Reconstruction Dbq

The American Civil War ended in 1865 which resulted in victory for the Union and the disbanding of the Confederacy. The aftermath of the war ushered in major political and social reforms in attempt to prevent the Civil War from happening ever again. The Reconstruction Era (1865-1877) began immediately after the war, then it was followed by the Gilded Age (1877 –1897), and at the turn of the century was the Progressive Era (1897–1920). These three significant time periods in American history introduced major changes to civil rights, industrialization, and foreign policy during the forty-five years following the Civil War. However, change was not always good. Some sought to take advantage of the shifting of tides and benefit from

The end of the Civil War in 1865 was a very conflicting time for the United States. On one hand, the sanguinary struggles of the war had finally come to a close. On the other hand, the desperate desire to rebuild the damage in the South quickly became very popular. This was called Reconstruction, an era focused on changing the ethos of resisting Southerners and installing equal civil rights for all citizens. Despite how important Reconstruction was for rebuilding the American economy, this desire ultimately came to an end in 1877. Although both the North and the South played roles in this nation defeat, Northern neglect primarily killed the

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.

The radical Republicans saw Reconstruction as a chance to bring change to southern society. Lincoln saw Reconstruction as an opportunity to abolish slavery and weaken the confederacy by establishing new state governments that could win support of southern whites. While the Republicans were divided on the issue of how to readmit the southern states into the Union, they enacted programs for emancipated slaves such as the Freedman’s Bureau. This Bureau provided food and clothing to former slaves and they were in charge with “supervising all the abandoned lands in the South and the control of subjects relating to refugees and freedman” (Buhle, 463).

Although the North dominated the Civil War reconstruction it is a whole different story. It would be understandable to presume that the North, who the war would have easily won reconstruction because they could have given the South as harsh punishment as they see fit. That didn’t happen, far from it. Abraham Lincoln proposed a plan which allowed the South to come back to the Union with little to no. This plan also would help rebuild the the war torn South after it was destroyed by numerous battles. Abraham Lincoln’s plan was not able to go through because he was assassinated, but Andrew Johnson proposed a similar plan that fell through. First off the South was able to rebuild a whole new railroad system which made travel easier. This was huge because now travel was faster, cheaper, and it created more jobs. One thing that at first seemed like it was going to a major affect on the South was the loss of slaves, yet the South but they were able to find a loophole through

The Civil War split the nation in half. It tore apart families, and Union soldiers against Confederate soldiers for four miserable years. From the first shots fired at Fort Sumter 1861, and ending with a unanimous Confederate victory in 1865. All in all 630,000 people died and many thousands wounded. The deaths in the Civil War totally surpassed the death totals from any other war (1). For those managed to survive the up hill battle just began, they faced many unknowns in a world moving in an uncertain direction. With the north beating the succeeded south in the war, politicians faced a hard task of reuniting the divided country. With reconstruction now in affect, both northern workers, and southern farmers now face many new obstacles and

The Union won!This is great for the north, however what is next for the Confederate army. With slaves becoming freedmen and the south destroyed after total war, a lot was to be done after the civil war. A solution to this was Reconstruction. Reconstruction was a period in american history from 1865 to 1877 lasting twelve years (Foner). Reconstruction after the war caused many social, political, and economic changes to the newly formed union.

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.

At first, reconstruction was a turning point, in which freed slaves could look forward to as free,civilized blacks. Sadly, the North and South couldn’t make ends meet as to reunite the Union. Reconstruction was supposed to be an era of change of good. However, there was also great resistance to change by the South. Which made this a difficult time for blacks around the states.

The causes of America's Civil War (1861-1865) are very simple, slavery and states rights, although the order of the causes are sometimes debated. Union soldiers and leaders did everything in their power to keep the Union intact. In doing so the soldiers pretty much decimated the south, many people lost their property, which, at that time was were a lot of people made their money. Although land was lost and the south had to physically reconstruct after the Civil War, the south also had to reconstruct its society. The south had to somehow integrate the African slaves into its society. The era that followed the Civil War, now referred to as the Reconstruction Era (1865-1877), was not overly successful at revolutionizing the lives of African Americans due to the rise of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), African Americans struggled to gain basic rights, although the right to vote was given to the African Americans during the Reconstruction Era.

In the year 1865, the United States Army defeated the Confederate Army in the American Civil War, leaving large segments of the south in destruction. Reconstruction of the south began almost immediately after the Civil War was over. In fact, as the war was coming to an end, President Lincoln was formulating a plan that triggered the historical period of the reconstruction of the south. Both Lincoln’s plan and his successor’s, were unsuccessful in the rebuilding of the south at the time, and the country was in desperate need of a new system.

When Reconstruction began in 1865, the country was in desperate need of unification after the end of the Civil War. The fate of a becoming a unified country was left in the hands of Andrew Johnson after the sudden assassination of President Lincoln in April of 1865, just as Reconstruction was set to begin. President Johnson had a similar plan for Reconstruction as Lincoln, with the main goal being getting the South back into the Union without too much dispute. However, President Johnson did not have a good relationship with congress from the beginning and had different views on Civil Rights than Lincoln. Johnson would have to fight against a group called the Radical Republicans, which

When people talk about wars they refer to them as battles that were held and a number of deaths. But wars have bigger consequences. Long term issues. The American Civil War was no exception of it. The repercussions of this moment in history lasted years. No doubt it was not an easy transition. The reconstruction was not simple, after four years of war, the cities were burned, the fields didn’t produce, the economy was damaged, and the country was split. From 1865 to 1877 America lived what every family faces after rough moments, the “Reconstruction Era”.

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.

The Civil War left a country divided not only by property lines and borders but by beliefs as well. Not just religious beliefs, moral beliefs also. It left both sides, north and south struggling, trying to figure out what their next move towards reuniting the divided America was going to be. The period following the end of the Civil War would become known as the “Reconstruction Era.” An era that raised just as many questions as it did answers. A reconstruction of America that seems to carry on many decades later.