1. Presidential Reconstruction
• “Reconstruction” = restoring the Union, bringing the states back together, NOT fixing the South
• The idea that, because the South never really “left,” it’s the President’s job, as opposed to the idea that Congress needs to readmit states that left
• Also a reference to Johnson’s plan: after he became President, he came up with his own plan and went ahead with it without Congress
• Johnson gave pardons to everyone, abandoned plans to punish treason
• Seriously pissed off Radical Republicans and Congress, resulting the uniting of moderate and Radical Republicans, Congressional Reconstruction. The end result was radical reconstruction of the south.
2. Congressional Reconstruction
• The idea that, because the states left the Union, Congress needs to readmit them
• Radicals called for black suffrage, public school support, anti Confederacy policies, extended military occupation. Moderates agreed with part of it
• Reconstruction Act of 1867- far more radical. Split the South into 5 military districts
• Johnson was very against the Act, and replaced radical military officers with more conservative ones.
• The result of Johnson’s actions was Congress became more suspicious of Johnson’s intentions, causing the Republicans to unite against him again, resulting in the Impeachment Crisis
3. The Legacy of Reconstruction
• 1: The Solid South: o White southerners came back into power and established home rule and Redemption government o Severely restricted the state government (constitutions) so black shouldn’t be protected o Re-established white supremacy
• 2. Jim Crow Laws o segregated the races o Plessey vs. Ferguson made segregation legal: “Separate but equal”
• 3. Voting o Blacks voted until 1900 (KKK disappeared after Reconstruction) o Poll taxes- you had to pay to vote, but this didn’t apply to whites o Literacy tests- you had to pass in order to vote. However, you were