Civil War Reconstruction Essay

Civil War Reconstruction Essay
The reconstruction of the Union began under President Lincoln before the end of the war, and
carried on by President Johnson after the assassination of President Lincoln. After Lincoln's death,
the leadership of the nation bestowed upon Andrew Johnson of Tennessee. According to A. Brinkley
(pg. 375), Johnson revealed his plan for reconstruction or "Restoration", as he preferred to call it,
soon after he took office and implemented it during the summer of 1865 when Congress was in
recess. Like Lincoln, he offered some form of amnesty to Southerners who would take a pledge of
loyalty to the Union. In most other respect, however, his plan resembled the Wade–Davis Bill. The
next phase of reconstruction, known as the Congressional Plan or ... Show more content on
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Grant.
This latter period was the greatest trial that the South had to bear, not excepting the terrible ordeal of
war. To understand properly the surroundings, it is necessary to enumerate briefly the events, which
occurred early in 1865, and the directions given by President Johnson to the military officers of the
United States. The death of President Lincoln regarded as the greatest catastrophe that could have
happened to the people of the South. The arrest and imprisonment of President Davis and many of
the Confederate soldiers and statesmen have been already related. The treatment of Mr. Davis was
very harsh indeed, complicity in the assassination of Mr. Lincoln cruelly imputed to him, and a large
reward offered for his capture. Every town, village, district occupied rapidly by the Union troops as
the Confederate resistance melted away, and all civil government ignored. The governors of most of
the seceded States attempted to call their legislatures together to conform to the results of the war
and take steps for their restoration to the Union. They did this, believing that the American principle
of government––the sovereignty and indestructibility of the States––would be respected and that
these prompt proceedings would be favored as the constitutional plan of restoration. They did this
also believing it necessary to preserve civil government, and to show by legislative enactment
complete submission to the results
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Reconstruction Of The Civil War
As the civil war was ending many people could see that the odds of the north winning increased
dramatically however many people can argue this idea based on the several events that took place
during the second phase of the civil war. Carl Schurz concluded, "The Civil War was a revolution,
but half accomplished."(Roark et al 434) Reconstruction started before the civil war ended until
1877, when people of the United States tried figuring out how to put the country back together.
Many people had different ideas on how the reconstruction should be handled as a result conflict
began between different political groups, between groups in the south, between north and south, and
between congress and senate groups. The dramatic transformation of southern states took place
during the reconstruction that proved their victory was the organization and formation of
government, being reunited in the union, and acquiring constitutional and legal status of African
Americans. In 1863 Lincoln's Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction plan was created for a
rapid forgiving restoration of a broken union therefore granting Southern states political power,
create new constitutions, organize new government, and create new legislatures within each state. In
the beginning this sounded great for all parties but in reality the South encountered difficult
circumstances before it was effective. In 1865 Andrew Johnson became president he supported
white supremacy and defender of

Essay On Civil War And Reconstruction
The Civil War, which was caused by the secession of the Confederate states, lasted four long years.
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers have lost their lives during the bloody battle. However, after the
war has ended and reconstruction took place, there were some very major events that took place that
helped changed and bettered the United States, as well as bring the Nation back together. During the
Reconstruction Era, an organization called the Ku Klux Klan was orchestrated by white
supremacists, mostly in the South, who disliked and terrorized Black people and anyone who stood
with the Republicans. When the Confederate states were brought back into the Union, they did not
have much power or as many rights as they used to. In the fear of having them be a dominant region
in the Union, some of the reconstruction acts that were implemented were trying to keep the
southerners under control and keep them from having too much power. Thus, the group's goal was to
reestablish white supremacy in the states. Moreover, they "usually carried out their attacks at night,
acting on their own ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
To take the Thirteenth amendment a step further, the fourteenth amendment granted equal civil and
legal rights to African Americans. This constitutional amendment stated that "nor shall any state
deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person
within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." During the Reconstruction Era, many
important events took place that strengthened the nation and brought it together, including, the
making of the KKK, because it helped start the Civil Rights Movement, the ratification of the
Thirteenth Amendment, because it guaranteed freedom to African Americans, and finally, the
ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment, because it promoted further equality among white and
black

Reconstruction Of The American Civil War
Minkyo Seo May 26, 2016 Reconstruction As the American Civil War came to a close, the United
States started to revamp the country, during what became known as the Reconstruction Era.
Throughout this Period of time (1865–1877), the authorities attempted to fix America politically,
economically, and physically. The United States unfortunately faced struggles, when people were
evidently unable to adapt themselves to the era. As a result of bringing an attempt to come back
from the defeat, the result was insufficient. This clearly shows that the Reconstruction Era was
certainly not a success because the changes created by the government failed to make positive
changes to society. There were numerous of conflicts in The Civil War and Problems the Nation was
Faced with that led up to the reconstruction. One of the origins of the war was Sectionalism.
Sectionalism is the devotion to the interests of one geographic region over interests of the country in
whole. This ultimately led to the union's worst crisis; Civil War between the North and the South in
the early 1860s (Cornfield). On the other hand, Kansas–Nebraska Act "Bleeding Kansas" of 1854
was a major event occurred. This created territories in Kansas and Nebraska, opened new lands and
repealed the Missouri Compromise of 1820. It stated over the issue of slavery in Missouri. "It was
decided Missouri entered as a slave state and Maine entered as a free state and

