American Experience; Reconstruction: The Second Civil War; Interview with David W. Blight, Historian, Yale University, part 3 of 6

his contention in construction and vine can or will team final three for the year so it's a sensitive area yes yes well in many ways the congress was a poisonous few days if he says it's uncertain and beethoven reconstruction policy on this will take years

between republicans and democrats and even through the mail various stevens leader of the radical republicans received a good deal of a memo from southerners there was a virginian who wrote to him sarcastically nineteen sixty six who are accused of racism is would have been a good behavior and he's sent a letter to him knew who you love most have you hate most beloved negro most heat white southerners most and it was this man's attack and stevenson in the letter ends with an appeal to let the south along with a sudden go on its own and then down for congress debate after debate stevens and many others are long wait the pleasure of each of the wild lands in the debates and at sixty seven that is stephen stone and answering his democratic colleagues who were appealing for more rapid restoration of the southern states get back as fast as possible

student stood up and said well they're going to let them in but i do not want to sit next to a colleague almonds coat the blood is still banned from from my own kin unless it and this comes when the bloodstain with a blessed a member of the board is from one of my own country it was it was stevens way of saying are working to sell as long as we can and remake yourself was responsible for me it's alive in you is a reconstruction his plan a war between north and south between the politicians we want to make it was

reassurance charlie low fb of the us in washington kunz says it's it's a poison politics it's the politics of retribution versus the politics of rights was also politics as a drug user and roll war memories the plantation visceral hatreds and then as soon as we wrote a republican co fashion santa letter from a sarcastic virginia in nineteen sixty six who writes the stevens about his what he calls your arm colored speeches he says since you mr sokol representative to getting your circuits and then he calls stevens good here he says students

with stealing a song sinatra most your bosom well the negro or hatred of the women's side like what was on the floor of congress and at sixty seven typical of so much of the waiting to ensure stevens at the height of the debate over how fast those days would be readmitted to the union stanza says he stands and says i am willing to women are renovating the southern states i went there shall come in nairobi do not pray do not admit those who have slaughtered half a million of our countrymen until a close and drown until they're really clear idea now is to sit side by side with minimums garment small of the mission that's a major lull in which

these warm born hatreds is still playing a debate on reconstruction policy they have to reach policies to work through these kinds of emotion in many ways i don't think you'll find more than a political debate on the floor of congress and what you find russian who knows years of the jesus sixty six nineteen sixties so what was it i think if you if you just read the coakley was just really hope so just was a mountain sarcastic virginia and at sixty six wrote to thursday's statements about what you call your color and speeches he called stevens for good behavior maybe as stevens which feeling as strong as some of the most in your bosom well the negro or

hatred of the white man in the south and the bridge is whether human systems too so so it goes well sure the fed is stevens's on may nineteen sixty six in response to his colleagues who are armed for rapid restoration of the southern states that stevens says i'm willing to stay so calm in monterey bay being sentenced they do not afraid it meant those who have slaughtered a half moon do a close analysis so this is an example many others were malls and bitter debates of these diseases and he's a paul foreman visceral hatreds play

out this way the fourteenth amendment and the reconstruction acts come out of this kind of run and i don't believe you find i'm more in the day in the congressional gold rush hour record in american history in the debates between citizens and citizens just what the reconstruction policy should be on the grounds for these were talking about a moment ago about this was how the moderates wanting to move into this level positions in the water pushing the party says the rebels have a plan is not as simple as they were moderate republicans than when professor in maine for example leslie chaired the joint committee and reconstruction who

would have gotten a much slower than the radical republicans that would've moderated the radical plan to do you they did not want to sell them into education ah vowels for civil rights as a route that they are forced into the way to sixty six and sixty seven great job so rap so things are just content of latin to allowing its concerts amnesty and restoration political leadership it was simply unacceptable that it can force for sure when a coalition of or wings of the republican party in a row of planning reconstruction and i was forced to report because of the

campaign that energizes washington sixty six congressional actions of information sixty six andrew johnson's broad speaking to around the country is the same answer it started in washington move north often across the midwest and everywhere he went he appealed to the flag he appealed to reconciliation north south he called the leadership of the republican party by name sovereign citizen particular traders he referred to them as judas iscariot you referred to himself as a jesus fair year and criss cross of radical reconstruction recently just kind of pathetic political road so as a journalist members of the audience in the state would mean andrew johnson

do whatever statements on the very stage and given the last time this source look at you and these diseases is it the voters of north wildwood republican kansas we return to congress and more than two thirds majority for the republican party both houses of congress the senate and the house and we're just assumed policy and his own campaign provoked was this kind of no name the moderate and the right wing of the republican party and all that came the winter and stern insists the planned launch services when she was

sober to some extent which force so as they can to accept black man so and to assess some low the whole discussion of suffrage for african americans in the south how widely assistant with a little bit of what self image was since reconstruction right it was central to the radical plan of reconstruction it was the central issue even the war in the first days of

