Reconstruction in the States 1867-1877

Military Reconstruction
Reconstruction Acts of March 1867 created military districts, protected registration of voters, allowed conventions to pass new state constitutions with 14th Amendment. By September, registration was complete in 10 states, included 735,000 blacks (4/5 actually voted) and 635,000 whites (1/2 voted). Only 10% whites were disenfranchised by Reconstruction Acts. 25% whites failed to register to vote due to apathy or boycott.

The "black and tan" conventions in 1867-68 were dominated by carpetbaggers and scalawags. They enacted progressive state constitutions with universal adult male suffrage, public schools (segregated), social welfare provisions (prison reforms, state boards of public charities, reduction of capital crimes), increased property tax (small landowners under $3000 exempt, homestead law prevented seizure for debt), land commissions such as the South Carolina Land Commission.

After the conventions produced a draft constitution, state elections were held to ratify the state constitutions and elect new state governments. For the first time, blacks were elected to local and state government positions. The new state legislatures met to ratify the 14th Amendment and petiton for readmission, resulting in a first wave of seven states readmitted in 1868 and a second wave of threee state in 1869 (Texas, Virginia, Mississippi). Five southern states had black majority of voters (AL, FL, LA, MI, SC) and South Carolina had a black majority in the lower house of the state legislature. Mississippi was the last state to be granted readmission Feb. 23, 1870.

American South: The Church in the Southern Black Community from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Libraries


revised 1/30/04 by Schoenherr | Outline | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4 | New South