Reconstruction After Reconstruction

Reconstruction was the time period following the Civil War, which lasted from 1865 to 1877, in which the United States began to rebuild. The term can also refer to the process the federal government used to readmit the defeated Confederate states to the Union. While all aspects of Reconstruction were not successful, the main goal of the time period was carried out, making Reconstruction over all successful. During this time, the Confederate states were readmitted to the Union, the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth amendments were ratified, and African Americans were freed from slavery and able to start new lives.

During the period of reconstruction in the U.S., from 1865-1877, there were plans put in place by Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, and Congress in hopes of a brighter future. Reconstruction took place after the Civil War occurred in the U.S. from 1861-1865. Abraham Lincoln was the President during the Civil War, and he had plans prepared at the end of his presidency because he sensed that the nation would have to be rebuilt through a reconstruction period. Once he was assassinated in 1865, his successor, Andrew Johnson had his own ideas for the country involving the issue of reconstruction. In addition to those two Presidents, Congress was active throughout the reconstruction era. All of the plans set by Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson,

Reconstruction was a time period of major change in the United States of America for both African Americans and White citizens. After the Civil War, the reconstruction process started out as a failure, but over the years turned into a huge success because of how African Americans were able to live normal lives. Overall, Reconstruction was a success because freedom and growth of equality for African Americans was increased greatly.

After the Civil War, the United States had many problems to solve. The country had to figure out how to integrate newly freed slaves into society and bring the former Confederate states back into the Union. Reconstruction was period of time after the civil war in which the United States addressed these problems. Reconstruction had two different phases: Presidential Reconstruction took place from 1865 to 1867, and Congressional Reconstruction took place from 1867 to 1877. Presidential Reconstruction began with Abraham Lincoln, who proposed the Proclamation of Amnesty and the ten percent oath plan. Lincoln was focused on leniency and forgiveness; under his plan southerners would take an oath of loyalty to the Union, and after only ten percent of a state’s voters had taken this oath, the state could be readmitted. After Lincoln’s assassination, Andrew Johnson took over Reconstruction. Johnson wanted to punish landowners, but liberally handed out pardons, as he greatly enjoyed the power that he had over southerners. Under Johnson, former confederates were re-elected, and southern states discriminated blacks. Eventually, Congress took over Reconstruction. During Congressional Reconstruction, the fourteenth and fifteenth amendments were passed, and the freedman’s bureau was created. Overall, the failures of Reconstruction outweighed the failures because it took a very long time for it to achieve its goals, and the South was still able to

Government had brought the seceded Southern states back into the Union, and they ended slavery and they tried their best to protect newly emancipated the slaves. But they rebuilt the nation after a lot more four years of fighting. The reconstruction occurred in 2 phases, the Presidential Reconstruction was very lenient in order Southern states to rejoin the Union quickly, this was initiated by President Lincoln but was carried out by President Andrew Johnson. The Congressional Reconstruction was stricter and protected rights from former slaves and they kept Confederate leaders from regaining power. But, before the Civil War Lincoln proposed his 10% Plan, which was lenient and allowed the Confederate states could re-enter the Union when, 10% of their population had sworn an Oath of Loyalty and they ratified the 13th Amendment ending all slavery. But, the Radicals in Congress had rejected his plan because, it did not protect ex-slaves and didn’t keep them from regaining power, they also wanted to have 50% of the population to swear to an oath of loyalty. But, the states could come back once they ratified the 13th amendment. But, the southern passed black codes in order to keep African- Americans from getting any land, jobs, voting rights, and also protection under the law. Finally, in 1865, the Freedmen's Bureau had been established and offered assistance to former slaves and to protect their new

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.

First was Lincoln’s delivery of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. Lincoln declared, “all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free” (archives.gov). Lincoln’s speech was simply a declaration of policy that did not actually free any slaves. Nonetheless, it was important because it paved the way for legislative reform that Lincoln worked so hard to effect.

After the Civil War, between 1865 and 1877, was a period known as Reconstruction which was a time of rebuilding the United States. Reconstruction was a failure for three main reasons, segregation became more prominent, slaves were still unprotected, and economical obstacles became a substantial problem. Reconstruction was meant to be a time period of rebuilding and unifying the North and South into one undivided nation of compromise. There were many goals of this period such as reorganizing the Southern states, readmitting them into the Union, and setting rules against slavery so blacks and whites could live in an equal society.

After the Union’s victory in the Civil War during 1865, the era of Reconstruction began, an era in which the prospect of rebuilding the nation once again after the catastrophic effects of the war arose. During Reconstruction, African Americans were attempted to be integrated into American society, it was questioned on what terms Confederate states would be welcomed into the country, and the economy was meant to be fixed but all of this ultimately failed. Reconstruction was not successful in rebuilding the political, economical, and racial issues in the country post Civil War as there were even more racial and discriminatory issues, a damaged federal government, and an injured economy as well.

Following the Civil War, the United States was in a struggle to stitch the country back together; this time was known as the Reconstruction Era. Although reconstruction did pass three crucial amendments, it still did not help very much. The Civil War was fought to end slavery and bring the country together as one (from a northern viewpoint), and when the Union won, the new goal was to bring back nearly 4 million former slaves (which are all now free) and a large amount of land populated with upset southerners.

After four years the Civil War ended in 1865 the next problem was the reconstruction of the torn apart United States. It was a slow start especially for government reconstruction but had Abraham Lincoln been president instead of Andrew Johnson presidential reconstruction may have proved to be successful. Along with the reconstruction came “radical” changes to the United States as well. This flared both Southern and Northern racial attitudes causing conflict between the two once again. These problems were just the beginning of reconstruction leaving behind the historical legacy we have today.

Although the purpose of Reconstruction was to help the country back on track and assist in getting rights for black Americans, it ended with the country in turmoil and all the rights given, stripped away again. The Civil War ended and there was much promise for freedom and equality. These hopes were dashed by the new laws restricting these black Americans from living how they please. The rights were given and taken, not given back for years. The voting laws passed in the south took away a constitutional right from citizens of America. The Jim Crow Laws segregated an entire society over the shade of the skin.

After the Civil War, Reconstruction was supposed to begin and fix the racism and inequality, while newly freed African Americans were given more rights, they remained quite oppressed and suffered through different things during Reconstruction. Reconstruction happened after the Civil War in an attempt to have the rebellious south agree to the terms which the North (Union) demanded they agree to in order to once again be a whole nation. Slavery was among one of the many demands which the Union demanded the south to give up. The south would no longer be part of congress or even allowed to vote for quite some time, however after a while they were allowed to vote and become part of the government once again. Reconstruction was a time immediately

After the Civil War, there was so much damage done to the United States between the Southern states and the Northern states. The Northern states wanted to end slavery but the Southern states wanted slavery to still happen. During the war, there were a lot of Union and Confederate soldiers and slaves that died. The Union army had won the war and now the nation had to reunite. Reconstruction was a failure because the government didn't meet its goal with the violence and discrimination towards the former slaves.

After the North won the civil war, it was time to rebuild this nation. This period of reconstruction was supposed to have a profound change on society. Unfortunately this was not the case. Reconstruction did not fundamentally alter this nation. Not to say that nothing happened, but nothing that really made a change or difference happened. First, the control of the south was given right back to the planter elite. Also, even though slavery was abolished; blacks were not free. Finally, Congress and President Johnson could not get along. Although the civil war reshaped this country profoundly. The reconstruction efforts did little but scratch a surface, before being quickly wiped away.