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Creation of the Freedmen's Bureau
The creation of the Freedmen's Bureau showcased the belief that many within the federal government, especially radical Republicans held, which was to have federal intervention in the reconstruction of the South and to ensure newly freed slaves were not subjugated to wages or working conditions on par with slavery. One of the main emphases of the Bureau would be to "distribute clothing, food, and fuel to destitute freedmen." (Foner, 69) However, the Bureau was seen as a temporary measure. -
African American Migration and Vagabondage
In the following months after the Civil War, African Americans found themselves with an opportunity to form their own societies, with assistance from the federal government, especially African American Union troops. Black soldiers would spread ideas of "land ownership and civil and political equality." These measures would even lead to, in certain areas of the South, for African Americans to form communities. An abundance of freed slaves took their freedom with the chance to travel around. -
Congress Taking Over
President Andrew Johnson, a Democrat, and the super-majority Republican Congress consistently went back and forth on the matters of Reconstruction. This involved a process of constant vetos and veto overrides in the months after the Civil War. However, in 1867, Congress began to take matters into their own hands. Congress "dissolved the self-reconstructed governments and imposed an overlay of five military occupation districts." (Guelzo, 40) This was to protect freedom and stop insurrection. -
The Election of Ulysses Grant
While the executive and legislative branches were in disarray and neglectful to work with one another, during the Andrew Johnson Administration, the election of 1868 was an opportunity to elect a president more willing to assist in reconstruction and benefit the freedmen. During the impeachment trials of Johnson, "the war-winning general Ulysses Grant, who had been edging closer and closer to the Radicals", (Guelzo, 56), would take the spot as the Republican nominee. He would win in a landslide. -
African American Political Rise and Dissatisfaction
African Americans were beginning to make strives in the political aspects of America, such as having over a dozen members in Congress; however, many of them were also unsatisfied with the amount of Black representative positions of government in comparison with the population size of some states. For instance, black leaders, in states with a larger freedmen population, "increasingly demanded "a fair proportion of the offices" and began to assume a larger role in party affairs." (Foner, 352) -
Rise of the Ku Klux Klan
While various Southerners were aggravated at the loss of the Confederacy after the Civil War, the rise of the KKK conveyed a radical reaction to the changes taking place during Reconstruction. By the early 1870s, the Klan sought unity among local factions and acted as "a military force serving the interests of the Democratic party, the planter class, and all of those who desired restoration of white supremacy." (Foner, 425) Grant would spend his presidency combatting the Klan's violence. -
Republican Government Debt in the South
With the creation of the Freedmen's Bureau, the rebuilding of city infrastructure, such as railroads, and the creation of schools and government positions, numerous cities and government elements in the South found themselves in substantial debt. Rebuilding the South was always a critical matter, especially since various cities and railroads were either destroyed or dismantled during the war; however, these debts and taxes "gave further fuel to resentment among Southern whites." (Guelzo, 75) -
The Election of 1872
The Election of 1872 conveyed a declining sense of radicalism in the nation. Even though Grant, the Republican succeeded in winning the race against Greeley, the Democrat, the election saw a questionable stance on Republican radicalism. It hinted at the possibility of adhering to new interests and policies beyond Reconstruction, such as the beginnings of the Gilded Age. In the end, in terms of the Democrats, "Democracy demonstrated once again its uncanny talent for survival." (Foner, 510) -
The Crisis of 1875
While there were hints of the decline of radicalism and Reconstruction seen in the election of 1872, the Crisis of 1875 showcased the soon-to-be end of Reconstruction altogether. This would be one of the last times Republicans would hold stern control over Congress, and, as a result, wanted to push legislation cementing Reconstruction in the South, such as with protective voting rights. However, these measures failed and "marked a milestone in the retreat from Reconstruction." (Foner, 563) -
The Election of 1876
In 1876, Rutherford B. Hayes, the Republican Nominee, though he supported Reconstruction efforts in the past, came to a political conclusion that "Reconstruction issues were costing him votes, and he backed away from endorsing Sumner's posthumous civil rights bill." (Guelzo, 110) By the time of the election, he would strike a deal with South Carolina to help him win the election and pull Union troops out of the South, which would, unofficially, mark the end of Reconstruction in America.