Prior to the Civil War, the United States' economy was essentially agricultural based; slavery in the
South was the key player in its prosperous economy. Hence, it is no wonder the South stood in
defense of slavery's permanence when challenged with the demand for abolition. The Southern
proslavery Confederate states fought against the Northern antislavery Union states during the Civil
War. The Union prevailed in the war and once the Confederates seceded and left the United States
with a new predicament: The Reconstruction Era. In which, the Union needed to find a way to
readmit the Confederates back into the nation in accord to Union principles. Essentially, although
the ex–Confederates rejoined the Union, the reconstruction of the South was unsuccessful.
Presidential, Congressional, and Radical reconstruction individually served to the collaborative
failure of readmitting the South based on Northern ideals. Furthermore, Presidential Reconstruction
was futile in the reformation of the South. During this phase of reconstruction, Abraham Lincoln
proposed his Ten Percent Plan in which he strategized to readmit the South into the Union by having
at least ten percent of the Confederate states vote back into the Union in exchange for amnesty so
long as they accepted the thirteenth amendment which abolished slavery. However, the South
rejected Lincoln's plan and consequently congress came up with the Wade–Davis Bill, which
proposed that, in order to be reinstated, the male

The Civil War: The Reconstruction Era
The Reconstruction Era, between the years of 1865–1877, was the difficult time because of post–
war problems. The plan for the reconstruction of the South for Lincoln was to do so during the Civil
War and form as Union soldiers. The Civil War was a time of anger between the north and the south.
Although the war only lasted for four years, it was concluded as the bloodiest war and most
importantly the result would affect the United States as a country forever. The outcome lasted in the
Union winning, which was the north.
Reconstruction Era was a time period in which the war had ended and around four million slaves
finally got their freedom. People were not celebrating that victory, but worrying about all the
problems of the South and what

The Civil War: Reconstruction
The Civil war could very easily be known as one of the greatest tragedies in United States history.
After the Civil War, the people of The United States had so much anger and hatred towards each
other and the government that 11 Southern states seceded from the Nation and parted into two
pieces. The Nation split into either the Northern abolitionist or the Southern planation farmers. The
Reconstruction era was meant to be exactly how the name announces it to be. It was a time for the
United States to fix the broken pieces the war had caused allowing the country to mend together and
unite once again. The point of Reconstruction was to establish unity between the states and to also
create and protect the civil rights of the former slaves. ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
The southerners wrote these laws in order to maintain "White Supremacy" and the old order that
originally made slavery possible. The punishment that the Black Codes stated were such unrealistic
obligations for the newly freed black slaves that it was very well setting them up for failure. One
law stated, " Such person, shall be fined not less than fifty dollars, and not more than five hundred
dollars, and cost; and if said fine and costs shall not be immediately paid, the court shall sentence
said convict to six months imprisonment in the county jail."
This is just an example of the unreasonable discrimination the blacks had to serve. In 1865, fifty
dollars was a lot of money that newly freed slaves, who had never gotten paid before now, did not
have. The White Southerners knew that the freed slaves did not have the ability to pay the cost
immediately and would have no choice but to be put into imprisonment. The rules were also very
vague and broad that basically anything could fall under the categories of being against the law. For
example, "Committing riots, routs, affrays, trespasses, malicious mischief, cruel treatment to
animals, seditious speeches, insulting gestures, language, or arts, or disturbance of the peace..". In
this case, the words are so vague that anything that the blacks said or did could fall under one
category or the other. A white person could very easily state that something innocent was an

Civil War And Reconstruction
Based on the supplementary readings, I believe that the Civil War and Reconstruction failed to
produce equality and freedom to the former slaves in America. Although these events are a major
development in the process of liberating African Americans from slavery and dehumanization, many
obstacles still exist in which the black community suffered from discrimination and lack of basic
rights as a black man in the late 1800s. For example, black soldiers were recruited into the Civil War
due to shortage of manpower and "receive the sum of ten dollars per month...[while]..the regiment
would...be allowed the three"(Gooding, "We Feel as Though Our Country Spurned Us"). This shows
prejudice to the African Americans despite their efforts. Even though

Civil Reconstruction And Its Impact On The Civil War
During the early 1900's, slavery had already been abolished. African–Americans were freed and
could earn a decent life for themselves; this did not mean they would live a peaceful life. After
slavery ended, Reconstruction was introduced to bring the former Confederate states back into the
union . As reconstruction was getting started, Radical Republicans of the North passed the Military
Reconstruction Acts of 1867 for revenge on the southerners, which divided the south into five
military districts and charted how the new government would operate . As this Military
Reconstruction was taking effect across the South, African–Americans were able to vote, hold
political offices, become judges, sheriffs and police officers, basically gaining multiple positions
associated with power. This sudden transition of being lower than someone who was previously a
slave did not please the Southerners and their Democratic ways of life. As the African–Americans
were gaining to positions powerful enough to alter the way of life citizens. white supremacy gained
rise and the ear of the Ku Klux Klan was born . With the Ku Klux Klan came terror on local
Republicans and African Americans trying to practice their newly given political rights. Slowly but
surely, the Reconstruction era came to an end ten years later in 1877 with the complete withdrawals
of Union Troops in the South. As reconstruction times came to a close, Southern white Democrats
regained the powerful positions previously had by the

Reconstruction During The Civil War
Reconstruction Over the course of America's existence, it has acquired many successes and failures.
Over time there have been a large number of accomplishments that have made the world a greater
good, but there have also been phases of turmoil and tragedy. The Reconstruction period after the
Civil War is a prime example of a complete failure. The Reconstruction period consisted of many
goals and ideas that Americans planned to achieve in their country after being torn apart from the
Civil War. One of the main objectives was to rejoin all of the states to the union to help rebuild the
South and help African Americans come back into society. It soon came to an end and was a
complete failure since Southerners would not abide by the laws of rights to former slaves and the
introduction of segregation soon began. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were passed to
protect feed people's natural rights. This process of protecting was the whole concept of
"reconstructing America". At first a majority of the states did not agree with these new laws, but by
1870, all of the former Confederate states had accepted them and were admitted into the union once
again. Once Reconstruction ended in 1877, society slowly went back to a strong racist background
and former slaves were once again in servitude. This time, even harsher discrimination against the
Blacks were introduced by enforcing state segregation. Reconstruction only caused the nation to
become worse. When Reconstruction began,

