Republicans in Charge

1. Republicans in Charge • The Main Idea • Republican Reconstruction had significant impact on life in the South. • Reading Focus • What changes did Republican government bring to the South? • What was life after slavery like for African Americans? • How did Reconstruction affect patterns of land ownership and land use in the South?

2. In your own words, write a definition for the following terms: Fourteenth Amendment Fifteenth Amendment Civil Rights Act of 1865 Black Codes Bell Ringer

3. Scalawags Scalawag was the name given to southerners who supported Reconstruction Supported the shift in power to Congress in the army Many were farmers who had never owned slaves. Some joined the Republicans to prevent the planter class from returning to power; others were southerners ruined by the war; still others wanted to end the dependence on plantation agriculture. Carpetbaggers The scalawags allied with carpetbaggers northerners who came south to take part in the region’s political and economic rebirth. Scorned as low-class persons who could carry their belongings in a carpetbag, many were educated and came from a variety of backgrounds. Many bought abandoned land cheaply or formed partnerships with planters. Republican Government Brings Change to the South

4. African Americans in government Formed the largest group of Republican voters in the South, nearly 700 African Americans served in southern state legislatures during Reconstruction. included Hiram Revels, who took the Senate seat held by Jefferson Davis before the war. New state governments Brought many changes first public school systems. The infrastructure was repaired, facilities built, and railroads added. Facilities were open to all southerners, but were usually segregated by race. The Black Codes were repealed in every state. The changes angered those formerly in control, and some freedmen felt more needed to be done to help them obtain land. Republican Government Brings Change to the South

5. Life after Slavery for African Americans Freedom meant a variety of things, including reuniting with family and the search for employment. Some moved west or north, but most stayed in the South. Most eagerly sought education and began to establish their own institutions, including churches and schools. The churches became centers of community life. A wide variety of other organizations were created, including debate clubs, drama societies, trade associations, fire companies, and mutual aid societies. Freedmen were taking the lead to improve themselves and gain control of their lives.

6. Reconstruction and Land Ownership Giving away planters’ land to former slaves was considered too extreme. Instead, Congress passed a law setting aside 45 million acres of government-owned land to provide free farms. Southern Homestead Act Under the new sharecropping system the employer provided the land, tools, seed—basically everything but the labor. If able, some switched to tenant farming,renting the land they farmed from the landowner. Independence was difficult. New labor system Southern cities grew rapidly. Atlanta and other cities became business centers, with textile mills and other manufacturing ventures being built. Workers still earned lower wages in the South, and many were locked in a cycle of debt. Industrial growth