lecture 2 reconstruction

Lecture 2 reconstruction

Cultural capital of America – our stories – Lincoln revives positive freedom -
Lincoln dies at the beginning of this story. At Gettysburg he had talked of new nation, conceived in
Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal ….. -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. Heir of Jefferson – in his enthusiasm for opportunity for common man – Labor theory of value - as Jesus said "should not reap what you did not sow"
Lincoln sees government guarding sheep from wolves like slavemasters – concentrated economic or political power
After the Revolution most Americans believed slavery would fade away. Madison called it "the most oppressive dominion ever exercised by man over man" Jefferson saw it degrading both master and slave and all of southern life
Northern states abolished it - but in the South American inventiveness led to the invention of the coton gin while the industrial revolution was making textiles the first great industry and instead of fading away it flourished - making some southerners very rich.
Southerners like Calhoun created very serious and imaginative justifications for slavery - contrasting it
favorably with the "wage slavery" of the north. Contrast strongly with tolerant earlier tidewater beliefs.
The expanding slave economy moves southern religion away from humanitarian ideals.
Second Great Awakening – Revivalism – emphasize emotional response - reject Calvinist elite predestined – salvation possible for all men.

Democracy form of government most approved by GOD
sense of possibility of reshaping the world to "empire of freedom" generates MISSIONARY ENTHUSIASM which will express itself in Abolitionism and Prohibition, converting “inferior” civilizations like Mexicans, Indians, AND IN OUR FOREIGN POLICY ADVENTURES
South interior – fundamentalist approach – Bible, W/ SPECIAL EMPHASIS Old Testament – literal complete inspired word of God – unimpeachable guide to religious belief and moral behavior.
even today religions which emphasize old testament & believe in devil tend to Manichean world view - angry and righteous smiting god – strong paternalistic father dominated family
– rest of world dangerous corrupt immoral – easily enthused by war, nationalism, cold war –
Use restrictive interpretation fundamentalist doctrine to justify Slavery and affirm its value
Good v evil opposites - light switch – life and death – absolute moral values – against openness to other POV
In Judicial debates now (Federalists) they are originalists literalists of Constitution

Hate "foreign" law – hate UN – UNICEF – earlier "war against Christmas" -
UNICEF Encouraged well off Americans to donate for food and education for poor foreigners
North - Charles Finney - New York - social Gospel Christianity "bleeding heart"
reflects sectional trends we can still see – NY and New Engl – emphasize Christ WORDS - beatitudes, social reform, take care of poor – benevolent and reasonable god
Violence of Slavery – percentage of slaves to population – 1 to 1 relationship in uplands much different from gang slavery - South Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi most plantations

RECONSTRUCTION
text notes Carl Schurtz - to defend their freedom blacks need federal protection of their freedom, land of
their own, and the vote

During war passed: Thirteenth Amendment: Proposed in January 31st, 1865 and ratified on December 6th, 1865. “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude except as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the US or any place subject to their jurisdiction. Congress shall have the power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.
Needed some Southern states to ratify – made ratification a requirement of re-admission

The Fourteenth Amendment: after war – reaction against Presidential reconstruction - Johnson calls "treason" radical reconstr - Made all native-born or naturalized persons American Citizens and prohibited the states from abridging the "privileges and immunities" of citizens, depriving them of "life, liberty, or property without due process of the law," and denying them equal protection of the laws". *This nullified the Dred Scott decision of 1857. Weak mention voting rights – used later 1 man one vote.

The Fifteenth Amendment: Prohibited states from depriving any citizen of the right to vote because of "race, color, or previous condition of servitude. It extended black to the entire nation. Ratified in March 1870.

*Women upset because not included
The 3 stages of Reconstruction: Presidential Radical Collapse

Presidential Reconstruction - Lincoln - aimed mostly at unification of the Union. His plan did not require ex-rebels to extend social or political rights to ex-slaves, nor did it anticipate a program of long term federal assistance to freedmen.