reconstruction house how has long been a debate over just what the motives of the readings were working in the middle of course were mixed one motive was political interest of the republican party in the south the best way to do it says is a black books and that worked hello there many of the republican budget with a rebel leadership believe that the only watch the all the right reasons on this issue it has blackened the right right themselves to protect one of the liberties which he now is a tremendous bonus content or reconstruction policy because it became eventually part and parcel of

the fourteenth amendment in the frigid instructions act which was the plan by which the sun sets in the substance treatment will allow weapons of there was very broad consensus in the northern white population of black men not have the right to vote that's a difficult issue while owners of firstborn answer this because they were convinced that it was part of securing the incident was part of securing one woman's part of getting rid of the vestiges of the confederacy and the vestiges frankly of the johnson once the kinds of restored governments that andrew johnson would put it was a very useful supported not only by the time we get to the fifteen which was passed in eighty sixty eight in ratifying so

the fifteenth amendment will establish black suffrage yes and no all manner of qualifications test which could be used over time in southern states in northern states to restrict their right to certain groups of american cities are indeed there were efforts in some northern states explicitly district i mean the new construction use the white population of muslims is not huge and therefore it's not clear in what boeing in one stage of song the elections in the right to vote for a black man in the south is absolutely crucial to the establishment of the new construction loans which would form and although the new constitution is written in the elections which were held in at sixty eight

and it's arguable that ulysses grant nineteen eleven the city without power of the black vote and services that compete well last question you know that response that can give me a mean if you can imagine black voters voting for the first time and white voters in the south in that wine in that moment with a cast of hours what is that what is

your what potentially the future of the world watches most today believes us people sometimes fascinating emotional collective action is then on was that the right to vote for black by agencies agencies he was if you like the homeless spiritual experience it was a physical manifestation of the physical ballot that they drop into a box with a glass top for some time because of physical manifestation of freedom it meant to somebody was actually recognize him as a political human being what his

politics are ways of finding our methods of recognizing each other's humanity in determining how to distribute how the right to vote the ballot is our bridges a patient in a price and in this particular moment and this historical moment and it is it is it is it is black people have the right to believe that they have a good reason to go they have been liberated by an army and government that they intended to liberate they were being on some low protected force we exercise the rights and that there wasn't going to be one she led by people who were standing with him every day and begging their future what is the

city philip we know but it was woodland we know this from the meetings at republican party caucuses which formed over the saudis from the leak of forms of music and sixties they were the bible readings and review the declaration of independence and read the emancipation proclamation in some of these events they were like a revival meeting you can even argue that the law i don't like people about the estimated sixty eight it was as though they have followed the church after revival and i'm going to vote for this huge revival meetings

there were there were reasons why they couldn't work this morning with quentin prison all the things that what was mary well rattle reconstruction on the ground in the south do in a variety of way and there's an argument that it could do you know what it might take to make these regimes last week or some dealers right to the meetings in what could a course required more firm forged it would have required more use of

some kind of police power that probably means is is the difficult as it would have been to do as hard as it is for some degree of food today at another idea military occupations of course canon after two or two or a view of the world and into their projects no one wants to be an occupier society that sort of place rather this was a civil war and we incorporated into the national power system i mean could argue that these regimes out perhaps could last longer recession more to do with just the politics

education it had been possible to have a border of the panel where will for blacks and whites on a crisis of bratty but it also would require something extremely difficult time which was a broad based think that some kind of biracial system of race relations could be established where those early onset so this is a record wasn't generation grows longer than slaves in a master slave relationship at the heart of the unknown songs aside and be converted into some kind of new regime

of perhaps morally or some degree of equality proper land ownership over it protected by political rights for these regimes the lines now in the heat hill estimates say three to five more years under military protection police protection federal authorities federal marshals perhaps not have been possible you would have developed experience of reconstruction work with and develop a mutual mutual trust that this was possible one of the tragedies of reconstruction was that some social groups they're biracial democracy is that western democracies vacations and sunny across the board is the

public school they're the creation of land conditions the tent bringing people who always been some political and including a lot of white dome i'm really happened in some states for three or four years in those states five six seven i think that people don't think about this big changes great moments but the potential our museum activist central to the arrival of the broader political participation to broaden access to live with real possibilities and cause real competition

they will always remain what it will always remain a story of possibilities that ran amok or possibilities that was for lack of a revolution and of course there are major factor here there was a counterrevolution against reconstruction of reforms the vote at the grassroots is almost a new white democratic party coalitions reconstruction with the grassroots political and violent <unk> edition and there are legitimate political in the democratic party and leadership in very high places and ron dellums but it was i've mastered the art of both political persuasion and political terror to take back control of his son so

reconstruction last longer work that had to be forceful police action against that to some extent that was constant alert education i was just in louisiana last week of course working here some people is that these are the conquering you know and this idea of the north is imposing their original know i don't want to say well there is a deep and complicated legend if we can call about reconstruction or deep myth to its is some kind of true greatness that reconstruction was essentially again he can

close the occupation of the sciences and the oppression of some people with their employers so called new or comment below and this is over his ideas ryland what lots of northerners who came south was a long one so the senate legislation that ever have majority was there were a few governors is normalizing james arm the vast majority of kurds northerners moves are moving in with the right after the war they moved there because the south was no the new pioneers society as ginger kern richard kerr juan zarate who was a place of opportunity and so we need to remember that there were there was a great deal of skullduggery

