycle of debt . When they needed food , ing , or supplies , most families had to buy goods on credit because they had little cash . When sharecroppers sold their crops , they Rights Denied Sharecropping system put in place Ability to vote and hold office restricted White leadership regained control of southern state governments RECONSTRUCTION 529

South The New When sharecroppers sold their crops , they hoped to be able to pay off these debts . ever , bad weather , poor harvests , or low crop prices often made this dream impossible . Sharecroppers usually grew cotton , one of the South most important cash crops . When too many farmers planted cotton , however , the supply became excessive . As a result , the price per bale of cotton dropped . Many farmers understood the drawbacks of planting cotton . However , farmers felt pressure from banks and others to keep raising cotton . A southern farmer explained why so many sharecroppers depended on cotton Cotton is the thing to get credit on in this try You can always sell cotton ou load up your wagon with wheat or corn and I doubt some days whetheryou could sell it . quoted in The Promise ofthe New South , by Edward Finding Main Ideas How were African Americans rights restricted ?

530 CHAPTER 16 Rebuilding Southern Industry The southern economy suffered through cycles of good and had years as cotton prices went up and down . Some business leaders hoped try would strengthen the southern economy and create a New South . Southern Industry Henry Grady , an Atlanta newspaper editor , was a leader of the New South movement . The new South presents . a ied industry that meets the complex needs of this complex age , he wrote . Grady and his supporters felt that with its cheap and labor , the South could build factories and provide a workforce for them . The most successful industrial ment in the South involved textile production . Businesspeople built textile mills in many small towns to produce cotton fabric . Many people from rural areas came to work in the mills , but African Americans were not allowed to work in most of them .

he New is stirred with the breath of a new Grady Atlanta rebuilt quickly after the war . becoming a leading railroad and industrial center . Newspaper editor Henry Grady gave stirring speeches about the need for industry in the South . He became one of the spokesmen of the New Why might Grady point to Atlanta as a model for economic change ?

Southern Mill Life Work in the cotton mills appealed to farm families who had trouble making ends meet . As one mill worker explained , It was a to move and get a job , rather than depend on the Recruiters sent out by the mills promised good wages and steady work . Entire families often worked in the same cotton mill . Mills employed large numbers of women and children . Many children started working at about the age of 12 . Some children started working at an even earlier age . Women did most of the spinning and were valued workers . However , few women had the opportunity to advance within the company . Many mill workers were proud of the skills they used , but they did not enjoy their work . One unhappy worker described it as the same thing over and over again . The more you do , the more they want Workers often labored 12 hours a day , six days a week . Cotton dust and lint the air , causing asthma and an illness known as disease . machinery caused injuries and even deaths . Despite the long hours and dangerous working conditions , wages remained low . However , mill work did offer an alternative to farming . Finding Main Ideas Whatdid southern business leaders hope industry would do ?

SUMMARY AND PREVIEW In this section you learned about the end of . In the next chapter you will learn about America continued westward expansion . go ( OM Section Assessment ' Reviewing Ideas , Terms , and People , a . Identify Who were some prominent African American leaders during Reconstruction ?

Evaluate What do you think was the most important change made by Reconstruction state governments ?

Explain your answer . a . Recall Why did some local governments stop the Ku Klux Klan ?

Draw Conclusions How did the Ku Klux use of terror interfere with elections in the South ?

a . Recall How did Reconstruction come to an end ?

Explain What was the relationship between Jim Crow laws and segregation ?

a . Identify Who was Henry Grady , and why was he important ?

Predict What are some possible results of the rise of the New South ?

Critical Thinking . Comparing Copy the chart below . Use it to compare the rights of African Americans before and after Reconstruction . WRITING JOURNAL . Relating Historical Change to Individual Choice Despite the difficulties of Reconstruction , the Freedmen Bureau and plans to bring industry to the New South did create new jobs . What might have led people to leave their jobs for new ones ?

