T H E A M E R I C A N S S E C T I O N 1 2 . 2

Reconstructing Society

Traitors

Why did scalawags change from the Democrat party to the Republican party?

to improve their economic and political power

since the Republicans were in power and controlling Reconstruction, many small farmers believed they could get more advantages if they were Republicans

sought to prevent former wealthy planters from regaining power

few shared the Republican commitment to civil rights and suffrage for African- Americans and most eventually changed back to Democrat after Reconstruction

Problems Responses

governments are faced with the challenge of rebuilding the region

difficulty financing state spending

poor credit rating conflicting goals of the

three groups within the Republican Party

racist laws

created public works programs

built orphanages and mental hospitals

created public school systems

increased taxes African-Americans took

an active role in politics and working for equality

Political Problems

“40 Acres and a Mule”

General Sherman had made this promise to freed slaves that had followed his army.

Never happened on a large scale.

Homestead Act of 1866 set aside 44 million acres in the South , the land was mostly swampy and unsuitable for farming

Few homesteaders had the resources (seed, tools, plows, horses) to farm successfully

New Southern Economy

From “Chattel Slavery” to “Debt Slavery”

Planters claimed to need complete control over labor in order to make plantations work

Sharecropping

Landowners provide land, seed and tools to poor farmers

Farmers give back a portion of their crops (about half) to the landowner

New Southern Economy

From “Chattel Slavery” to “Debt Slavery”

Tenant Farming

Sharecroppers who could save enough money and buy their own tools worked out a better deal with landowners

Farmers would rent the land, paid in cash

Most tenant farmers needed to borrow money for seed or other things keeping them in debt to their land lord

Many remained in debt their entire lives

Problems Responses

plummeting property values and per capita wealth

population devastated by death and malnutrition

need to increase state spending when few financial resources existed

raised taxes

introduced forced labor contracts

confiscated plantations and redistributed them to former slaves

Economic Problems

Problems Responses

labor shortage

landlessness among poor whites and former slaves

plummeting cotton prices

widespread debt

bank failures

adopted sharecropping and tenant farmer systems

grew more cotton

made efforts to diversify Southern economy

Economic Problems

Traitors

Why did carpetbaggers migrate from the North to the South?

some were Freedmen’s Bureau agents who felt a moral duty to help former slaves

others were opportunists looking start new industries or businesses in the new economy

while some were dishonest business people who tried to cheat Southerners and former slaves out of what little they had left

Freedmen’s Bureau

What function did the Freedmen’s Bureau serve during Reconstruction?

reunite families

established educational institutions

promoted the wage-labor system

African-American Churches

What function did African-American churches serve during Reconstruction?

established educational institutions

volunteer organizations

fire companies

trade associations

political organizations

drama groups

The first elected officials were church ministers who had experience in leadership roles: Hiram Revels was the first African-American Senator.

Problems Responses

racism

refusal on the part of many Southern whites to accept blacks as equals

many white Southerners could not handle defeat

some whites emigrated

many blacks moved from plantations to cities

African-Americans made efforts to find family members

Social Problems

Problems Responses

separation of African-American families

African-American illiteracy

African-Americans joined various educational, religious, social, and political institutions and organizations

some whites resorted to violence against African-Americans

Social Problems

Common Core Practice

1. The city with the LEAST African-American population in 1870 was

a) Montgomery

b) Raleigh

c) Atlanta

d) Nashville

Common Core Practice

2. The city with the greatest percent increase in African-American population between 1850 and 1870 was

a) Atlanta

b) Nashville

c) Richmond

d) Raleigh

Common Core Practice

3. Which city surpassed Richmond in the relative number of colleges compared to its African-American population?

a) Nashville

b) Montgomery

c) Raleigh

d) All of the above

Common Core Practice

4. Which city experienced the LEAST African-American population growth between 1860 and 1870?

a) Raleigh

b) Montgomery

c) Nashville

d) Atlanta