Post by djxkorean on Aug 3, 2009 15:39:17 GMT -8
17th President Andrew Johnson 1865-1869
John's Son(Johnson) liked to TalK(17) to his CHauFFer(65) while driving to the SHoP(69).
I. President Johnson’s politics
. . A) Andrew Johnson was a Democrat but joined Republican ticket because he was only US Senator from Confederate state to remain loyal to Union
. . . . 1. Separated himself from Democratic Party and never accepted by Republican Party
. . B) Johnson was viewed as only nominal head of the party and President by accident; couldn’t control Congress or own Cabinet
. . . . 1. Congress determined to reconstruct the South and to run country
. . C) Johnson’s few weaknesses: inability to win ppl to his views or work well with others
II. The Civil War Amendments
. . A) 13th Amendment (1865)
. . . . 1. Abolished slavery; provided individual state action to guarantee abolition throughout nation
. . . . . . a) Emancipation Proclamation applied to slaves in Confederate States, and not to 4 loyal slave states
. . B) 14th Amendment (1868)
. . . . 1. End of the presidential Reconstruction plan and beginning of congressional control: force the South to give blacks equal civil rights
. . . . . . a) Citizen defined so as to include black Americans (anti-Dred Scott)
. . . . . . b) No state can make a law that abridges privileges or immunities of US citizens
. . . . . . c) US can’ deprive person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law
. . . . . . d) Every person guaranteed equal protection of the laws
. . . . . . e) It 21+ males not allowed to vote, state loses representation in same proportion it had denied suffrage
. . . . . . f) If one had broken oath of allegiance to Constitution while holding public office to join Confederates, ineligible for any other public office
. . . . . . g) Confederate debts shall not be paid
. . . . 2. Johnson was opposed to 14th Amendment and advised ex-Confederate states not to ratify
. . . . 3. Radical Republicans refuse recognition of reorganized state gov’ts that didn’t ratify 14th Amendment
. . . . . . a) They draw up Reconstruction Act of 1867: no legal gov’t in any ex-Confederate state except Tennessee.
. . . . . . . . i. Beginning of congressional plan of Reconstruction
. . C) 15th Amendment (1870)
. . . . 1. Right of citizens of US to vote can’t be denied on basis of race, color, or previous condition of servitude
III. Life for Blacks after Civil War
. . A) Black Codes: laws to regulate the lives of freed slaves
. . . . 1. permitted black Southerners a few basic rights; not allowed to vote, serve on juries, to assemble, be on streets past sunsets, etc.
. . . . 2. Black codes est. white control over black labor by requiring black Southerners to make long-term work contracts with employers
. . . . . . a) Those w/o jobs can be arrested and forced to work for highest bidder; prevented black Southerners from starting own business
. . . . 3. Black Codes showed that white Southerners intended to keep newly freed slaves in subordinate status
. . B) Ku Klux Klan
. . . . 1. Started almost immediately after Appomattox
. . . . . . a) Between Appomattox and Reconstruction Acts, actions restricted to: frightening freedmen away from political activity or from threatening white supremacy
. . . . 2. One of secret societies organized to control blacks in the South; others were Knights of While Camelia and Order of the White Rose
. . . . . . a) Tried to frighten carbetbaggers, scalawags, and politically active black Southerners out of politics
. . . . . . . . i. used violence when warnings failed: whippings and murder
IV. First Reconstruction Act (1867)
. . A) March 2, 1867: Passed over President Johnson’s veto
. . . . 1. Required 10 ex-Confederate states to replace already functional gov’t w/ another gov’t est. through state constitutional convention
. . . . . . a) delegates chosen by universal manhood suffrage, except those leading white citizens disqualified by 14th Amendment
. . . . . . b) If election held by new state constitutions, Congress decides whether candidate take their seat
. . B) State gov’ts believed Reconstruction Act unconstitutional: stalled and resisted by all means short of violence
. . . . 1. Congress responds with supplements to original Reconstruction Act
. . . . 2. Passed in March and July of 1867 and July 1868: period of corruption and poor gov’t throughout US
. . C) 10 states (minus Tennessee) divided into 4 military districts. Martial law prevailed.