Civil War And The Reconstruction Era
The Civil War had ended and the Reconstruction era had given African American's a much–needed
voice in the electoral process. They were finally able to have rights in the way that business matters
were being organized. Unfortunately, this was short–lived. White domination took over every aspect
of life, particularly in the south. Between 1890 and 1906, every southern state was involved in
constitutional provisions and passing laws that were meant to completely wipe out the black vote
altogether. There were a few ways in which they did this. One was by charging a poll tax. If you
couldn't pay the tax, you couldn't vote. Although, this tax was waived for the equally poor white
voters. A handful of the southern states issued what was called

Sanghee Song
Professor Denise Jessie
History 11
7 May 2015
Reconstruction
In the beginning of 1865, the Civil War came to a close, abandoning over 620,000 dead and a
destructive path of devastating all over the south. The North now was confronted with the task of
reconstructing the destroyed and aggrieved Confederate states.
On April 11, two days after Confederate General Robert E. Lee's submission, President Abraham
Lincoln delivered his last public address, during which he designated a merciful Reconstruction
plans and encouraged sympathy and unprejudiced mind throughout the procedure. He said that the
Confederate states had not ever left the Union, which was in direct opposing side to the views of
Radical Republican Congressmen.
On April 14, Lincoln held a Cabinet congregation to talk over post–war reconstructing exhaustively.
President Lincoln wanted to have southern state governments in operation prior to Congress met in
December in order to keep away from the oppression of the vengeful Radical Republicans. That
same night, during the time that Lincoln was watching a play at Ford's Theatre, a fanatical Southern
actor, John Wilkes Booth, crept up at the back Lincoln and shot him in the head. Lincoln died the
following day, leaving the South with little wish for a non–revengeful Reconstruction.
The lack of any provisions in the Constitution that could be applied to Reconstruction led to a
dissent over who held the power to direct Reconstruction and how it would happen.

The Reconstruction Of The Civil War And Reconstruction
Majiye Uchibeke Civil War & Reconstruction Dr. David Herr 12/2/2017 Civil War and
Reconstruction Finals 1. The war in 1862 was only more than a year old and the people in both the
Union and Confederate sides didn't anticipate it would last that long, but it is going to go on. Close
to the end of the summer in this same year, the Union has made huge progress in claiming
confederate lands, winning some major battles. They have put the confederacy in the defensive.
They have taken over New Orleans, with even black troops major on the ground of New Orleans.
They have taken Missouri and are working hard to take over the Mississippi Valley and maybe even
Richmond itself. Bruce Catton puts it this way in The Civil War, "Except for guerrilla activity,
Kentucky and Missouri has been swept clear of armed confederates, Western Tennessee had been
reclaimed, there was a Yankee army in Cumberland Gap, another one was approaching chattanooga,
and a third was sprawled out from Memphis to Corinth, preparing to splice down through
Mississippi and touch hands with the Union occupation forces in Baton Rouge and New Orleans"
(85) So not only that they Union had taken over regions, they are advancing as well, but they did not
win the way this year for some reason. Firstly, because they did not have generals and army heads
capable of taking them to victory. General Halleck, chief of the Union Armies and Pope in charge of
one of the Union armies in Virginia, were major examples of this.

Reconstruction After Civil War
The Reconstruction Era can be distinguished from other eras by looking at the relationships between
the northern and the southern regions, along with the rights of African Americans. Having won the
Civil War, the northern part of the country (anti–slavery) pushed for more rights and freedoms for
those freed from slavery.
The Reconstruction did not necessarily accomplish what it was supposed to, but it was the
foundation that the U.S. needed in order to move in a better direction. Although slavery was
abolished and rights were given to those freed, that didn't mean that their lives became easier.
Colored men were given the right to vote, but that was made difficult by southern white
supremacists that attacked and prevented them from fulfilling their rights. If the Reconstruction after
the Civil War had worked perfectly, preventing someone from obtaining their rights and harming
them would have been severely punishable. But it was not. They were ... Show more content on
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Before and during the Civil War it was not uncommon for masters to physically harm their slaves,
often times hurting them just enough so that they didn't die. But now as slavery was abolished, harm
still came to those who were free. The only difference was that it had a new name (lynching) and
some of the reasoning behind it. White southern leaders felt threatened and thought that their rights
were the ones being threatened. They saw the North trying to elevate the colored population in the
South, holding the freedmens' rights above the white population. Those men then began retaliating
against those freedmen and any of their supporters. Where slavery usually involved the harming of
the slave, lynching involved both white and black people, men and women. Many massacres
occurred during this time of Reconstruction, most of them could have been avoidable if the North
had stricter laws and higher security in places with high

Reconstruction was the period when America was figuring out on issues pertaining to who was an
American, what rights an American should enjoy and what rights other Americans were exercising.
The post bellum period was a period after the civil war that had affected the United States of
America. This conflict had mostly taken place in the south and therefore the people there were the
for the most part affected by this warfare. After the civil war, racism was still a threat and a struggle
for the nation, mostly to the African–Americans (Brown, 213). The progression of the black people
was hindered by lack of education, lack of African–American political leaders for the black people.
Reconstruction for that reason needed to be done (Brown, 213).
The army started on a role of aiding to law and order by making steps to prevent idleness and
vagrancy. Laws referred to as the black codes were passed which were meant to reaffirm the
position of inferiority that had been associated with the blacks in the southern states. The thirteenth
amendment of the constitution was passed on the eighth of April 1864 which officially abolished
and prohibited slavery in the United States (Brown, 213). This amendment was however not fully
effective since it provided an opportunity for selective enforcement of certain laws, for example:
The Mississippi black codes states that all freedmen, free Negroes, and mulattoes in this state over
the age of eighteen years found on the second Monday in January

