The Defeat of Land Reform (pp. 494 – 495)
11. What were the primary goals of the Radical Republicans concerning land reform, and how successful were they? (Be specific in your response)
The Radical idea of confiscating Southern lands and distributing them to the freedmen had powerful supporters. Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania and Charles Sumner stated that taking away Southern lands will destroy the power of the agragarian economy and will be beneficial for the black civil rights. However, this plan did not work out because the Northern Republicans were afraid that the Northern economy will also topple down. They worried that eventually there would be no more growth of the Southern economy, which will harm the relationship between labor …show more content…
500 – 502)
17. Using your own original wording, describe the basic outlines of the “sharecropping” and “crop-lien” systems. (Read carefully through this material as it is somewhat complex but also very important to understand).
Sharecropping system was where African Americans would farm in a few acres of land under the crop-lien system. They would give a portion of the harvested crops to the landowner. The crop-lien system was an economic system where farmers would borrow money from merchants and harvest crops with it. After an year, they would pay back the merchants with the crops they harvested.
18. What is the significance of the fact that, as the textbook states, the South continued to have an “overwhelmingly agricultural character” well into the late-19th century? (The answer to this question is not really to be found in the book, but rather asks you to think about this question.) Although slavery was abolished, from the sharecropping system and the crop-lien system, African Americans still lived in an agragarian economy where they would harvest crops to pay back the landlord. African Americans never made enough money to pay back and feed their families, so they continued to farm on the lands until the late 19th …show more content…
503 – 505)
20. Briefly describe the Credit Mobilier scandal of 1872.
The Credit Mobilier Scandal of 1872 was one of the scandals during Grant’s presidency. Oakes Ames was a member of the House of Representative who also owned Credit Mobilier, a company that was formed to build the Union Pacific Railroad. Fearing that the members of the Congress might hurt the construction of the railroads, the company bribed many officials including Grant’s Vice President.
21. What was the Ku Klux Klan and how did the Enforcement Acts show that the federal government was still at least somewhat willing to pursue Reconstruction efforts? Ku Klux Klan was a secret organization of whites who successfully used terrorist tactics to frighten both white and black Republicans in the South. The Enforcement Acts authorized the President to use the federal troops in order to enforce the laws and suspend the writs of habeas corpus. These acts enlarged federal power and were moderately successful in limiting the Ku Klux Klan’s
11. What were the primary goals of the Radical Republicans concerning land reform, and how successful were they? (Be specific in your response)
The Radical idea of confiscating Southern lands and distributing them to the freedmen had powerful supporters. Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania and Charles Sumner stated that taking away Southern lands will destroy the power of the agragarian economy and will be beneficial for the black civil rights. However, this plan did not work out because the Northern Republicans were afraid that the Northern economy will also topple down. They worried that eventually there would be no more growth of the Southern economy, which will harm the relationship between labor …show more content…
500 – 502)
17. Using your own original wording, describe the basic outlines of the “sharecropping” and “crop-lien” systems. (Read carefully through this material as it is somewhat complex but also very important to understand).
Sharecropping system was where African Americans would farm in a few acres of land under the crop-lien system. They would give a portion of the harvested crops to the landowner. The crop-lien system was an economic system where farmers would borrow money from merchants and harvest crops with it. After an year, they would pay back the merchants with the crops they harvested.
18. What is the significance of the fact that, as the textbook states, the South continued to have an “overwhelmingly agricultural character” well into the late-19th century? (The answer to this question is not really to be found in the book, but rather asks you to think about this question.) Although slavery was abolished, from the sharecropping system and the crop-lien system, African Americans still lived in an agragarian economy where they would harvest crops to pay back the landlord. African Americans never made enough money to pay back and feed their families, so they continued to farm on the lands until the late 19th …show more content…
503 – 505)
20. Briefly describe the Credit Mobilier scandal of 1872.
The Credit Mobilier Scandal of 1872 was one of the scandals during Grant’s presidency. Oakes Ames was a member of the House of Representative who also owned Credit Mobilier, a company that was formed to build the Union Pacific Railroad. Fearing that the members of the Congress might hurt the construction of the railroads, the company bribed many officials including Grant’s Vice President.
21. What was the Ku Klux Klan and how did the Enforcement Acts show that the federal government was still at least somewhat willing to pursue Reconstruction efforts? Ku Klux Klan was a secret organization of whites who successfully used terrorist tactics to frighten both white and black Republicans in the South. The Enforcement Acts authorized the President to use the federal troops in order to enforce the laws and suspend the writs of habeas corpus. These acts enlarged federal power and were moderately successful in limiting the Ku Klux Klan’s