. . D) State legislatures elected led by scalawags and carpetbaggers.
. . . . 1. Many of these gov’t marked by corruption
. . . . 2. Scalawags: white Southerners who cooperated w/ Radical Republicans
. . . . 3. Carpetbaggers: political leaders who came from the North
. . . . . . a) sincere reformers who went South to try to help its orderly recovery
. . . . . . b) 3 factors made their work largely ineffective and resented by South
. . . . . . . . i. overthrow of Ten Percent Plan
. . . . . . . . ii.presence of thousands of federal troops in South
. . . . . . . . iii.liberal sprinkling of rogues among carpetbaggers and scalawags
. . . . . . c) called the “crime of Reconstruction” – ill feeling between North and South.
V. Purchase of Alaska (1867)
. . A) Russians and British competed vigorously in fur hunting and trading in Bering sea area
. . . . 1. Russia was willing to sell because:
. . . . . . a)Remoteness of Alaska from European Russia, difficulties of administering and defending it, and declining revenue from fur trade
. . B) Russia suggested to US to buy Alaska (1854: during Crimean War; 1856)
. . C) 1867: Secretary of State urges purchase of Alaska and it is purchased for $7.2 million
. . . . 1. Largely criticized, but turns out to be great real estate deal (oil?)
VI. Andrew Johnson’s presidency
. . A) Tenure of Office Act (1867)
. . . . 1. By middle of 1866, clear that Johnson was very obstinate in fight to maintain Ten Percent Plan of Reconstruction
. . . . . . a) No organized group to put up congressional candidates pledged to their program
. . . . . . . . i. voters had no real choice in election of 1866: between Democrats (associated with Civil War) and Republicans (side of good)
. . . . . . b) New Congress overwhelmingly Radical Republican: Congress overrode Johnson’s vetoes
. . . . . . c) Thaddeus Stevens, chairman of House delegation on Joint Committee on Reconstruction, more powerful than President
. . . . 2. Tenure of Office Act: deliberate attempt to get rid of Johnson and make Executive Branch subservient to Congress
. . . . . . a) all officials appointed by President w/ advice and consent of Senate subject to dismissal only with consent of the Senate
. . . . . . b) All of Johnson’s Cabinet view Tenure of Office Act unconstitutional
. . . . 3. To challenge Act, Johnson dismisses Secretary of War Stanton then appoints another General
. . . . . . a) Congress thought they had a case against Johnson: deliberately violated a law of Congress
. . . . . . b) 11 charges against him and got votes to bring him to trial before Senate: Johnson was impeached
. . B) Johnson’s Trial
. . . . 1. Political plot to unseat the President: one vote shy of required 2/3s majority
. . . . 2. Kept country on edge from March 30- May 26, 1868
. . . . 3. During last 10 months of Johnson’s term, feuding between Congress and president subsided
Commentary: Andrew Johnson must have faced a lot of difficult stress during his presidential term. Albeit, he was only President because of Lincoln’s assassination, I am shocked to find that Johnson was so hated by Congress. To be the one President who was impeached and to have such a close call, I am actually curious of the state of President Johnson’s health during his term. I would assume that he was often sick or reclusive, with so much Congressional hatred directed strictly toward him. With Warren G. Harding dying during Office because of Presidential stress, Johnson must have had a considerable amount of backbone and mental strength to trough through his 4 years as President
On a different note, I feel that Congress is being very immature with passing the 14th Amendments and the Reconstruction. Bent strictly on revenge and not on what is best for the nation, it seems as if Congress threw away all political sense and exchanged it for irrational emotions. To make such a one-sided deal with the South would inevitably lead to great conflicts, and I refuse to believe that the Congress members were so ignorant as to not realize that. Therefore, my only conclusion is that they disregarded their rational minds and wrote such legislature as the Reconstruction Acts solely to feel better about themselves by making the Southern states suffer. In this case, I will have to completely side with Johnson, in that he was making the right decision in telling the South to not ratify the 14th Amendment. Of course hindsight tells us that it only resulted in the Reconstruction Act, but it is still indicative that a somewhat rational being was in the Presidential Office during this time.