Reconstruction Of Reconstruction During The Civil War
Describe and analyze Reconstruction. Did Reconstruction have any successes?
The end of civil war in the United States of America brought about many problems, in particular for
the South. Some of the problems were political, economic decay and social disorder. The war
destroyed the plantations and crops thus causing many to starve to death while others became
homeless. The reconstruction became the only hope for the people. Radical reconstruction began in
1867, which enabled the freed black men to have a voice in the government. Before the civil war,
the Southern state had enacted laws that suppressed all African American. This fact angered many
people from the North who were seeking to end slavery. Therefore, during the reconstruction era,
the black people wanted their voices to be heard. The restoration process began with small plans that
were put forward by President Lincoln as well as President Johnson. The two president's main aim
was to combine the confederacy with the unions (Flanagan). This fact was called the presidential
reconstruction. The Republicans were put into office to ensure that the freed people's rights were
protected as well as to make sure that America was united. The civil rights act was passed and the
southern state began to follow the rule. The Congress passed the Ku Klux Klan Act that would
ensure that the federal authorities could be able to protect the freed citizens. However, even with the
introduction of such laws the African Americans were

Civil War Reconstruction Dbq
The Civil War was the bloodiest battle the US has ever never had that reconstruction it took a very
long time. 1876 was the year of the 100th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence . 1877 the
last federal troops left the South. I believe the north killed Reconstruction because they did not do
anything to stop racism, they had the Panic of 1873 and public opinion shifted about reconstruction
the Civil War. For the first step of reconstruction, congress took away the Confederate state
governments and put the south under the control of the US army. New elections were held by the
army. There were three groups that worked to form new state governments. There were freedmen,
carpetbaggers and scalawags. Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel

After the Civil War, which lasted from 1861–1865, there were three different approaches to southern
reconstruction. The Lincoln Plan, as outlined by Abraham Lincoln before his death, would: (1)
improve the economic and political status of blacks (2) allow southern states to re–enter the Union
after 10% of whites had taken oaths of loyalty (3) grant blanket pardons to Confederate veterans
after individual pleas to the president, and (4) not allow a loss of property except slaves. At the time,
Lincoln's primary objective was to end the war and bring southern states back into the Union.
Ultimately, his dream of abolishing slavery was realized with the Emancipation Proclamation of
1863; however, his long term goal of rebuilding the South was put to a halt after his assassination,
and successor Andrew Johnson. Johnson, a southern Democrat, went ahead with Lincoln's plan but
added two provisions of his own: (1) new state government had to repudiate Confederate debts, and
(2) state legislatures had to ratify the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery. Democrats embraced
Johnson's plan, but Republicans hated it because it readmitted southern states back into the Union
without changing the status of blacks. So even though the nation was unified, Johnson's plan was
undermined by the enactment of Black Codes which disenfranchised African–Americans from 1865
to 1867. This is why/how Congress exerted their power throughout his tenure, by overriding his
vetoes and implementing their own plan

Civil War Reconstruction Essays
The period after the Civil War was a very difficult time in the United States' history. This time was
known as the Reconstruction period and it was a very controversial time. There were many issues
that had to be addressed such as what to do with the free blacks in the south and how states would
be readmitted to the Union. This era saw the rise of the Radical Republicans. The government was
going through changes, southerners were going through changes, and blacks were going through
changes. Whites in the south were left without people to work their plantations. Slavery was indeed
a very important topic during this time. Many of the reconstruction plans that were proposed
required states to prohibit slavery in ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
Johnson's Plan had nothing to say about the rights of blacks after the war. Most Northern Democrats
favored Johnson's Plan. However Southerners were not so impressed. Many of the southern states
accepted Johnson's plan but some of them attacked the black rights issue. Some states would not
ratify the thirteenth amendment. None of the southern states would allow blacks to vote. In late 1865
the southern states revised their slave codes into what became know as the black codes. This
basically stripped blacks of every right and justice that was due to them. Since Johnson's plan did
not address the rights and liberties of blacks, the southern states took it into their own hands to
create their own laws regarding blacks. When Congress met again they began to fight for the rights
of blacks. They responded to the black codes by passing the Civil Rights Act of 1866. President
Johnson vetoed the bill but Congress overruled his veto with a 2/3 majority vote. Congress' view of
President Johnson began to deteriorate.
The Military Reconstruction Acts did not go over well with President Johnson. He vetoed the bill,
however the Radical Republicans passed it over Johnson's veto. These acts began in 1867 and began
what was known as Radical Reconstruction. Under this plan the south was divided into five districts.
Excluding Tennessee because they had already been readmitted into the Union. Each of the

Microtheme One – Reconstruction The Reconstruction happened in period following the end of the
American Civil and the main goal was to reintegrate the Southern Confederate States back into the
Union after they had been defeated by the Union (Northern States). As would be expected, the
process was met with many challenges as the interests of both groups had to be addressed. There
was debate over the terms under which the Confederate States would be allowed back into the
Union, and whether it was the president or congress to set these terms. There was also the question
about what rights freed slaves had and their role in the new American society. Even though the war
had ended, the reconstruction presented a new battlefront for a political struggle between the North
and the South. This paper analyses what reconstruction sought to achieve, and why it failed with
dire long–term consequences. By the time the Civil War ended in early 1865, about 4 million slaves
had been freed in the South. Sharp political and ideological differences arose over the fate of the
Southern States under the Union and the millions of freed slaves. The people of the North wanted to
see the Southern States punished for fighting against the Union. They argued that the Southern
communities had abolished their State governments which connected them politically to the Union
and had ended up as disorganized communities by the end of the war. "They deliberately abolished
their State governments so far as the

