African Americans during Reconstruction
- Created by: Alasdair
- Created on: 11-04-17 16:59
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- African Americans during Reconstruction
- Due to S states not yet readmitted to Union and under military rule, Congress had unusual opportunity to take lead in passing measures to promote civil rights --> period known as Congressional Reconstruction and led to ore radical changes than any other period pre-1960s
- Andrew Johnson more sympathetic to S so assemblies had confidence in passing highly discrimatory Black Codes which -
- Restricted rights of AAs (African Americans) to compete for work with WAs (white Americans)
- Gave rights to punish vagrants and unemployed former slaves
- Gave states right to return vagrants and unemployed slaves to forced labour
- Allowed those who attacked AAs to go unpunished, with state officials often participating in attacks
- Even if state govs and pres did not want change, Congress could take action -
- Radical Republicans
- Led by two key enthusiasts
- Thaddeus Stevens
- Senator Charles Sumner
- Persuasive and influential advocates for change
- Helped by Congress est. federal institution in March 1865 - Freedman's Bureau - helped emancipated slaves
- Led by two key enthusiasts
- A Joint Congressional Committee of Fifteen was est.
- Dec 1865
- Sanctioned military support for reconstruction measures in S
- Radical Republicans
- Changes remarkably modern
- After 1977, S states were allowed to deprive AAs of their rights and it was not until 1960s anything as radical was done to help them.
- Later Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbade racial discrimination in places of public accommodation and CR Act of 1965 codified and put into force Fifteenth Amendment's guarantee no person should be denied vote on account of race and colour
- Congressional measures of 1866 and 1867 passed in teeth of opposition from President Andrew Johnson
- Bitter dispute led to Johnson nearly being impeached
- His successor, Union commander Ulysses S. Grant worked more closely with Congress and used federal troops to support legislation
- Union between president and Congress led to remarkable changes of period 1868-75
- Attempts to settle former slaves on confiscated land and to provide some education and awareness of rights of citizens had been met with brutal opp since war ended.
- In Memphis in May 1866, 46 AAs were killed in race riots
- New Orleans, 35 also died
- State officials and police often participated in attacking AAs
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