RECONSTRUCTION 531 Social Studies Skills Critical Thinking Participation Analysis Students recognize the role of chance , oversight , and error in history . Chance , Oversight , and Error in History understand the Ski Marshall first had to deepen the river bed next to the mill . During his digging , he noticed some shiny Sometimes , history can seem very routine . one bits of yellow metal in the water . The result of this event leads to others which , in turn , lead to still accidental was the California Gold Rush , which others . You learn to look for sent thousands of Americans to California , and relationships among events . You learn how point Speeded Settlement Of the West . of view and bias can decisions and actions . In 1863 the army of Confederate General Robert These approaches to the study of history imply that Lee invaded Maryland . The Civil War had been the events of the past are orderly and predictable . going Well the South . Lee a In fact , many of the events of the past are victory on Union soil would convince the British to orderly and predictable ! They may seem even more aid the South in the war . However , a Confederate so since they over and done with , and we know forgot his cigars as his unit left its camp in how things turned out . Yet , predictable patterns of the Maryland countryside . Wrapped around the behavior do exist throughout history . Recognizing cigars was a copy of Lee battle plans . When a Union them is one of the great values and rewards of Soldier Came upon the abandoned camp , he spotted studying the past . As the philosopher George the cigars . This chance discovery enabled the Union once famously said , Those who can not army to defeat Lee at the Battle of . The remember the past are condemned to repeat Union victory helped keep the British out of the war . At its most basic level , however , history is More importantly , it allowed President Lincoln to people , and people are They make issue the Emancipation Proclamation and begin the takes . Unexpected things happen to them , both process of ending slavery in the United States . good things and bad . This is the unpredictable element of history . The current phrase stuff happens is just as true of the past as it is today . Mistakes , oversights , and just plain dumb luck have shaped the course of have helped to make the study of it so exciting ! In April 1865 President Lincoln was assassinated while attending the theater in Washington , Bodyguard John Parker was stationed outside the door of the President box . However , Parker left his Learn the Ski post to find a seat from which he could watch the play . This allowed the killer to enter the box and California merchant John Sutter decided to build a Shoot the unprotected President . sawmill along the nearby American River in 1848 . Write an essay about how this Chance He planned to sell the lumber it produced to settlers eVent altered the Course Of history . HOW might who were moving into the area , Sutter put James Reconstruction , relations , and African Marshall to work building the mill . To install Americans struggle for equality have been different the large water wheel that would power the saw , had Lincoln 532 CHAPTER 16

Visual the main ideas of the chapter . During Reconstruction , the Freedmen Bureau opened schools for former slaves and performed other services to help the poorest southerners . Reviewing Vocabulary , Terms , and People Complete each sentence by in the blank with the correct term or person from the chapter . were laws that allowed racial segregation in public places . The Radical Republicans were led by a member of Congress from Pennsylvania . The period from 1865 to 1877 that focused on reuniting the nation is known as . Following the Civil War , many African Americans in the South made a living by participating in the system . After opposing Congress , Andrew Johnson became the first president to face proceedings . The Amendment made slavery in the United States illegal . In 1870 , became the first African American to serve in the Senate . 16 Standards Review Dispute Differing ideas about how to govern the South led to conflicts between African Americans and white southerners , as well as between Republicans and Democrats . Use the visual summary below to help you review of 1877 ended Reconstruction , segregation laws were enacted by southern governments and upheld by the Supreme Court . Comprehension and Critical Thinking I Wages ) a . Describe How did the lives of African cans change after the Civil War ?

Compare and Contrast How was President Johnson Reconstruction plan similar and different from President Lincoln Ten Percent Plan ?

Evaluate Which of the three Reconstruction plans that were originally proposed do you think would have been the most successful ?

Why ?

Pages ) a . Identify Who were the Radical Republicans , and how did they change Reconstruction ?

Analyze How did the debate over the teenth Amendment affect the election of 1866 ?

Elaborate Do you think Congress was right to impeach President Andrew Johnson ?

Explain . RECONSTRUCTION 533 SECTION ( Pages ) ESE , lo . a . Describe What reforms did Reconstruction governments in the South support ?

Draw Conclusions In what ways did southern attempt to reverse the of Reconstruction ?

Evaluate Do you think the South was ful or unsuccessful in its rebuilding efforts ?

Explain your answer . Reviewing Themes II . Politics Explain the political struggles that took place during Reconstruction . Society and Culture How were the lives of ordinary southerners affected in the years after Reconstruction ?

Using the Internet . Activity Drawing conclusions A challenge for anyone trying to understand Reconstruction is drawing conclusions from primary and ary sources from the time period . This activity will help you see how complex this can be . Enter the activity keyword , and then rate the credibility of the sources provided . Make sure you explain whether the source is a primary or secondary source , whether or not you think the source is credible , and the reasons for your thoughts . Reading Skills Reading for Essential and Relevant Information Use the Reading Skills taught in this chapter to answer the question about the reading selection below . Radical Republicans wanted the federal to force change in the South . Like the moderates , they thought the Black Codes were cruel and unjust . The radicals , however , wanted the federal government to be much more involved in Reconstruction . 519 ) 534 CHAPTER 16 . Which of the following is relevant information for the passage above ?