Reconstruction was one of the most important periods in American history. It was a period right
after the Civil War lasting from approximately from 1863 to 1877. During this time, the leaders of
the country and the congress struggled with a challenge of bringing the South back into the Union
politically, economically and socially. One of the key challenges they faced was how to reunite the
nation and what to do with the thirteen rebellious states that broke off from the Union and joined the
Confederacy. Another challenge the government was dealing with was what to do with four million
former slaves who now needed housing, food, work, education along with basic civil rights such as
voting and government participation. In my opinion reconstruction was more successful in bringing
back the South economically and politically. Social reconstruction on the other hand, was almost an
impossible task due to lack of commitment to insure equal rights for African Americans. In this
essay I will examine successes and failures of presidential, congressional, and social
reconstructions. While the civil war was still going on, both President Lincoln and then his
successor President Andrew Johnson struggled with the challenge of how to re–integrate southern
states back into the Union. Ultimately, both presidents pursued the plan that would mend the nation
back together fast. In December of 1863 Lincoln came up with a program called Proclamation of
Amnesty and Reconstruction. This

Reconstruction And Reconstruction: Reconstruction After...
Reconstruction was a time of turmoil in the United States, and no area was more negatively
impacted than the south. The decision made by the South to rejoin the Union after the Civil war was
a decision met with criticism and rebellion. The Texans demonstrated the conflict and tension
between the Union soldiers and Southern inhabitants, and for those reasons it was an accurate
representation of life in 1865 Texas. The movie begins with the main female protagonist, Ivy
Preston, smuggling guns illegally in 1865 Indianola, TX. She is harassed by Union soldiers, but the
male protagonist, Kirk Jordan, distracts them so she can escape. She meets with her boyfriend, Alan,
and he informs her of his plan to work with Mexico to stage a rebellion against

Reconstruction is the era in the United States that follows the Civil War. During this time, the
federal government set the conditions that would allow the rebellion Southern states back into the
Union. The victory in the Civil War has granted four million slaves their freedom. After the Civil
War, the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments help protect
the freedom of African Americans. They were granted the right to vote, obtain land from former
owners, develop their own employment, use public facilities, and participate in political actions.
Life changed dramatically for these free slaves. Most importantly, they no longer had to work under
a slave master. The first amendment that allowed this to happen was the thirteenth amendment. It
stated to abolish slavery in the United States and involuntary servitude. Following this was the
fourteenth amendment. It gave citizens equal rights and equal protection of the laws. This
amendment applied mostly to the freed slaves. The third amendment that protected freed slaves was
the fifteenth amendment. It granted blacks the right to vote. However, life still stayed the same a
little for them. Whites still were very harsh toward them and look down upon them even after blacks
were given the same rights as whites.
Many Southern whites reacted with anger towards the freedom of blacks. They felt as if they have
been defeated. Many though of leaving the South. However, many southern

The Civil War And Reconstruction
Chapter: The Civil War and Reconstruction
Overview
Decades before the actual Civil War the nation was under national unity, however that shifted with
new political system and movements.
Coming of the Civil War
Resistance of Slavery
Slavery was implemented in the Americas prominently during the colonial era. Their contribution
and labor to plantations was incomparable. As detailed by Fitzhugh, after centuries of oppression
and abuse resistance opposing slavery were in many forms beginning with the written constitution in
late 18th century. Forms of resistance to slavery were common as escape, sabotage, and most
notably resistance to work at a fast rate. Slaves revolts also became common and were discovered
throughout the whole nation.
1800 – Gabriel Prosser's conspiracy, led by urban workers in Virginia
1822 – Denmark Vesey's plans to make south Carolina revolt
1831 – Nat Turner revolt in Virginia.
Reform Movements
The abolitionist movement in the 1820s became much more significant as economical demands
grew. The cotton production was at an all time high years before the Civil War, as a result, in order
to make more profit from it slavery spread, as labor was necessary. Significant figures such as
Frederick Douglass, Harriet Truman and William Lloyd garrison were among the participant in the
movement that gained great amount of followers. They were also responsible for organizing
Underground Railroad, in which provided escape for slaves.
The movement was more

Reconstructing America's Mindset Although the end of the Civil War and the beginning of the
Reconstruction brought great hope to America's four million former slaves, the efforts of
Congressional Reconstruction ultimately failed to establish equal rights for the freedmen because
the racist mindset still dominated American society at the time and Democratic influence steadily
overcame Republican control in Congress. Despite the Union's victory, the end of the Civil War
brought many significant national problems, including an economically and culturally devastated
South and the protection of the freedmen. After a period of Reconstruction under Lincoln and then
under Andrew Johnson, it was Congress's turn to determine the path of Reconstruction. While the
ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment and the Emancipation Proclamation were large steps in the
freedmen's road to equality, it was never going to be that easy to attain true equality for all. The
Southerners' mindset was still fixated on the idea that freedmen were naturally inferior. A major
obstacle for in the pursuit of equality for the freedmen was overcoming the commonly accepted
belief that blacks were naturally subordinate to whites. After the ratification of the Thirteenth
Amendment, many radical Republicans began to argue for equal voting rights for freedmen as for
whites. However, many people opposed this idea, such as Pennsylvania Congressman Benjamin
Boyer, who said "[the Negro is] a race by nature inferior

