Reconstruction After The Civil War Essay

The Reconstruction Era started after the War ended which was in 1865. For all Americans, Reconstruction was a time of fundamental changes. As for the freed slaves it was unsuccessfully achieved socially, economically, and politically.

The reconstruction era began right after one of the most significant in the US history war was ended – the American Civil War. The most dramatic of all, Civil War was the war between the states who wanted to be a part of the United States and where the slavery was legal. Eleven southern states decided to secede from the Union after Abraham Lincoln became the first republican president, who in fact was strongly oppose to slavery. The results of Civil War were catastrophic, but also brought some peace. Many people died during this time, and South was almost completely destroyed, however the positive changes in terms of ending the slavery era and creating a new amendments gave people hope for a better future.

When individuals ponder everything that went into the making of our nation, there is a plethora of different events to consider. Regardless of how many events, good or bad, have occurred in American history, all human beings alike tend to look at our history with tunnel vision—only focusing on the good. Our citizens, past and present, everyday people to politicians, either fail to acknowledge the existence of our historic downfalls or they manipulate these downfalls into something justifiable. Even more so now than ever, when bad things occur in America, they get purposely swept under the rug and forcefully shoved into the depths of the closet. The reconstruction that occurred post-Civil War is no exception to this aforementioned flaw.

Reconstruction was a period of time dedicated to rebuilding the nation after the Civil War. The war ended with the South being defeated and their economy being devastated. Many Southerners struggled after the war with rebuilding their land and lives. The President and Congress had to decide the terms for which the former Confederate states would be permitted to join the Union. President Lincoln’s plan for reuniting the country was found in the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction.

An example of this was when Klansmen kidnapped a former slave named Abraham Colby and took him in to the woods. They whipped him for 3 straight hours and left him from dead. In his testimony to a joint House and Senate Committees in 1872, he stated that, “On the 29th of October 1869, [the Klansmen] broke my door open, took me out of bed, took me to the woods and whipped me three hours or more and left me for dead. They said to me, "Do you think you will ever vote another damned Radical ticket?" I said, "If there was an election tomorrow, I would vote the Radical ticket."

The Civil War between the Northern Union and the Southern Confederacy is a well-known event in United States history. Many remember it as a war of slavery. Some remember it as a war of states ' rights. A few only know it for Abraham Lincoln 's shining moments. What everyone knows is the North reigned victorious over the seceded South.

the Ku Klux Klan Act authorized the president to arrest accused individuals without charge, and to send federal forces to suppress Klan violence. Ulysses S. Grant put the law to use in 1871 to minimize klan activity in the

The Civil War allowed the United States to make the changes necessary to unify the country. In addition, it began one of the most transitional periods in the United States’ history. This period, the Reconstruction, brought about many political, social, and economic changes, which were both beneficial and disagreeable. The 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, the Panic of 1873, and the formation of the Ku Klux Klan are just a few examples of heavily impacting events for the United States. During the Reconstruction period there were numerous political transformations in the country.

lack of education and social rights were rampant (Murphy, 1987). Despite all of this, the Reconstruction movement went forward at incredible speeds. Voting rights for the new black citizens were part of this new social change. Even in the northern areas, the new social phenomenon posed by black participation in the electoral process, was remarkable, to say the least. Much of this change in social policy can be credited to the Freedmen’s Bureau and the Union League.

Peter Schroeder Dr. Christopher Marshall Modern United States History 2/2/17 Writing Assignment 1: The African-American Experience with Reconstruction Reconstruction among the south refers to the point in time which the United States was attempting to establish a relationship between the union and the rebels. The Union had won the civil war, so the next step was to begin to mend the broken relationship between the north and the south. Though historians cannot agree on when it began, there is merit in saying that it started before the end of the Civil War. After victory, had been solidified for the Union, attention of President Lincoln turned towards reconstruction.

Racism’s Impact on Reconstruction While the issue of slavery evidently contributed to the divide that resulted in the American Civil War, it is debated whether prevailing ideals of racism caused the failure of the era following the war known as Reconstruction. With the abolishment of slavery, many of the southern states had to reassemble the social, economic, and political systems instilled in their societies. The Reconstruction Era was originally led by a radical republican government that pushed to raise taxes, establish coalition governments, and deprive former confederates of superiority they might have once held. However, during this time common views were obtained that the South could recover independently and that African Americans

Sources Analysis Freedom During the Reconstruction era, the idea of freedom could have many different meanings. Everyday factors that we don't often think about today such as the color of our skin, where we were born, and whether or not we own land determined what limitations were placed on the ability to live our life to the fullest. To dig deeper into what freedom meant for different individuals during this time period, I analyzed three primary sources written by those who experienced this first hand. These included “Excerpts from The Black Codes of Mississippi” (1865), “Jourdan Anderson to his old master” (1865), and “Testimony on the Ku Klux Klan in Congressional Hearing” (1872).

Reconstruction era, which was followed by post-civil war, was meant to unite the states back together, reconstruct properties, and most importantly, abolish slavery in the South. Although the factors such as amendments legally freed former slaves, yet WRITE THESIS After the end of civil war in 1865, Reconstruction era, which was controlled by President Abraham Lincoln, appeared to quickly coalesce the Northern and Southern states. reconstruction amendments, which were approved between 1865 and 1870, played a huge role on giving legal rights to blacks and former slaves. 13th amendment constitutionally abolished slavery in 1865 and followed up by that, 14th and 15th amendment admitted equal citizenship, protection, and rights of suffrage despite the one’s race or skin color. Former slaves were no longer belongings of their owners.

As a result of this, racist organizations were founded to wreaked havoc on former slaves. Secret societies in the southern united states, such as the Ku Klux Klan and the Knights of the White Camellia used violence against the blacks. Their goal was often to keep blacks out of politics. Our textbook states, “In other states, where blacks were a majority or where the populations of the two races were almost equal, whites used outright intimidation and violence to undermine the Reconstruction regimes” (Brinkley 368). The people involved in such organizations were using violence to take away the fifteenth amendment right from the former slaves.

I look through my dirty bedroom window as the pain of guilt fills my mind, I watch as slaves create calluses on their innocent hands as they pick cotton. I sigh in resentment wondering why father thought this was a good idea, walking away from the grungy window I'm left in my thoughts. Thoughts of freedom for not only the coloreds but for myself as well. Thoughts of hope for the enslaved humans forced to work in the hot Georgia sun, sweat rolling down their unfortunate faces. Snapped out of these thoughts by a knock on the door I answer, "Come in."