Texas Reconstruction News Elizabeth Gillett & Zara Weiss

RECONSTRUCTION BEGINS

The Civil War has finally ended and the Union is victorious. The South is left in ruins and it's time for reconstruction to begin. Reconstruction is going bring the South back to the union so that we can be united once again.

TWO PRESIDENTIAL PLANS

Lincoln was recently assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. This means his plan for letting southern states back in to the US is discarded. So his plan of taking states if 10% would agree to be loyal is not put in to action. New president, Andrew Johnson, has a new plan to let states in if they follow the 13th amendment, agree the US won't pay their debts, and nullify their succession.

SLAVERY ENDS IN TEXAS

General Gordon Granger commands a union troop into Galveston to take control of the state. He has ended slavery in Galveston and the slaves are celebrating. This day will now be known as Juneteenth and become a holiday in Texas. The Freedmen’s Bureau has been created to help black people learn new skills, find jobs, and get an education. This organization is also handing out food and supplies for the freedman along with providing them schools. The Bureau is so far successful, but we expect there will soon be issues with funding.

NEW TEXAS GOVERNOR APPOINTED

President Johnson is searching for a Unionist to be the new governor in Texas, and he has found Andrew J. Hamilton. He is now the governor of Texas, and is appointing other Unionists into office. Hamilton attends a convention to write a new constitution, but sadly most of the attendees support succession and the Confederacy. Hamilton believes Texas should return to the US quickly and peacefully, so we are very hopeful for the future.

A NEW CONSTITUTION

The new Texas constitution is not really new, they have only revised the old Confederacy constitution, which is causing issues. Texas has agreed to pay their war debts and nullify succession however, they are not following the thirteenth and fourteenth amendments. Along with that they are creating black codes to give black people less rights.

CONGRESS TAKES CONTROL

Congress feels Johnson's plan is too easy on the South, and is taking action. The Radical Republicans are taking over. They believe congress should direct reconstruction. The Radical Republicans now have the rights to override any veto, and form their own reconstruction plan. This will hopefully help us come together again in as a country in shorter amount of time.

RADICAL RECONSTRUCTION BEGINS

The new congressional reconstruction plan is very harsh, but will hopefully work much better. This plan forces Texas to ratify the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments. It also divides the South into five different military districts. Lastly former confederates must sign the Ironclad Oath, which says they can no longer vote or serve in office.

FREEDMEN GET THE VOTE

We are very happy that freedmen have gained the right to vote. Many freedmen in Texas are working to help other freedmen become registered voters. So far over 50,000 African Americans have become registered voters. Meanwhile, the Ku Klux Klan , a group of white men who despise the news laws and reconstruction, are targeting and killing African Americans. They are also targeting Carpetbaggers and Scallywags because they are helping African Americans. We are hopeful that this horrid group of people will be stopped, but our efforts so far haven't done much.

KU KLUX KLAN ATTACK

In recent news, the KKK have attacked an African American school. 20 African American children were killed at the sight and 12 were injured. The men were unidentifiable and haven't been found. We are hopeful that we will catch these men, and that the attacks will end soon.

RECONSTRUCTION ENDS

Recently the Radical Republicans’ candidate for governor, Edmund J. Davis, won the 1869 election for Texas governor. The Radical Republicans also control the state legislature and have now ratified the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendment. Now that Texas has met all the Reconstruction requirements, Texas will rejoin the Union. On March 30, 1870, President Ulysses S. Grant signed an act declaring reconstruction was over in Texas. Soon after, we learned that the Democrats have taken over, destroying any hope for freedmen's rights. We hope that things will get better soon and return to Republican control.

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