The Civil War can be described as one of the bloodiest and gruesome war ever fought on American
soil. The Civil War was fought between the Union and the Confederates. The Civil War lasted for 5
years and during that 5 year period many people ended up dying, 620,000 people to be exact and
millions injured, but while the numbers can be appalling; it isn 't even the beginning. The war led a
schism to happen in the U.S, the whole country was divided and devastated. Abraham Lincoln the
president who helped lead the Union against the Confederates, knew that the only way to make the
U.S functional and great again was to join both sides back together during this time period after the
civil war, which would later come to be known as reconstruction.
Lincoln 's plan first started in late 1863 when he issued a proclamation of amnesty and
Reconstruction, which meant that any state that rebelled against the Union could form an Union
government whenever a number equal to 10 percent of those that voted in 1860 pledged allegiance
to the constitution and the Union and received a presidential pardon. Some groups were excluded
from the pardon:Confederate officials; senior officers of the confederate army. (Chapter 17, Page
712 ). But before he could see the seeds he planted bear fruit he was assassinated by John Wilkes
Booth on April 14, 1865. Lincoln 's death elevated his Vice–president Andrew Johnson to the White
House. Like Lincoln, Johnson also had plans on how to restore the U.S; his

The Civil War And Reconstruction Periods
The Unfinished Revolution
The Civil War and Reconstruction periods had many positive outcomes for America, such as the
reunification of the Union, the expansion of the North and South's economy, education for all, and
much more. Although there were many positive results from these two periods, there was also an
aftermath of much failure. The post Civil War, and Reconstruction period consisted of the formation
of the Ku Klux Klan and the black code laws. Despite the fact that African American's were no
longer slaves, in many ways they were still not free. Furthermore, the creation of things such as the
Ku Klux Klan and the black codes created high tension between the black and white races, a tension
that can be argued is still present in modern day America. This essay will examine the aspects of
how the post Civil War and Reconstruction period was a failure with regards to social, economic and
political, and radical development for newly freed slaves.
Social Development Once African American's were freed they faced many social obstacles. Blacks
wanted to immediately be given the same treatment to whites in the workforce, such as have one day
off per week so they could have more free time with their families. Blacks had more than the right to
request time off, but some whites in American thought that this request was unreasonable, mostly
because white people now lacked the ability to exploit black labor (Ransom221). After slavery
ended the South was in short supply for

Reconstruction After The Civil War
Reconstruction refers to the time period after the Civil War when the Union worked to reintegrate
the Southern states that had seceded from the union, and were eventually defeated in the Civil War.
The Reconstruction era occurred between 1865–1877 (American Destiny, pg. 409). There were
various plans on how to approach and follow through with Reconstruction from President Lincoln's,
President Johnson's, Congresses', and the radicals' plans on how to best execute the reintegration of
the defeated Southern states. Lincoln's plan was a mild approach, as he only required that ten
percent of each defeated Southern state take a loyalty oath to the United States. Once they achieved
that ten percent they could then instate their own state government,

There was a transformation period after the Civil War called the reconstruction during the years
1863 to 1877. The reconstruction was the rebuilding of the United States, mainly in the South. There
were three major types of reconstruction, which were political, physical, and social. The political
reconstruction allowed some African Americans to vote; however, they had to be literate in order to
take the Oath test. Not many African Americans knew how to read and write, because they were
slaves and never had the opportunity to be educated. There was the Physical reconstruction, which
was the building of sea ports, farming, and railroads, railroads being a major part of the
reconstruction. Social Reconstruction was the most important step during the reconstruction,
because many families were reunited after being separated from each other at birth, or after years of
living together. By being reunited with their families the former slaves had already won the 'battle'.
During the Reconstruction Abraham Lincoln was one of the presidents who was not in favor of
slavery. He introduced the Emancipation Proclamation, which did not free slaves but did offer a
pardon. The slaves had to pass a literacy test or they had to escape and go to the north in order to
become free. Abraham Lincolns plan was to get voting rights for blacks; however, only those who
helped fight in the war and the most intelligent or literate ones could vote. The thirteenth
amendment abolished slavery. The African

Civil War Reconstruction Analysis
Concisely, the mission of radical, or congressional, Reconstruction of the American south following
the American Civil War is such: To remake the southern civilization and its societies in the image of
the northern civilization and its societies. Radical Republicans in Congress, the vehicle for this
agenda from 1866 until 1877, were the vehicle for this agenda, the exactors of its purpose. All
Reconstruction issues and their proposed solutions, the civil liberties of the freedmen, the obstacles
to southern states earning statehood again, the assimilation of the south back into American society
and politics, were determined by the Republicans in Congress. As exactors of this lofty mission, the
Radical Republicans approached the realization of ... Show more content on Helpwriting.net ...
In order to do this the Republican congress began by imposing exclusive southern taxes on southern
men, by seizing southern planters' territory and redistributing it to poor whites and freedmen, by
arresting the southern state governments of any self–control and planting Republican politicians in
charge instead, by paralyzing southern industry, and by endeavoring to preserve the freedmen's few
rights by military presence and political force, threatening southern white dominance. Each of these
factors combatted southern tradition, a tradition of an aristocratic ruling class of southern planters
who controlled all men and the entirety of any profit gained in the south, by promoting the destitute
freedmen and whites to a higher socio–economic status while demoting the status of the previously
powerful planters. In almost direct response to the Republicans' cutting efficacy in deconstruction of
southern tradition, many whites turned to resistance to Radical Reconstruction in the form of
domestic terrorism. Most prominent among the domestic terrorist groups by 1870 was the Klu Klux
Klan, a fraternity of affluent and non–affluent white men who frequently intimidated, tortured, and
killed freedmen, as well as white Republicans. It was common in the Reconstruction–era south to
have blacks taken from their houses in the night and whipped or lynched. Even voter intimidation
was as rampant as small scale daily violence all throughout the south. The battles of the civil war
and persecution of blacks continued to rage throughout the years of Reconstruction, wholly due to
the complete success, and yet, utter failure in stripping the south of its identity so wholly and so
quickly. Even though the south no longer had such distinct

