1.Reconstruction in the South

With the end of the Civil War the South was in shambles.And more than physical damage，the whole basis of the South’s economic life also lay in ruins.With the freeing of slaves，the plantation system had completely broken down.Moreover，the South’s whole social system was in a state of collapse.Confederate money was worthless.Schools and colleges were empty of students.Policemen，courts，and judges were few.Criminal groups roamed and raided the countryside.

Facing these circumstances rebuilding the South was very much needed.Even before the end of the war，Lincoln tried to plan for an orderly reconstruction.In 1863，Lincoln issued his“Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction”which came to be known as the“10percent plan”.The plan provided that as soon as ten percent of the voters in any state had taken the oath of loyalty，they could form their own government and would be entitled to the recognition of their state by the President of the United States.By 1866 all of the southern states had conformed to the terms of the plan and were ready to join the Union again.But in the course of their operations the new southern legislatures undertook to deal with the“Negro problem”，and many of them enacted laws imposing severe restrictions on the rights of freedom.These laws，known as new“black codes”，excited great opposition in the North and were attacked as an attempt to restore slavery under another name.In such circumstances reconstruction passed into its second stage that the radical Republicans in Congress took charge of reconstruction.In June 1866，Congress adopted a resolution to alter the federal Constitution by adding a fourteenth amendment.This proposal was intended to confer citizenship on all

Negroes，establish the right of all persons to life，liberty，and property，and reduce the representation in Congress of any state which deprived adult male citizens of the right to vote in major elections.While the Fourteenth Amendment was pending before state legislatures for ratification，Congress passed the Reconstruction Acts that divided all the former Confederate states，except Tennessee，into five military districts and each was put under the control of a Northern army officer.These officers had the power to preserve order and to enforce martial law if necessary.They were also invested to have right to form new state government if necessary.They gave the blacks right to vote，and at the same time they temporarily deprived the former Confederate leaders of the right to vote.Military reconstruction of the South was an extreme measure on the part of Congress，and the Radicals feared that either the Supreme Court or the President might try to overturn it.So Congress next set about to reduce the President’s powers.

Andrew Johnson（1808-1875）

In March 1867，Congress passed two Acts that took away two presidential prerogatives：the right to remove Cabinet members and the right to remove army officers under his command.To test the constitutionality of the Act，President Andrew Johnson¹ removed Edwin M.Stanton，the Secretary of War，from office in 1868，who was the only remaining Radical in Johnson’s Cabinet.He thus walked into troubles with the radicals.Later the House voted to impeach the President，but the Senate failed by only one vote to master the two-thirds necessary to support the charges.However，Johnson was the first US President who faced impeachment proceedings.After that the Radical Republicans in Congress carried out their congressional reconstruction without much presidential interference.Many northerners，at this time，came to the South to become political leaders.Some adventurers and fortune hunters also poured into the South.Whatever their motives，these Northerners came to be called“carpetbaggers”because they were said to have brought all their belongings to the South in a small，cheap suitcase made out of a carpet like material and used by travelers in those days.

Carpetbaggers

On the other hand，there were also Southerners who supported Radical Reconstruction and became members of the Republican Party.They were considered as traitors by the Democrats，and came to be called“scalawags”，apopular term at that time meaning rogues or scoundrels.A large proportion of the scalawags were planters and businessmen.They thought if they joined the Republican Party，they could control the Negro votes for their political and economic purposes，and they had no objection in the South.

The southern whites bitterly resented the black political power，and some of them reacted with a campaign of terror.Secret societies were formed.The best known was the Ku Klux Klan.Its terrorist activities included whipping，tar-and-feathering，castration，lynching，and other violence against the recently enfranchised blacks.The aim of the Klan was to drive blacks out of politics，end Reconstruction and restore white supremacy.Because of the racial attacks against the Negroes by the whites，apermanent pattern of mistrust and misunderstanding developed between the Negroes and the whites in the South.

By 1872，the North was beginning to grow weary of such Reconstruction in the South.The then President Grant ordered federal troops not to interfere any further in southern politics.Encouraged by such actions，the Southern Conservatives made great progress and recaptured control of some state governments.By 1876，only three states remained under the Radical control.The next year，the President Hayes recalled all northern troops，and Radical Reconstruction in the South was ended.

After Reconstruction the Negroes civil rights were restricted again.In almost every southern state，laws were passed requiring that voters must be able to read and write.In addition，voting taxes were introduced which further restricted those Negroes who could not pay.The southern whites also took steps to segregate the blacks.By 1900，practically every state in the South had passed laws which separated the blacks and the whites in schools，trains，trolley cars，libraries，playgrounds，housing and restaurants.These laws were so inclusive that two separate societies emerged in the South.

After years of turmoil，the South was continuing to struggle with the problems of economic reconstruction.Little manufacturing did develop，but it was based largely on capital investments from the North.Nevertheless，there was never a great industrial boom in the South.Thus while the North moved ahead into a new industrial age，the South was left behind.