John's Son(Johnson) liked to TalK(17) to his CHauFFer(65) while driving to the SHoP(69).
I. President Johnson’s politics
. . A) Andrew Johnson was a Democrat but joined Republican ticket because he was only US Senator from Confederate state to remain loyal to Union
. . . . 1. Separated himself from Democratic Party and never accepted by Republican Party
. . B) Johnson was viewed as only nominal head of the party and President by accident; couldn’t control Congress or own Cabinet
. . . . 1. Congress determined to reconstruct the South and to run country
. . C) Johnson’s few weaknesses: inability to win ppl to his views or work well with others
II. The Civil War Amendments
. . A) 13th Amendment (1865)
. . . . 1. Abolished slavery; provided individual state action to guarantee abolition throughout nation
. . . . . . a) Emancipation Proclamation applied to slaves in Confederate States, and not to 4 loyal slave states
. . B) 14th Amendment (1868)
. . . . 1. End of the presidential Reconstruction plan and beginning of congressional control: force the South to give blacks equal civil rights
. . . . . . a) Citizen defined so as to include black Americans (anti-Dred Scott)
. . . . . . b) No state can make a law that abridges privileges or immunities of US citizens
. . . . . . c) US can’ deprive person of life, liberty, or property without due process of law
. . . . . . d) Every person guaranteed equal protection of the laws
. . . . . . e) It 21+ males not allowed to vote, state loses representation in same proportion it had denied suffrage
. . . . . . f) If one had broken oath of allegiance to Constitution while holding public office to join Confederates, ineligible for any other public office
. . . . . . g) Confederate debts shall not be paid
. . . . 2. Johnson was opposed to 14th Amendment and advised ex-Confederate states not to ratify
. . . . 3. Radical Republicans refuse recognition of reorganized state gov’ts that didn’t ratify 14th Amendment
. . . . . . a) They draw up Reconstruction Act of 1867: no legal gov’t in any ex-Confederate state except Tennessee.
. . . . . . . . i. Beginning of congressional plan of Reconstruction
. . C) 15th Amendment (1870)
. . . . 1. Right of citizens of US to vote can’t be denied on basis of race, color, or previous condition of servitude
III. Life for Blacks after Civil War
. . A) Black Codes: laws to regulate the lives of freed slaves
. . . . 1. permitted black Southerners a few basic rights; not allowed to vote, serve on juries, to assemble, be on streets past sunsets, etc.
. . . . 2. Black codes est. white control over black labor by requiring black Southerners to make long-term work contracts with employers
. . . . . . a) Those w/o jobs can be arrested and forced to work for highest bidder; prevented black Southerners from starting own business
. . . . 3. Black Codes showed that white Southerners intended to keep newly freed slaves in subordinate status
. . B) Ku Klux Klan
. . . . 1. Started almost immediately after Appomattox
. . . . . . a) Between Appomattox and Reconstruction Acts, actions restricted to: frightening freedmen away from political activity or from threatening white supremacy
. . . . 2. One of secret societies organized to control blacks in the South; others were Knights of While Camelia and Order of the White Rose
. . . . . . a) Tried to frighten carbetbaggers, scalawags, and politically active black Southerners out of politics
. . . . . . . . i. used violence when warnings failed: whippings and murder
IV. First Reconstruction Act (1867)
. . A) March 2, 1867: Passed over President Johnson’s veto
. . . . 1. Required 10 ex-Confederate states to replace already functional gov’t w/ another gov’t est. through state constitutional convention
. . . . . . a) delegates chosen by universal manhood suffrage, except those leading white citizens disqualified by 14th Amendment
. . . . . . b) If election held by new state constitutions, Congress decides whether candidate take their seat
. . B) State gov’ts believed Reconstruction Act unconstitutional: stalled and resisted by all means short of violence
. . . . 1. Congress responds with supplements to original Reconstruction Act
. . . . 2. Passed in March and July of 1867 and July 1868: period of corruption and poor gov’t throughout US
. . C) 10 states (minus Tennessee) divided into 4 military districts. Martial law prevailed.