Civil War And The Era Of Reconstruction
Between 1860 and 1877, the era of reconstruction in America had been ineffably prominent with
societal and constitutional change. Between achievements such as the Freedmen's Bureau of 1865,
helping recently freed slaves, to the 14th amendment establishing a set equal rights, multiple
advancements to the country had been created. While the dilemmas of the reconstruction period
were often caused by the Northern versus Southern ideals after fighting a bloody Civil War, or
tackling racial inequality, the question of constitutionality of the era's laws were regarded as the
essential piece to the time's strife. Moreover, there was often argument if whether the federal
government, morally and constitutionality, was privileged to decide on laws not explicitly stated in
the Constitution. Supporters of federal government heavy ruling often debated with those in support
of sovereign states, leading to deeper issues then who was creating rules. Important topics of the era
like allowing state government to decide on race issues such as black suffrage, or the enforcement of
the Black Codes started at the root of power. With these adverse differences in who should first hold
and manifest the power of the nation, great revolutionary debates, ideals, and attacks transpired.
These various constitutional and social evolutions catalyzed into a revolution regarding the state and
federal power in the nation.
A large cause to revolution was the argument as to why a federal and central government

Civil War Reconstruction
The period after the Civil War was a very difficult time in the United States' history. This time was
known as the Reconstruction period and it was a very controversial time. There were many issues
that had to be addressed such as what to do with the free blacks in the south and how states would
be readmitted to the Union. This era saw the rise of the Radical Republicans. The government was
going through changes, southerners were going through changes, and blacks were going through
changes. Whites in the south were left without people to work their plantations. Slavery was indeed
a very important topic during this time. Many of the reconstruction plans that were proposed
required states to prohibit slavery in order to be readmitted to ... Show more content on
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Under this plan the south was divided into five districts. Excluding Tennessee because they had
already been readmitted into the Union. Each of the districts were headed by a general. The main
goal of the leader was to increase voter registration of blacks and to see to it that white confederates
did not get back into office as they were before. The new voters would then vote on a new
constitution that allowed blacks to vote. If the majority of the voters ratified the new constitution
and the fourteenth amendment then the state would be eligible for readmission to the Union. These
bills covered the objectives of Radical Republicans. They called for universal suffrage, made it
likely that republicans would be put into office in southern states, and they set the standards for
readmission. The south had to suffer the consequences of being defeated. To ensure their acts,
Congress passed the Tenure of Office Act which prohibited the president from removing certain
officeholders without the permission of the Senate. President Johnson deliberately violated this by
firing Secretary of State Edwin Stanton. President Johnson was tried for impeachment but the
Senate could not convict him. During this time many things were done to help free blacks in the
South. The thirteenth amendment prohibited slavery. The Freedmen's Bureau was created to assist
blacks with things such as education and finding homes. The

Civil War Reconstruction Or The Reconstruction Era
Washington D.C.–The Civil War Reconstruction, or the Reconstruction Era, occurred on January 1,
1863. It was the process of readmitting the former Confederate states to the Union. It lasted from
1863 to 1877. The Civil War Reconstruction damaged the South and it put them to debt. Senator
Benjamin Wade and Henry Davis had an alternative to Lincoln's plan to offer southerners amnesty
for all illegal acts supporting the rebellion. President Andrew Johnson had a plan for Reconstruction.
The Black Codes were passed almared the citizens of America about slavery. The Thirteenth
Amendment and Fifteenth Amendment were proposed during this time regarding slavery and the
right to vote.
At the start, the South was in debt from the Civil War. General Braxton

Reconstruction is a time period after the Civil War ended in 1877. We view it as something that
resembles a transformation, shifts in the southern U.S. after the Civil War. This was when slavery
inequality, some political, economic, and social issues were, in some ways, balanced. The categories
of issues that arose throughout this "restoration" were aspects such as involving the Confederacy
into the Union, abolishing along with figuring out what to do with our free blacks, and addressing
conflict between the Confederate leaders and a group of people, which we characterize as "the
North." During reconstruction, there was a challenging goal of incorporating former slaves into our
nation as free citizens like everyone else. It looks like this "era" attempted to take out the unfairness
of slavery; however, it was successful to a degree. Reconstruction, itself, was successful in fulfilling
its goal to a degree because the Freedmen's Bureau attempted to help former slaves with simple
things such as housing, although it "lost its touch" due to deficiency of needed funds along with
personnel, and trouble dealing with pressure that was advancing from the so–called white
southerners.
Upon origination, the Freedmen's Bureau received its appearance as a good thing for former slaves,
including those who were referred to as southern blacks. This organization had responsibilities in
helping the blacks move from their state – slaves to something better– freedom. Quite remarkably,

