USA 1865-1877: Federal Govt Weaknesses

• how many died during the Civil War

  625,000
• Lincoln's Assasination

  April 14, 1865

  - John Wilkes Booth
• how many slaves were emancipated

  4,000,000
• Andrew Johnson


  17th President

  - Strong Unionist: opposed Tennessee's secession

  - Southener who hated the rich white plantation owners
• 13th amendment


  abolished slavery
• how many southeners did Johnson pardon

  13,000
• Black Codes


  1865-6

  - in place in the South

  - heavily restricted economic and political power of AAs
• KKK formed


  1865 in Tennessee
• Freedmens' Bureau


  1865 - Agency set up to aid former slaves in adjusting themselves to freedom and helped them get jobs and education

  - Johnson vetoed their continuation twice in 1866
• Civil Rights Act 1866


  Passed over the veto of Johnson

  - declared that all persons born in the United States were now citizens, without regard to race, color, or previous condition.
• 14th amendment


  Declares that all persons born in the U.S. are citizens and are guaranteed equal protection of the laws
• Reconstruction Act


  1867

  - rebuilding damages of war and dividing ex-confederate states into 5 districs
• Tenure of Office Act


  1867- president had to obtain Senate approval to remove any official

  - Johnson fired Secretary of War Edwin Stanton led to Johnson's impeachment.
• how did Johnson escape impeachment

  only 1 more vote was needed to complete the 2/3 majority
• Radical Republicans


  e.g. Thaddeus Stevens

  - believed that the south should be more harshly punished

  - wanted black suffrage and the redistribution of land back to blacks
• Memphis and New Orleans race riots


  1868
• Gold Scandal


  1869

  - Grant's friends Jay Gould and Jim Fisk overpriced gold and cornered market
• Credit Mobilier Scandal


  Union Pacific Railroad Company shareholders divert profits to themselves

  - 1873 investigation finds that congressmen were involved
• Salary Grab


  1873

  - 50% wage rise for Congressmen

  - public protest so eventually reversed
• Whisky Ring


  St Louis company defrauded the govt of $3 million tax rev
• Belknap Scandal


  1876

  - Sec of War William Belknap resigned and avoided impeachment for $25,000 in bribes
• Tweed Ring


  - NY

  - William Tweed's 'Ring' controlled courts, police and legislation

  - looted $45 million, convicted in 1877
• Economic Panic


  1873
• how many AAs held office under Grant


  2000
• how many black Congressmen under Grant


  16
• 15th Amendment


  1869

  - black suffrage
• how many black votes did Grant win

  7 million

  - heavily relied on them
• Enforcement Acts


  1870-1871

  - in response to the KKK and others, passed these acts to protect black voters

  - penalties on person who interfered with any citizen's right to vote

  -Outlaws the activities of the KKK
• Civil Rights Act of 1875


  criminalised public discrimination
• redeemers


  - Largely former slave owners

  - Staged a major counterrevolution to "redeem" the south by taking back southern state governments
• Louisiana Elections 1868


  1000+ dead (mostly freedmen)
• Colfax Massacre


  1873

  - 150 freedmen killed by KKK and White League
• only 3 ex-confederate states to not be redeemed by 1876


  Louisiana, Florida and S Carolina