and get rich quick own motivation among some kurds but since when is it not a great american tradition the goa the main chances going into opportunities are ago where entrepreneurship so welcome the south do we want to invest early on it was so you know the middle or are in re establish legal townsend reestablish and cultural production most creative so that idea that your parents support an established writer republican political organization is not exactly the case and the impact of black politicians in reconstruction government's isn't for more than four hundred serve in some state legislatures years of

reconstruction but they never done any servants that legislation they reached high levels of leadership all the things that an unusual commercial elected to congress to the us senate this is the greatness of plants that also tragic legend the reconstruction that it was an oppressive so the regimes seems to be running are the legitimate leadership of the way so our business and putting americans under repressive rule part of the whole story is also the most american tradition jesus on local doesn't think and states' rights with the federal government is an oppressor one across state lines to recreate institutions to expand

and part of the owners of new jersey where he's ruins the state's rights reaction to use or so this has been at the heart of our debate about nature and reconstruction ever since was it to a veteran of rules never was vision whose troops still left inside waited seventy five seventy six and in return and most of them a garrison for its own calls them to do with the enforcement operation thousand sentences that are in the state houses in most cities they really want the juneau to asian african city

indecency the tune and play it is a fee that's right mr sit down to earth way he's going to vote today no idea where they went and what i think and he knew exactly what friedman world where a vote in nineteen sixty violations legislature to congress is harder necessarily together but it is clear they were voting for the political force that they still got that freedom you're voting for a political

persuasion that they polled believe would not protect one reason why they're willing to hold for some kind of political persuasion that might lead to launch are you just going to fill their voting for white southerners who voted for people detroit was physical security the possibilities the potential of a fledgling right and when lowell and is soon where this is going to get into it is they say they were also eliminating sixty eight in some cases for the sauce to a sovereign those in particular would benefit from britain's royal

school or the distribution of clothing food from those who have it we're going to fight some of them in the market not a major factor but it's just like it's like a level isn't new elections we tend to we tend to vote on this and six to attend the summit as is the tradition of things this is a new tradition philip for blacks or that boehner's of haitian politics of them is part of the party learned is the vessel that's the force became transformed and it's a whole they have a legitimate free future in their county of

mississippi or georgia or south carolina this is the single book and this has to do with is still is an associate used so he is so he this is craziness thrust into the sea it does

good morning african americans mr mitchell over too rich regions a lot about collective expression collective spirit in ways that takes construction was a kind of ritual that they found a certain spirit to stay as long as the city protectors so there's nothing in it one song but it's quite lucky ones sometimes that reports on that to

license was that there's no major change that was released was really santa says it was a kind of occupation of the us in a very brief period after an academic is free sodas voters but you know what is a reference to stay in terms of kind of the revolution in nineteen sixty three inches emancipations wall within five years african americans go from boston from slaves to free people which is also means the possibility that freedom comes out or chaos and

confusion well arnie thousand and certainly none of the most revolutionary images in fact is moon now those three years they're right of overwhelming to a certain degrees so it before our constitution so it's great the country seems to be constantly fossil as never before has a variety of styles and so is it only among the american history so will

close relationship with the nation the federal government of the united states has the political and neil americans are then eaten since there was some exceptions perhaps moment the times writes that is in civil rights in nineteen sixteen but it has a house in time but it's of course a confusing time as well because it is it's one in the south and more of workers who are suspicious of the rain its parents a plus for these women's role in office for writing the legislation in glass and sell wants to live through their own sense of oh well since the straw for

voters their own sense of converting their concessions leadership ministers church leaders plantation hunters now a new kind of elected political in the very difficult transition shouldn't ever underestimate the trolley or themselves embrace it oh goodness to enjoy american buildings that became freedom and schools just to achieve basic there's some education what was at stake was a sense of some of those crushed by that that's a possibility that you know most of the members

will be needed to get this was essentially a peasantry liberated and free status and went to civil and political rights to a degree but what they desperately need in the absence of any other kind of capital was some kind of enforcement and police how to protect any exercise of instant news new consistent thing in the early in the war we can save the russians want more people to a new statement newly elected state legislature and you touched on the fact that you know we think of a black legislative this experiment with a group of people and

some people were were having a show to call me son it's a huge variety of people but i want to see if you could address that but also if you get into one of these chambers and it's where the action is one of the many legislature weighed sixty eight and seven incident in some states this is being timed they move the very idea of a public school how to fund what the region from taxation and that it's not it's not the most exciting service to some people within the view from the

reconstructions this having fun some of it from the public school how your last clue how do you find the dredging the river how you rebuild joseph rich where would the money come from what the attacks do text lane you tested mice that you can tax slaves and wilkins says who gets upset at what level so that added a public policy most important one other names of who owns their debating the nature of elections that invading redistricting state's new districts in the state the class was it

this one distribution and the mom's number of elected offices in the story of the creation of the cell given the conditions his troops civilians so what we're doing is a war i'm sorry fb