Causes Of The Civil War And Reconstruction
The events that comes to mind when most of people talk about the U.S history are the Civil War and
the Reconstruction. The Civil War was the turning point in the U.S history, while the Reconstruction
brought order out of chaos of the Civil War. After all these, the U.S grows rapidly and becomes a
superpower today. From my perspective, the most important cause of the Civil War is the conflict
between the northern capitalism economy and the sourthern plantation economy. And the
Reconstruction did spread freedom and brought more oppotunities, but it still remain a varirty of
problems. At the beginning of the 19th century, the Industrial Revolution had spread to the North
America. In the North, the Industrial Revolution provided new space ... Show more content on
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But it led to the event of John Brown. Until the end, Abraham Lincoln was elected president. With
the election of Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln, South Carolina followed by six other states
seceded from the union. The Civil War broke out. From the above, the most important cause of the
Civil War is the economic conflict between the north and the south with the abolition of slavery. The
union won the final victory in the Civil War. The victory of the union strengthened the unification of
the country and also laid the status of the capitalism. The subsequent Reconstruction cleared the way
to the development of economy. During the Civil War, the president Lincoln promulgated the
Emancipation Proclamation(Colling 5/22/17), this document helped the union win the Civil War.By
the end of the war, the Thirteenth Amendment(Colling 5/22/17) of the Constitution was
implemented. This amendment brought the freedom to the slave and it made Emancipation
Proclamation permanent validity. The south returned to the union and started to reestablish. At first
glance, the Reconstruction seemed all right and it fulfilled the promise of America. Nevertheless, a
multitude of problems were still not addressed. Although the slave regained freedom again, but they
can not integrate into society. In order to deal with this situation, the 14th Amendment and 15th
Amendment(Colling 5/22/17) were implemented

The Civil War And Reconstruction
A revolution is a dramatic and sudden change in an organization in the social order that is replaced
by a new, more favorable system. When Historian Eric Foner called the Reconstruction period
"America's Second Revolution", his characterization was correct. Reconstruction can be viewed as a
revolution because the previous social order, slavery, was replaced suddenly by a more favorable
one, freedom for African–Americans. There was a long period of politicization for incorporating
free African–Americans into white society. Reconstruction also revolutionized the preconceived
notion that the states had autonomous power. The Civil War and Reconstruction were revolutionary
in nature because slavery was abolished and replaced with freedom. ... Show more content on
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All four of the revolutionary principles created by Congress opened the doors for free African–
American men into American politics. The participation of African–Americans in American politics
was revolutionary in of itself. The pre–revolutionized system of American politics would have never
allowed African–Americans to participate. The biggest way that African–Americans were able to
participate in politics was by voting. A great book that exemplifies the politicization of African–
Americans was in Howard Fast's book, Freedom Road. The book showed that free African–
American men could be incorporated into the American political system. In the book African–
Americans came together to vote on who they wanted to represent them in the South Carolina
Constitutional Convention. Without Reconstruction, Gideon an ex–slave would have never been
allowed to be elected to represent his constituents in the constitutional convention. He never would
have been elected into the Senate in 1870. He also would have never been able to buy his master's
land if it weren't for the civil rights act that was enacted in 1866. Laws were not the only
revolutionary ideals that were created. Revolutionary bureaucracies were also created during
Reconstruction. The best example of a revolutionary bureaucracy was the Freedmen's

The Reconstruction After The Civil War
As a country, America has gone through many political and governmental changes. Leaders have
come and gone, all have different goals and objectives for the outcome of America's future. As
history takes its course, most of the most have the same ending of coming to an end to start
something new. One such movement was the Reconstruction. Reconstruction was a time period
between 1865 and 1877 following the Civil War, during which people of the United States worked
to put the country back together again, introducing a new set of significant challenges. Though, like
all things in life, it did come to an end, the resulting outcome had been labeled both a success and a
failure. The Reconstruction after the Civil War consisted of failures as well as successes. Despite
having the intentions of positively affecting the country, yet failing to do so, the National
Government from 1865–1877 successfully integrated many positive changes. During this time the
Reconstruction restored the United States as a unified nation: by 1877, all states acknowledged the
Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, used the Freedman's Bureau and Civil Rights
Act to help protect former black slaves and poor whites in the South in the aftermath of the war, and
all of the former Confederate states drafted new constitutions reunifying the Union. In 1865 the
Constitution declared that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for
crime whereof the party shall have been duly

Reconstruction After The Civil War
why was did the destruction of the reconstruction happen and who's fault was it north or the south.
The process of rebuilding the south after the civil war. The reconstruction happened after the civil
war and after the slaves were freed they were trying to rebuild the south and almost everyone
wanted that except the KKK and the south gave up on them because of their resistance. Who from
the nation destroyed the process of reconstruction. The south resistance destroyed reconstruction of
the United States by the resistance from the KKK and the north's neglect of the south's problems.
The south resisted from reconstruction because the KKK was attacking people. The KKK was
killing judicial people who supported reconstruction. They are killing

Civil War And Reconstruction Essay
The period in American history known as the Civil War and Reconstruction resulted in social,
political and economic changes that continued to afflict American society. After the Civil War the
Nation had to rebuild society and with that came many challenges to face in that process. The
treatment of African Americans after the war was often the root of many changes. Society as a
Whole was altered extensively at this time. The Reconstruction and the Civil War was a period of
national change and this reflected on the government, the people and the economy. One social
change that came out of the Civil War and Reconstruction was the implementation of segregation,
the process of separating blacks from white society. This is demonstrated by Jim ... Show more
content on Helpwriting.net ...
After being emancipated, slaves were granted little to no help from the government. Although the
early intentions of the Freedmen's Bureau included distributing land to freed slaves this did not
happen on a grand scale. Document 2 explains that the slaves were "turned loose to the open sky" to
fend for themselves. Often times discriminated against in the search for jobs, blacks found
themselves not much better off economically than they were before, Document 4 demonstrates the
fact that many were forced into tenant farming, which was not much better that their previous status,
yet they were no longer anyone's property even though they still lived on the same land. Black
leaders such as Booker T. Washington began to encourage young blacks to get an education. His
leaderships at tuskegee emphasized that a vocational education as necessary for social mobility and
to earn the respect of whites. This in turn would lead to not only economic equality but also social
and political equality. The Civil War and Reconstruction were times of great change and reform.
These two periods in American history lead to many social, political and economic changes
throughout society. Discrimination proved to be a drawing force behind these new changes. Their
effects lasted long into the 20th century, and even be felt mildly

Civil War Reconstruction Essay

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