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THE RADICAL REPUBLICANS. 12.4. RADICAL PROPOSAL. Radical Republicans were the wing of the Republican party that supported including freed slaves in the political and economic system They considered white southerners disloyal and unrepentant They fought for abolition even before the war.
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RADICAL PROPOSAL • Radical Republicans were the wing of the Republican party that supported including freed slaves in the political and economic system • They considered white southerners disloyal and unrepentant • They fought for abolition even before the war. • Few white’s were as dedicated to the rights of black people as these men
The Radical Republicans • Radical Republicans supported voting rights for African Americans • They believed that to protect themselves and secure the South for the Republicans they had to ensure the right to vote • They favored confiscating land from wealthy Confederates to be redistributed to the freedmen
The Radical Republicans • Black suffrage appalled both northern and southern Democrats. • In fact, most white northerners from both parties opposed giving blacks the right to vote
Joint Committee on Reconstruction • The Joint Committee on Reconstruction was created to determine if southern states should be readmitted to the Union. • The Committee also investigated southern affairs and confirmed the widespread mistreatment of black people and white arrogance
The Freedmen’s Bureau and Civil Rights Bill • In 1866, Sen. Lyman Trumballintroduced two major bills to Congress • The first proposed increased funding to the Freedmen’s Bureau • The second was the first civil rights bill in American history, it made any person born in the US a citizen (except Native Americans)
Johnson’s Vetoes • Both bills were passed with wide support in Congress, but were vetoed by President Andrew Johnson • Johnson’s veto strengthened the Republican Party by driving moderates to become more radical. • Congress overrode the Johnson’s veto
The 14th Amendment • To secure legal rights for freedmen, Republicans passed the 14th Amendment • This amendment forced states to guarantee citizenship for anyone born in the US • It restricted the state governments from passing laws that would limit their residents rights to life, liberty, or property without due process • It guaranteed equal protection under the law
The 14th Amendment • This amendment cancelled out the 3/5Clause of the Constitution • As citizens, African American men were now counted the same as whites for the purpose of representation • Johnson denounced the law, democrats opposed it and women felt betrayed that it limited suffrage to men • Nonetheless, it was ratified in 1868
Radical Reconstruction • The Republicans commanded a 2/3 majority in both houses of Congress and had taken control of Reconstruction • They passed the 1st Reconstruction Act which divided the South into five military districts • It also guaranteed the right to vote for all men except convicted felons and those who actively supported the Confederacy • Troops in these districts guaranteed the rights of African Americans and for a time freemen voted and exercised their right with the protection of the army
Assignment • 1. Who were the Radical Republicans? Describe their positions on African Americans in the post war South. • 2. Describe the two bills proposed and passed by Sen. Lyman Trumball. • 3. How did President Johnson react to these bills? How did Congress react to Johnson? • 4. What is the 14th Amendment to the Constitution? Why were some groups critical of this amendment? • 5. What was the purpose of the 1st Reconstruction Act?
