Reconstruction Presentation

1. Reconstruction Presentation By Alex, Chris, & Will After the Civil War, Congress enacted Legislation specifically designed to address the status of former slaves. Choose three of the pieces of legislation and describe how they affected the lives of former slaves.

2. Freedmen’s Bureau - 1865 • A federal agency designed to aid the freed slaves in the south in 1865. It urged the freed slaves to find employment, and pursue education in order to integrate into society • Hospitals and schools were established, and food and medical aid was given, and jobs would be more accessible • This made employment, education, and medical attention easier to access for African Americans • The Black Codes were put into place, as a response to the Bureau, and part of the codes stated that employment from African Americans is required, or they would be put in jail • Synopsis: While the Freedmen's bureau was assuring the integration of the freed slaves into society, the black codes would secretly put them back into the position. Plus, it was an affective loophole in the 13th amendment, which says slavery or involuntary servitude shall not exist. Since the freed slaves are technically employed, and that does not go against the amendment.

3. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 • Gave Anyone born in the United States, or African American males who were currently residing in the states, US citizenship • Prevented states from passing black codes which discriminated and restricted the lives of African Americans • Rendered moot the black codes of Mississippi and South Carolina as well as the states that passed black codes, following in their footsteps • The Act was vetoed by President Johnson on March 27th 1866 • Synopsis: Congress gave freed male slaves the ability to get on a supposedly equal playing field with the whites by making them citizens and by preventing the Confederate States from passing Black Codes.

4. The Reconstruction Act of 1867 • Passed on March 2,1867 • Also known as the Congressional Act of 1867, converted the confederacy into 5 military districts and the states had to have a military leader from the North. This was called Marshall law • The confederacy also had to get rid of the black codes and ratify the 14th amendment • This act also banned confederated leaders from voting and any who didn’t pledge their allegiance to the U.S. • Synopsis: To reconstruct the U.S., this act’s main purpose was to reunite the confederacy to the union. African Americans of the rebel states benefited from this as the confederacy had to get rid of the black codes and ratify the 14th amendment, giving them more rights and better “placement” in society

5. Slide Four - Analysis • During reconstruction, Congress attempted to improve upon the lives of slaves by passing laws and legislation such as the Freedmen’s Bureau and the Civil Rights Act of 1866 which allowed for freed males to have civil rights and for free slaves to have education, the Reconstruction Act of 1867 completely abolished slavery in the Southern States and improved the lives of African Americans. While racism and segregation still existed, the overall outcome was towards a positive direction.

6. Sources • A&E. "Freedman's Bureau." History. Accessed October 14, 2013. http://www.history.com/topics/freedmens-bureau. • Saxton, Rufus. "Freedman's Bureau." In Testimony before Congress' Joint Committee on Reconstruction; Primary Source Packet, 1-2. • US Constitution. 13th Amendment. • Textbook Ch. 12 Page 379 • http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/reconstruction/activism/ps_1866.html • United States Statues at Large. “Reconstrution Act of 1867.” ocw.nd.edu http://ocw.nd.edu/history/african-american-history-ii/lecture-notes/reconstruction-act-of-1867

7. JUNK YARD-THE LAND OF THE LOST NOTES -1 gives rights -2 provides for free slaves (Helps integrates slaves into society) -3 helps eliminate slavery (1 step in the process), - - Combined: - Towards helping slaves - reinbursts the slaves right to humanity