RECONSTRUCTION [APUSH Review Unit 5 Topic 10] Period 5: 1844-1877

Reconstruction: The Path to Reunification

Introduction to Reconstruction

• The video discusses the period of Reconstruction following the Civil War, focusing on how the North and South were reintegrated from 1865 to 1877.

• A central question during this time was whether the Confederacy should be treated leniently or as a defeated enemy, influencing various Reconstruction policies.

Lincoln's Lenient Approach

• Abraham Lincoln favored a lenient approach, believing that the South never truly left the Union due to legal impossibilities.

• His Ten-Percent Plan required only 10% of voters in Southern states to pledge loyalty for reestablishment of state governments and ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery.

• This plan aimed to lower barriers for reentry into the Union while allowing Southerners to maintain dignity post-war.

Johnson's Presidency and Policies

• Following Lincoln's assassination by John Wilkes Booth, Vice President Andrew Johnson assumed presidency but lacked Lincoln’s magnanimity.

• Johnson was unsympathetic towards emancipation and allowed former slave owners to regain power, leading to conditions similar to pre-war times.

Rise of Radical Republicans

• Radical Republicans opposed Johnson’s leniency and sought punitive measures against the South for its secessionist actions.

• They aimed for Congressional leadership in Reconstruction rather than presidential control, advocating for legislation that protected black rights.

Key Legislation Passed

• Two significant pieces of legislation included an extension of the Freedman’s Bureau and the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which aimed at aiding newly freed blacks and ensuring their citizenship rights.

• Despite Johnson's vetoes against these laws, Congress successfully overrode them with a two-thirds majority.

Constitutional Amendments and Military Occupation

• To further secure civil rights, Republicans proposed the Fourteenth Amendment guaranteeing citizenship and equal protection under state laws.

Impeachment and Women's Rights in Reconstruction

Impeachment of Andrew Johnson

• The conflict between Andrew Johnson and the Radical Republicans culminated in his impeachment, a significant event during Reconstruction.

• Impeachment refers to the trial determining if a president should be removed from office, not the removal itself; examples include Bill Clinton and Donald Trump who were impeached but remained in office.

• Congressional Republicans aimed to remove Johnson by passing the Tenure of Office Act (1867), which restricted presidential power to fire cabinet members without congressional approval.

• Johnson defied this act by firing a cabinet member, leading to a full impeachment trial that ultimately failed to oust him by just one vote, leaving him powerless regarding future Reconstruction policies.

Women's Rights Movement During Reconstruction

• The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, while the 14th Amendment granted citizenship and equal protection under the law; however, women’s rights advocates felt excluded from these advancements.

• The 15th Amendment granted voting rights specifically to newly freed black men but did not extend this right to women, causing discontent among women's rights activists like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony.

• This dissatisfaction led Stanton and Anthony to form the National Woman Suffrage Association, focusing on securing voting rights for women despite the limitations of the 15th Amendment.