Congress agreed that Lincoln's plan was too forgiving - inadequate so in July 1864, Congress put forward : Wade-Davis Bill: at least half of the voters take the oath of allegiance before reconstruction could begin (Lincoln's 10% plan). Banned ex-confederates from participating in the drafting of new state constitutions. Garanteed the equality of freedmen before the law. However, there was no provision for black suffrage. Lincoln refused to sign the bill.

1865 Lincoln shot / killed. Vice President Johnson was sworn into office.

Johnson, like Lincoln, believed that the responsibilities for reconstruction and restoring the Union lay with the President. While Congress was out, Johnson put his reconstruction plans into effect.
(1) Renounce the right of secession,
(2) Deny that the debts of the Confederacy were legal and binding
(3) ratify the 13th - abolish slavery.
Even less than Lincoln's wish for some form of limited black voting rights.
Black Codes: travesty out of "freedmen."
keep blacks subordinate to whites by subjecting blacks to every sort of discrimination.
Several states: Illegal for blacks to own a gun
Mississippi: Criminal offense for blacks to use insulting gestures or language.
Blacks barred from jury duty.
The codes became a symbol of southern intentions not to accept the verdict of the battlefields, but instead to "restore all of slavery but it's name."

Radical Reconstruction: Each act of defiance by southern whites had boosted the standing of the Radicals within the Republican party.

Civil Rights Act: Designed to nullify the black codes
Only Federal power could protect the rights of freedmen –
extending to ex-slaves the same opportunities that northern workers enjoyed under free labor system.
In 1867, Thaddeus Stevens called on Congress to begin reconstruction all over again. à
Military Rule of the South à The Military Reconstruction Act divided the 10 unreconstructed states into 5 military districts.
A Union General was placed in each one of these districts with the instructions to "suppress insurrection, disorder, and violence," and to help begin political reform.
Reconstruction Collapses: After a decade of engagement with the public issues of war and reconstruction, northerners wanted to turn to their own affairs and put "the southern problem" behind them. While northern commitment to defend black freedom eroded, southern commitment to white supremacy intensified. Darwin is simplified into Social Darwinism – if you're rich and powerful you deserve to be. In this logic: since blacks, poor whites are poor they must be stupid, undisciplined or lazy and deserve to be poor. Andrew Carnegie, Rockefeller, Paris Hilton / Steve Forbes / Dick Cheney are rich – hence must be disciplined and virtuous. Must not tax them or interfere with their business.
Jim Crow laws: segregation of public facilities

Slaughterhouse cases (1875) Supreme Court distinguishes National and State citizenship - curtail Federal govt authority to protect black citizens - total judicial activism and explicit text - reflects mood of nation - two forms of citizenship.
Court also hostile government regulation business and industry - make corporation "PERSON" and apply 14^th amendment to corps not blacks - FEDERALIST judges now in that tradition - originalist – Constitution doesn't mention “environmental” most environmental laws are Unconstitutional.

2 FED judges on 3 judge panel 85% unconstitutional 2 Clinton / Carter judges 15% unconstitutional
Disenfranchisement also includes poor whites - changes electoral balance labor and capital
- race overwhelms economic concern

Southern Democrats long alliance Northern Business interests / social darwinists

Some good - by 1880 20% black farmers own some of land they farm
per capita income from 23% whites to 52% by 1880
Slaves get 22% of their labor's income - 56% some bargaining after even as sharecroppers
(white farmers land ownership land 80% end war to 60% 1910 - blacks below whites but relatively less
Racism still not finished - 1965 LBJ Civil Rights will lose south for Democrats for my lifetime+
1980 Ronald Reagan – first campaign speech in Philadelphia Mississippi - rise Federalist Society
16.7% of blacks disenfranchised Fla 2000 election - Federalists on Supreme court usually states rights but here they overrule right of state to count vote

Video – Emancipation turned Civil War into total war to overthrow a social order not a limited war

Southerners – believe religiously in racism, they are abused, they never lost, Blacks corrupt and incapable of tought – message institutionalized “Birth of Nation” :”Gone with Wind”

Iraq and Reconstruction – article on website - “the first occupation”