Question

question 18

which of the following statements describes the resettlement of former slaves in the south?

• the freedmens bureau permanently resettled 10,000 african american families on \sherman lands.\
• under johnsons amnesty plan, ex-confederates were allowed to recover their land, and freedmen were forced to work for them or leave.
• bands of ex-confederate soldiers and plantation owners drove african americans from the confiscated land that they were occupying.
• every former slave was given forty acres and a mule in compensation for their years of forced labor.

Explanation:

Analyze the historical context of land resettlement

During early Reconstruction, General Sherman's Special Field Orders No. 15 set aside land ("Sherman lands") for freedmen, and the Freedmen's Bureau initially helped settle thousands of families. However, this resettlement was not permanent. Under President Andrew Johnson's Reconstruction policies, amnesty was granted to most ex-Confederates, restoring their property rights.

Evaluate the options based on historical evidence

• Option 1: The Freedmen's Bureau did not permanently resettle families on "Sherman lands" because President Johnson later ordered these lands returned to their original white owners.
• Option 2: Under Johnson's amnesty plan, pardoned ex-Confederates recovered their confiscated lands. Consequently, freedmen living on these lands were evicted or forced to sign labor contracts to work for the landowners. This accurately describes the historical outcome of the resettlement efforts.
• Option 3: While violence and intimidation occurred, the systematic removal of freedmen from confiscated lands was primarily driven by official federal policy under Johnson's amnesty proclamations rather than unauthorized bands of soldiers.
• Option 4: The proposal of "forty acres and a mule" was never officially or widely implemented as a permanent federal policy for all former slaves.

Identify the correct statement

Applying our knowledge of Presidential Reconstruction Land Redistribution and the Freedmens Bureau Land Policy, we see that President Johnson's lenient amnesty policies directly undermined land reform, forcing freedmen off the lands they had begun to cultivate and back into dependent labor relations.

Answer:

• (A) The Freedmen's Bureau permanently resettled 10,000 African American families on "Sherman lands."
• (B) Under Johnson's amnesty plan, ex-Confederates were allowed to recover their land, and freedmen were forced to work for them or leave. (Correct answer)
• (C) Bands of ex-Confederate soldiers and plantation owners drove African Americans from the confiscated land that they were occupying.
• (D) Every former slave was given forty acres and a mule in compensation for their years of forced labor.