Notes/ Outline on Rebuilding The Nation of America 1800's I. Rebuilding the Nation A. Reconstruction of the Union 1. Reconstruction plans a. Lincoln’s ten percent plan- a pardon to confederate state if they would swear an oath to support the constitution and union * Only 1/10 of the voters, 1860 election, had to take an oath b. Johnson’s plan- required confederate states to renounce their acts of secession, refuse to pay their war debts, and ratify the 13th amendment c. The assassination of Lincoln- Lincoln-shot and killed at the Ford Theater in Washington, D.C., by John Wilkes Booth *Booth was caught and killed for his crime d. Radical Republicans- congress should decide if the seceded states could return to the union · Thaddeus Stevens- outspoken radical, divide land among freedmen · Charles Sumner- outspoken radical against slavery · Wade-Davis Plan- a majority of white men had to take an oath to the constitution for their state to be recognized · Black Codes- Laws that governed blacks; some were good (buy and sell property), some were bad (not permitted to bear arms) * 13th amendment- abolished slavery * 14th amendment- all persons born or naturalized in the U.S. are citizens * 15th amendment- the right of citizens * 15th amendment- the right of citizens to vote in the U.S. shall not be denied by race * Military Reconstruction- former confederate states broken into 5 military districts commanded by an army general (union-north) * Ku Klux Klan- Goal: ending radical republican rule in the south
2. Radical Play for Power: a. Tenure of Office Act, 1867- president needed senate approval to dismiss an office holder b. Johnson Impeachment- Radical republicans thought Johnson needed to be removed from office for reconstruction to work c. Election of 1868: republican Ulysses S. Grant defeated New York governor Horatio Seymour d. Election of 1872: Grant defeats democrat Horace Greeley easily 1. A new liberal republican party gained support 2. Numerous scandal marred the grant white house 3. End of reconstruction a. Election of 1876: 1. Rutherford B. Hayes- reconstruction from Ohio, won the election 2. Samuel Tilden- Democrat from New York, won more popular votes, but lost the elections 3. Hayes promised to pull federal troops out of the south, ending reconstruction b. Compromise of 1877: 1. Hayes promised to pull federal troops out of the south, ending reconstruction 2. One southerner would get a post in Hayes cabinet 3. Southerners would have patronage rights 4. Hayes would support spending for internal improvements in the south-these compromises gave Hayes the election victory c. The solid south- southern states which elected democrats following the civil war 1. Voting restrictions of freedmen- poll taxes, literacy tests 2. Jim Crow Laws- social segregation of blacks and whites 3. Plessy Vs Ferguson- supreme court decision- segregation was legal as long as blacks were given “separate but equal” facilities B. Politics in the Gilded Age, 1869-1889 1. Scandals during the giant administration: a. Credit Mobilier- a fake construction company · Founded by the union pacific railroad · Lined the pockets (made money) of union pacific railroad employees and members of congress · Whiskey Ring- whiskey distillers bribed treasury officials to avoid paying taxes b. Tammany Hall and Boss William Tweed · ‘Boss’ Tweed controlled the democratic political machine known as Tammany Hall · Robbed New York city of between 20 and 200 million dollars 2. Election of 1880: · Patronage system- handing out government jobs as rewards to loyal party members (spoil system) a. Republican James Garfield won the election · Stalwarts- supported tough policy of reconstruction · Half-breeds- half hearted commitment to reconstruction · Both lobbied Garfield to reward its followers with gov’t jobs b. 1881- Garfield is assassinated; his death let to civil service reform c. Chester A. Arthur succeeds Garfield as president 3. Arthur Administration · Put public service ahead of party politics · Civil service act, 1883- federal jobs awarded to applicants who passed an examination given by the civil service commission 4. The first Cleveland Administration a. Election of 1884 · James Blaine- republican nominee, headed the half-breed faction of the party · Grover Cleveland- democrat nominee, governor of New York, won 1884 Presidential election b. Interstate Commerce Act, 1887- the first attempt by the federal gov’t to regulate business · Railroads- ‘reasonable and just’ rates C. Revolt of the debtor 1. The Harrison administration a. Sherman anti-trust Act 1890- made it illegal for a business to try to destroy all competition; no monopolies · A weakly written law, difficult to enforce b. Passing of the frontier: the desire for Indian land · Mining frontier- moved east from California to Sierra Nevada and Rocky Mountains · Cattle frontier- cowboys drawn to the great plains by the prospect of unlimited grasslands to raise cattle · Farming frontier- main crop of farmers on the Great plains was wheat c. Indian Policy · Reservation system- areas specifically set aside for Indians · Buffalo- main source of food for the plains Indians · William Cody (Buffalo Bill)- played a part in destroying the native American way of life · Little Big Horn- the most dramatic defeat for the U.S. army during the Indian wars · Colonel George Custer- his men lost to the Sioux Indians led by Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, and Rain-in- Face d. Significance of the frontier · Frederick J. Turner- as the frontier disappeared he feared loss of opportunity would lead to domestic problems 2. The Second Cleveland Administration a. Election of 1892 · Grover Cleveland won a second term, defeating Republican Benjamin Harrison and populist James B. Weaver b. Panic 1893 (depression) · Farmers supported free coinage of silver; it would help crop prices rise c. Coxeys Army, 1894 · Jacob Coxey and his ‘army’ marched to Washington, D.C., so that the gov’t would help relieve unemployment d. The annexation of Hawaiians · Cleveland rejected the annexation of Hawaii · He voiced outrage at the role of U.S. marines; also the opposition of annexation by the Hawaiians 3. Election of 1896 · William McKinley- republican nominee; senator from Ohio, won the presidential election · William J. Bryan- populist/Democrat nominee · Major issue of election- Gold vs. Silver money · Populist movement came to an end II. The rise of industry and labor A. An era of industrial growth 1. Reasons for industrialism a. Raw materials · Abundance in the U.S.- the U.S. was rich in natural resources b. Labor 1. Early unrestricted immigration · Helped supply the labor force 2. Chinese Exclusion Act, 1882 · Feared hordes of Chinese would cross the pacific 3. The number of Southern and Eastern European immigrants increased greatly between 1880-1900 c. Capital Acquisition 1. Business organization · Corporations- provided benefits for large scale industry · Trusts- stock holders of an independent company agree to exchange their shares of stock for trust certificates issued by a giant firm · Holders of trust certificates receive ‘dividends’- or shares of the company’s profit · Holding companies- a company that gains control of other companies by buying their stock 2. Capitalists · Andrew Carnegie became a millionaire, and the most important man in the steel industry · Built the nations largest steel plant in Homestead, Pa · John D. Rockefeller-began standard oil and turned it into a monopoly · The first oil drilling site- Titusville, PA · J.P. Morgan –known as a banker and financier 2. Importance of railroads for distribution · Helped spread raw materials to different parts of the U.S · Helped start industrialization B. The labor movement 1. Formation of labor organization a. Problems of labor-poor working conditions b. Knights of labor · United as ‘brotherhood of skilled workers’ · Eventually included unskilled workers; immigrants, women, and African Americans · Goals: 8 hour work day, equal pay for men and women, improved safety, compensation for on the job injury C. American Federation of labor, 1881 · President- Samuel Gompers · Include only white skilled workers · Craft union: a union of persons working at the same occupation · Regarded strikes as an acceptable tactic · Membership-1904-one million 2. Labor Unrest a. Haymarket riot, 1886 · Anarchist spoke to denounce police and industry · Police moved in, but a bomb went off, killing one officer and 6 others · A violent riot followed, seven officers and 4 civilians died · This hurt labor unions- people linked the 2 groups (anarchists, unions) b. Homestead strike, 1892 · Carnegie’s homestead steel plant, 1892; angered by an unexpected pay cut, went on strike · Henry Frick, plant manager, close the plant · 7 pinkerton men and 9 workers dead after workers attacked · PA national guard surround plant, arrest workers · Wages fell by 50% c. Pullman strike · George Pullman-reduces wages for his workers · Workers called a strike · Federal troops intervened and sided wit management C. Revolt of the farmers 1. Economic problems · Produced more, but earned less · Had to borrow money constantly 2. Attempts at reform a. Grange movement · Patrons of husbandry- 1st national farm organization, est. 1867 · Members all over the country in local lodges called ‘granges’ b Farmers alliances · Southern farmers alliance, northwestern farmers alliance, and the colored farmers national alliance all gained prominence in the 1880’s and 1890’s 3. Currency Inflation · 1899-some members of the southern and northwestern alliance join to form the national alliance · Advocated gov’t action to discourage deflation; felt gov’t should increase money in circulation a. Greenback movement · Issue more paper money that had no backing in silver or gold, or coin silver in large quantities · A rise in the supply of money tends to lift the general level of prices b. Bland- Allison act, 1878 *Gov’t- buy and coin at least 2 million dollars worth of silver a month c. Sherman silver purchase act · Gov’t- purchased 4.5 million ounces of silver every month · Issued paper money to the full amount of silver purchased 4. Populist Party · The farmer’s alliances joined together to form a third party a. Populist demands · Decrease deflation-decrease the amounts of money in circulation · Graduated personal income tax · Strict regulations of railroads-if it failed, the gov’t should run them b. Election of 1892 · Grover Cleveland won a second term, defeating Republican Benjamin Harrison and populist James B. Weaver · Importance- Did well for a third party, 22 electoral votes c. Election of 1896 · William McKinley- Republican nominee; senator from Ohio won election · William J. Bryan- Populist/Democrat nominee · Major issue of this election: Gold vs. silver money · Populist movement came to an end III. Imperialism and the Spanish American war A. Reasons for imperialism · Imperialism- when powerful nations created empires by dominating other lands 1. Public support- future prosperity depended n access to world market · Territorial expansion and expansion of trade 2. Navel bases and coaling station · This helped the U.S. with expansion 3. Economic pressure · World trade would lessen the threat of economic depressions B. Causes for the Spanish American war 1. Spanish misrule in Cuba · 1895-cuban revolt- fuel by Spanish rule and falling sugar prices · Spain sent general Valeriano Weyler- ruthless governor · Reconcentration- Spanish policy- Cuban villagers in concentration camps · Many died from hunger and neglect 2. “Yellow Journalism” · A style of newspaper writing in the late 1890’s that featured sensational headlines and stories · Newspapers fed the anti Spanish hysteria and down played brutal deeds of the rebels 3. “Remember the Maine” · U.S.S. maine-1898-sent to Havana’s harbor to protect U.S. Citizens and property · February 15, 1898- explosion destroyed U.S.S. Maine- 260 sailors died · Many citizens now favored war 4. Spanish concessions · Pres. McKinley- supported Cuban independence · Pres. McKinley- presented Spain with demands including the withdraw of Spain from Cuba · Spain refused – McKinley asked congress for a declaration of war · Granted, April 20, 1898 C. Military operations of the Spanish American war 1. Dewey at manila bay · First fighting took place in Philippines · Commodore George Dewey-commander of fleet, based in Hong Kong · Dewey’s fleet sunk or captured the entire Spanish fleet at manila bay · Troops took manila bay 2. Land warfare in Cuba · Poor preparation: army not equipped to launce on invasion of Cuba · “Rough riders”- mixed crew of cowboys, college, students, adventurers · Theodore Roosevelt- second in command · The R.R charged and took san Juan hills · The black soldiers in the ninth and tenth regiments assisted · Some died form food poisoning: yellow fever D. Aftermath of the war 1. Treaty of Paris-1898 a. Peace treaty that ended Spanish American war b. This committed the U.S. to the responsibility of being a world power 2. Territorial Gains of the U.S. a. Puerto Rico-territory closest to the United States b. Guam- South Pacific c. Philippines 1. American occupation of the Philippines met better opposition from the Filipinos 2. Philippine insurrection lasted longer than the Spanish American war 3. Divided Public Opinion a. Most Americans agreed with McKinley-govern Philippines b. Some felt colonialism was wrong c. Violated Americans belief on liberty, and might drag united states into foreign wars E. Far East Foreign policy 1. Open door policy a. United states open china to all nations on an equal basis b. Secretary of state, John Hay- sent open door notes to nations involved in china c. Hay asked the powers to respect 3 principles 1. No power would prevent others from trading in its sphere of influence 2. Tariffs in China would be collected by the Chinese 3. No power would ask for Harbor or railroad duties that discriminated other powers 2. Boxer Rebellion · 1900- secret Chinese society AKA ‘the boxers’ rose up to expel the ‘foreign devils’ · Uprising lasted 2 months- Europe and united states broke the siege · United States believed in maintaining an independent china- sent another open door note
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