Andrew Johnson gave pardon to the Confederates, he restored the state governments, and the white leaders of the governments he restored passed laws that severely restricted African Americans newfound freedoms. And those laws were known as the black codes.
Black men and women had a curfew which states that they can not gather after sunset. They also had vagrancy laws which says that freedmen that are convicted of vagrancy would be fined, whipped, or sold for a years labor.Labor contracts states that freedmen have to sign a contract from January for a year of work, and they couldn't drop in the middle because if they did they would give all the wages they have earned. There were also land restriction,which says that freedmen would be able to rent a land or home only in rural areas. They were sort of forced to live in plantation.
The Congress created the 14Th Amendment which made all citizens of the United States would not be able to enforce or make any law which abridges the privileges (immunities) of citizens of the United States; no State can deprive anyone of life, liberty, or property without its jurisdiction equal protection of the law.
The 15Th Amendment states that it is possible for any black men or women to participate in an election for presidency.
Radical Reconstruction were small in group but increasingly influential. Republican thought of themselves as moderates.
Moderates and Radicals both opposed/disagreed with Johnson's Reconstruction policies. They also opposed the spread of the black codes and favored the spread/expansion of the Republican Party in the South. Though moderates did not really want to grant the African Americans civil rights such as voting rights and equal treatment.
Carpetbaggers are Northern Republicans who moved to the postwar South. This insulting nickname was given by the Southern; it was referred to the cheap suitcase they had made of carpet scraps. They were said to be greedy men who were seeking to grab/take power. Though historians say that they were honest and educated men.
Scalawags: In the postwar South, they thought that to be white and a southerner and a Republican was seen as a traitor. Southerners had a nickname for those white southern Republican. The word scalawags means "scrawny cattle" (Scottish) some of these scalawags were former Whigs who opposed secession.
Image source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Andrew_Johnson.jpg
No comments:
Post a Comment