Thaddeus Stevens was a Radical Republican . Andrew Johnson was a Democrat . Radical Republicans wanted the federal to make major changes in the South . Radical Republicans were eventually removed from power . Social Studies Skills Chance , Oversight , and Error in History Use the Social Studies Skills taught in this chapter to answer the question about the reading selection below . Johnson speaking tour was a disaster . It did little to win votes for the Democratic Party . He even got into arguments with people in the audience . 521 ) Which of the following is an example of chance , oversight , or error that affected history ?

Johnson got into arguments with audiences . The tour was a disaster . The tour did win votes . Johnson spoke for the Democratic Party . Writing A Job History Review your notes about the changing job scene during Reconstruction . Put yourself in the shoes of a person living then . It could be returning soldier , a shopkeeper , a schoolteacher , or a politician . What jobs would that person seek ?

Why would he or she leave one job for another ?

Write a brief job history for that person during Reconstruction . Include at least four jobs . Make each job description to sentences long . End each one with a sentence or two about why the person left that job . Add one sentence explaining why they took the next job . Be sure to include historical details .

Standards Assessment DIRECTIONS Read each question and write the what convinced in letter the beef Use the map be 30 Congress to take control of Reconstruction answer question from the president ?

A President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by a southern sympathizer . President Andrew Johnson vetoed the Military District Military District i ' Military District Military District , the ' States began Passing 95 , to of District 1868 Dam former freedoms 150 300 Confederate state I mimic ' I , White southern women refused to support the Fifteenth Amendment . All of the following limited opportunities for African Americans in the South after Reconstruction ended except A sharecropping . the Redeemers . Jim Crow laws . carpetbaggers . which military district contained the largest ' states ?

Connecting with Past Learning A Military District During Reconstruction , southerners were i . i ruled by a small number of outsiders known aw is as carpetbaggers . This situation is most Military similar to the period of A Mongol rule over China Roman control over Italy Chinese control of Japan Aztec over the What can you infer from the map information ?

A South Carolina was difficult to reconstruct . The largest number of troops was in Military District . was the last district to end a in Grade you about de ' Las Casas effort to improve conditions for ' the Native Americans . This was most similar to before the Other which group efforts during Reconstruction ?

A Redeemers Radical Republicans Democrats sharecroppers The quickest approach to reuniting the nation was proposed by the A Ten Percent Plan . Bill . Civil Rights Act of 1866 . Compromise of 1877 . RECONSTRUCTION 535 Writing Workshop Assignment Collect information and write an informative report on a topic related to the Civil War . Narrowing the Task The key to a successful research report is picking a topic that is broad enough that you can find information , but narrow enough thatyou can cover it in detail . To narrow a subject , focus on one aspect ofthe larger subject . Then think about whether that one aspect can be broken down into smaller parts . Here an example of how to narrow a topic Too Broad Civil War Leaders Less Broad Civil War Generals Narrower Robert Lee Role in the Civil War A Social Studies Report 11 research begins with a question . Why did the North win the Civil War ?

Why did Abraham Lincoln choose Ulysses Grant ?

In a research report , you find answers to questions like these and share what you learn with your reader . Choosing a Subject Since you will spend a lot of time researching and writing about your topic , pick one that interests you . First , think of several topics related to the Civil War . Narrow your list to one topic by thinking about what interests you and where you can find information about the topic . Developing a Research Question A guiding question related to your topic will help focus your research . For example , here is a research question for the topic Robert Lee Role in the Civil War How did Lee decision to turn down the leadership of the Union Army affect the Civil War ?

The answer to this question becomes the thesis , or the big idea of your report . Finding Historical Information Use at least three sources of historical information besides your book . Good sources include I books , maps , magazines , newspapers I television programs , movies , sites , For each source , write down the kinds of information shown below . When taking notes , put a circled number next to each source . Encyclopedia article Title of Name of Encyclopedia . Edition or year published . Book Author . City of Publication Publisher , Year published . Magazine or newspaper article Writing Write research reports . 536 UNIT ( Author . Title of Publication name Date page ( Internet site Author ( if known ) Document Web Site . Date of electronic publication . Date information was accessed url