. . D) State legislatures elected led by scalawags and carpetbaggers.
. . . . 1. Many of these gov’t marked by corruption
. . . . 2. Scalawags: white Southerners who cooperated w/ Radical Republicans
. . . . 3. Carpetbaggers: political leaders who came from the North
. . . . . . a) sincere reformers who went South to try to help its orderly recovery
. . . . . . b) 3 factors made their work largely ineffective and resented by South
. . . . . . . . i. overthrow of Ten Percent Plan
. . . . . . . . ii.presence of thousands of federal troops in South
. . . . . . . . iii.liberal sprinkling of rogues among carpetbaggers and scalawags
. . . . . . c) called the “crime of Reconstruction” – ill feeling between North and South.
V. Purchase of Alaska (1867)
. . A) Russians and British competed vigorously in fur hunting and trading in Bering sea area
. . . . 1. Russia was willing to sell because:
. . . . . . a)Remoteness of Alaska from European Russia, difficulties of administering and defending it, and declining revenue from fur trade
. . B) Russia suggested to US to buy Alaska (1854: during Crimean War; 1856)
. . C) 1867: Secretary of State urges purchase of Alaska and it is purchased for $7.2 million
. . . . 1. Largely criticized, but turns out to be great real estate deal (oil?)
VI. Andrew Johnson’s presidency
. . A) Tenure of Office Act (1867)
. . . . 1. By middle of 1866, clear that Johnson was very obstinate in fight to maintain Ten Percent Plan of Reconstruction
. . . . . . a) No organized group to put up congressional candidates pledged to their program
. . . . . . . . i. voters had no real choice in election of 1866: between Democrats (associated with Civil War) and Republicans (side of good)
. . . . . . b) New Congress overwhelmingly Radical Republican: Congress overrode Johnson’s vetoes
. . . . . . c) Thaddeus Stevens, chairman of House delegation on Joint Committee on Reconstruction, more powerful than President
. . . . 2. Tenure of Office Act: deliberate attempt to get rid of Johnson and make Executive Branch subservient to Congress
. . . . . . a) all officials appointed by President w/ advice and consent of Senate subject to dismissal only with consent of the Senate
. . . . . . b) All of Johnson’s Cabinet view Tenure of Office Act unconstitutional
. . . . 3. To challenge Act, Johnson dismisses Secretary of War Stanton then appoints another General
. . . . . . a) Congress thought they had a case against Johnson: deliberately violated a law of Congress
. . . . . . b) 11 charges against him and got votes to bring him to trial before Senate: Johnson was impeached
. . B) Johnson’s Trial
. . . . 1. Political plot to unseat the President: one vote shy of required 2/3s majority
. . . . 2. Kept country on edge from March 30- May 26, 1868
. . . . 3. During last 10 months of Johnson’s term, feuding between Congress and president subsided
Commentary: Andrew Johnson must have faced a lot of difficult stress during his presidential term. Albeit, he was only President because of Lincoln’s assassination, I am shocked to find that Johnson was so hated by Congress. To be the one President who was impeached and to have such a close call, I am actually curious of the state of President Johnson’s health during his term. I would assume that he was often sick or reclusive, with so much Congressional hatred directed strictly toward him. With Warren G. Harding dying during Office because of Presidential stress, Johnson must have had a considerable amount of backbone and mental strength to trough through his 4 years as President
On a different note, I feel that Congress is being very immature with passing the 14th Amendments and the Reconstruction. Bent strictly on revenge and not on what is best for the nation, it seems as if Congress threw away all political sense and exchanged it for irrational emotions. To make such a one-sided deal with the South would inevitably lead to great conflicts, and I refuse to believe that the Congress members were so ignorant as to not realize that. Therefore, my only conclusion is that they disregarded their rational minds and wrote such legislature as the Reconstruction Acts solely to feel better about themselves by making the Southern states suffer. In this case, I will have to completely side with Johnson, in that he was making the right decision in telling the South to not ratify the 14th Amendment. Of course hindsight tells us that it only resulted in the Reconstruction Act, but it is still indicative that a somewhat rational being was in the Presidential Office during this time.