Presidential and Congressional Reconstruction in Texas: Comparison and Evaluation
Introduction
The period following the American Civil War known as Reconstruction had profound and long-lasting impacts on the defeated Southern states. In no state was this truer than Texas, which had been one of the largest slaveholding states and a leader of the Confederacy. Reconstruction in Texas involved two distinct phases – Presidential Reconstruction under Andrew Johnson from 1865 to 1867, and Congressional Reconstruction mandated by the Republican-led Congress from 1867 onward. This paper will provide an overview of these two phases of Reconstruction in Texas and evaluate their effectiveness in achieving the goals of restoring the Union and protecting the rights of the newly freed slaves.
Presidential Reconstruction in Texas
When Andrew Johnson became president after Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in April 1865, he sought to follow Lincoln’s relatively lenient vision for Reconstruction (Austin Community College, n.d.). Johnson laid out his plan for readmitting the former Confederate states to the Union in his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction in May 1865. The key requirements were for states to abolish slavery, repudiate debts incurred in aid of rebellion, and ratify the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery (Texas State Historical Association, 2022).
Texas moved quickly to comply with President Johnson’s requirements. A constitutional convention was held in February 1866 that abolished slavery and repudiated the Confederate war debt. However, the actions of the convention and subsequent state legislature demonstrated Texas’ continued defiance of federal authority. The convention refused to repudiate Texas’ ordinance of secession or overturn legislation passed during the Confederacy (Austin Community College, n.d.). Further, the new Black Codes passed by the legislature severely restricted the rights and freedoms of the newly freed slaves (Texas State Historical Association, 2022).
Despite these failures to fully comply, President Johnson declared Reconstruction complete in Texas and readmitted it to the Union in August 1866. However, the Republican-led Congress rejected Johnson’s lenient approach and refused to seat Texas’ representatives, asserting itself as the authority over Reconstruction (Austin Community College, n.d.).
Congressional Reconstruction in Texas
In 1867, Congress passed the Reconstruction Acts which divided the South into five military districts. Texas was placed under the Fifth Military District commanded by General Philip Sheridan. The acts also required new state constitutions to be drafted and ratified that explicitly guaranteed black male suffrage and prohibited many former Confederate officials from holding office (Texas State Historical Association, 2022).
Texas reluctantly acceded to Congressional Reconstruction. A new constitutional convention was held in 1869 that enfranchised black men and enshrined protections for civil and political rights (Austin Community College, n.d.). The legislature elected under this constitution pursued progressive policies like public education, prison reform, and economic development (Texas State Historical Association, 2022). Black Texans were also elected to local offices and the state legislature for the first time (Jenkins, 2020).
However, Congressional Reconstruction faced immense resistance from white Texans. Paramilitary groups like the Ku Klux Klan terrorized black communities and Republican leaders (Jenkins, 2020). In 1871, Governor Edmund Davis declared martial law in several counties to suppress Klan violence (Texas State Historical Association, 2022). Reconstruction also faced charges of corruption amidst lavish state spending. By the mid-1870s, a national shift in priorities allowed opposition Democrats to regain power in Texas (Austin Community College, n.d.).
Evaluation of Reconstruction in Texas
While Presidential Reconstruction was too lenient to achieve meaningful change, Congressional Reconstruction made important strides in establishing civil and political equality under the law (Jenkins, 2020). The 1869 state constitution and policies of the Radical Republican legislature represented the high-water mark of equality and interracial democracy the state had seen (Texas State Historical Association, 2022).
However, Congressional Reconstruction ultimately failed due to fierce resistance from white supremacists. The removal of federal troops and oversight enabled a backlash of violence and Jim Crow laws that stripped black Texans of their new rights (Austin Community College, n.d.). Deeper prejudices and tensions over the upending of the racial hierarchy slowed Texas’ reconciliation to the post-Civil War order (Jenkins, 2020).
In conclusion, Reconstruction had reconciliation to the post-Civil War order (Jenkins, 2020).
In conclusion, Reconstruction had mixed and limited success in fully restoring Texas to the Union and protecting the rights of freed slaves over the long term. While the goals of equality under law were advanced under Congressional Reconstruction, entrenched racial attitudes prevented full and equal participation of black citizens in Texas society for generations after Reconstruction ended (Texas State Historical Association, 2022). Both Presidential and Congressional Reconstruction faced immense challenges in reshaping Texas’ political and social structures after the Civil War.
References
Austin Community College. (n.d.). RECONSTRUCTION IN TEXAS. Retrieved January 08, 2023, from https://www.austincc.edu/lpatrick/his1693/reconstr.html
Jenkins, J. A. (2020). The Ku Klux Klan During Reconstruction: A Reassessment. The Journal of Southern History, 86(3), 551–588. https://doi.org/10.1353/soh.2020.0139
Texas State Historical Association. (2022, June 15). Reconstruction. Handbook of Texas. https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/reconstruction
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