Taking Notes As you read the source material , take thorough notes on facts , tics , comparisons , and quotations . Take special care to spell names correctly and to record dates and facts accurately . If you use a direct quotation from a source , copy it word for word and enclose it in marks . Along with each note , include the number of its source and its page number . Organizing Your Ideas and Information Informative research reports are usually organized in one of these ways I Chronological order ( the order that events occurred ) I Order of importance I Causes ( actions or situations that make something else happen ) and effects ( what happened as a result of something else ) Use one of these orders to organize your notes in an outline . Here is a partial outline for a paper on Robert Lee . The Idea Robert Lee decision to decline the leadership of the Union Army had serious consequences for the path of the Civil War . Lee Military Expertise A . Achievements at the US . Military Academy . Achievements during the Mexican War II . Lee Personality and Character A . Intelligence and strength . Honesty and fairness Daring and courage . Lee Military Victories A . Battle of . Battle of . Write You can use this framework to help you write your draft . Introduction I Start with a quote or an interesting historical detail to grab your attention . I State the main idea of your report . I Provide any historical background readers need to understand your main idea . Body I Present your information least three main ideas , using logical order . I Write at least one paragraph for each ofthese main ideas . I Add supporting details , facts , or examples to each paragraph . Seeing Different Viewpoints Consult a variety of sources , including those with different points of view on the topic . Reading sources with different opinions will give you a more complete picture of your subject . For example , reading articles about Robert Lee written by a southern writer as well as a northern writer may give you a more balanced view of Lee . Recording Others Ideas You will be taking three types of notes . of all the ideas in your own words . Summaries Brief of only the most important parts . Direct quotations The writer exact words inside quotation marks . Conclusion I Restate your main idea , using slightly different words . I Include a general comment about . I You might comment on how the historical information in your report relates to later historical events . THE NATION BREAKS APART

Studying a Model Here is a model of a research report . Study it to see how one student developed a paper . The first and the concluding paragraphs are shown in full . The paragraphs in the body of the paper are summarized . INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH 71 can not raise my hand against my birthplace , my home , Attention grabber my With these words , Robert Lee changed course of the Civil War . Abraham Lincoln had turned to Lee as his first choice for commander of the Union Army . However , Lee turned Lincoln down , choosing instead to side with his home state of Virginia and take command of Statement of thesis the Confederate Army . Lee decision to turn Lincoln down weakened the North and strengthened the Confederates , turning What might have been an easy Victory for the North into a long , costly war . BODY PARAGRAPHS In the first part of the body , the student points out that Lee ated from the Military Academy at West Point , served in the Mexican War , and was a member of the Union Army . She goes on to explain that he would have been a strong leader for the North , and his absence made the North weaker . In the middle of the report , the writer discusses Lee personality and character . She includes information about the strength of ter he showed while in the military academy and while leading the Confederate Army . She discusses and gives examples of his , his daring , his courage , and his honesty . In the last part of the body of the report , the student provides of Lee leading the outnumbered Confederate Army to a series of victories . The student provides details of the battles of Fredericksburg and and explains how a lesser general than Lee may have lost both battles . CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH brilliant and resourceful leadership bedeviled a series Summary of main points of Union generals . He won battles that most generals would Restatement of big idea have lost . If Lee had used these skills to lead the larger and more powerful Union Army , the Civil War might have ended 31 months instead of years . 538 UNIT

. Evaluate and Revise Evaluating and Revising Your Draft Evaluate your draft by carefully reading it twice . Ask the questions below to decide which parts of your draft should be revised . Evaluation Questions for an Informative Report I Does the introduction attract the I Is the report clearly organized ?

Does readers interest and state the big it use chronological order , order of of your report ?

importance , or cause and effect ?

I Does the body of your report have at I Does the conclusion restate the least three paragraphs that develop big idea of your report ?

Does it end your big idea ?

is the main idea in with a general comment about the each paragraph clearly stated ?

importance of I Have you included enough information to support each of your I Have you included at least three main ideas ?

Are all facts , details , sources in your bibliography ?

Have and examples accurate ?

Are all you included all the sources you of them clearly related to the main used and not any you did not use ?

ideas they support ?

Proofread and Publish Proofreading To improve your report before sharing it , check the following I The spelling and capitalization of all proper names for people , places , things , and events . I Punctuation marks around any direct quotation . I Your list of sources ( Works Cited or Bibliography ) against a guide to writing research papers . Make sure you follow the examples in the guide when punctuating and capitalizing your source listings . Pu is hi Choose one or more of these ideas to publish your report . I Share your report with your classmates by turning it into an informative speech . I Submit your report to an online discussion group that focuses on the Civil War and ask for feedback . I With your classmates , create a magazine that includes reports on several different topics or post the reports on your school Web site . Practice and Apply Use the steps and strategies outlined in this workshop to research and write an informative report on the Civil War . Organizing YourTime By creating a schedule and following it , you can avoid that panicky moment when the due date is near and you have even started your research . To create your schedule and manage yourtime , include these six steps . Develop a question and research ( 10 of time ) Research and take notes ( 25 ) Write your main idea statement and create an outline ( 15 ) Write a first draft ( 25 ) Evaluate and revise your first draft ( 15 ) Proofread and publish your report ( 10 ) THE NATION BREAKS APART 539