Civil War And Reconstruction Essay

During the time period of 1860 and 1877 many major changes occurred. From the beginning of the civil war to the fall of the reconstruction, the United States changed dramatically. Nearly one hundred years after the Declaration of Independence which declared all men equal, many social and constitutional alterations were necessary to protect the rights of all people, no matter their race. These social and constitutional developments that were made during 1860 to 1877 were so drastic it could be called a revolution.

Due to the gradual elimination of African-American rights and the withdrawal of Federal troops from the South to enforce such rights, the end of Reconstruction surfaced in 1877. In the eyes of blacks, Reconstruction was a point in history where they could see their civil rights expanding before their very own eyes. On the contrary, whites were deeply disturbed at the way their once “white supremacy” government was dwindling in the rear-view mirror behind them. This fourteen year period known as Reconstruction houses the memories of temporary freedom, scandal, backdoor deals, and the unresolved social, political, and economical issues of our country.

The Civil War and the Reconstruction brought about much change and turmoil throughout the United States. During these periods, three main events occurred that resolved the issue of slavery, and expanded the power of the federal government.

This period of Radical Reconstruction did not bring much change in the South. Although blacks began to participate in political life, they met tremendous hostility. Some Southern whites adopted a policy of terror to keep the freedmen from becoming too independent. Because blacks had no jobs or land they became sharecroppers in a kind of economic slavery.

The United States was challenged with many issues after the Civil War like crop lien work contracts, segregation, and unresolved problems with the seceded states. This period was called Reconstruction.

One of the most prominent social advances that various African Americans made following the Emancipation Proclamation and the civil war was gaining economic independence and social outspokenness. Jourdan Anderson, an emancipated slave, enslaved in Tennessee, who later moved to Ohio is an example of both. When asked to move back to Tennessee to work for his old master, he asked for back pay for the time he and his wife worked for him as a slave and said, “We trust the good Maker has opened your eyes to the wrongs which you and your fathers have done to me and my fathers.” He also compares the freedom he has in Ohio as a freedman to what thing would be like back in Tennessee. He says, “As to my freedom, which you say I can have, there is nothing to be gained on that score.”

The reconstruction era was a difficult time for the African American slaves from 1865 to 1877 because the slaves were freed and there were no jobs for them, had very little or no education, and had very limited opportunity in the south. Reconstruction was one of the most critical periods in American History. The Civil War changed the nation tremendously, and most importantly by bringing an end to slavery. Reconstruction was a period of great promise, hope, and progress for African Americans, and a period of resentment and resistance for many white

Although the Civil War of 1865 has ended and African Americans were given their freedom due to the Union Victory, conflict was still arising. Reconstruction was a major “milestone” as some would say in our history. Reconstruction gave light to the trials and tribulations that were apart of the south. Pre civil war south was known for their rigorous amount of slaves and their labor, post civil war south was known for their resistance against freed slaves and their soon to be citizenship. In Johnsons (2012) Reading the American Past Vol 2: from 1865, readers are exposed to a number of excerpts from this era that may or may not shed unseen light on this crucial period in history. Carl Schurz Reports on the Condition of the Defeated South, Black Codes Enacted in the South, Former Slaves Seek to Reunite Their Families and Klan Violence against Blacks are documents that allow readers to see first hand what was endured by many in the reconstruction era of 1863-1877.

Veteran William Lloyd Garrison describes few of many changes that occurred after the Civil War, including the abolishment of slavery and the African American being granted for the first time in history the right to vote. As the civil war came to an end, the United States began to establish an undivided nation. This era known as the reconstruction era is described as “meaning literally the rebuilding of a shattered nation." (verterans of the civil movment, n.d.) Reconstruction’s main goal was to reintroduce the South into the Union and to make sure new laws coming out of the war were being followed. At this time, the country was in such a fragile state that changes needed to be made for the people to come together and form one strong nation.

The American Civil War endured four long and bloody years, from 1861-1865. Many effects of the Civil War were permanent changes for America’s history from the battle between the bluecoats and the grey. Following reconstruction and the succession of a new president after Lincoln’s death, differences of the North and South remained from 1866 on into the 1900’s. Whether it being social, economic, or political discrepancies, the growth of the nation remained divided and suffered different complications in between.

The Civil War was a massive milestone in American History. This war started in 1861 and lasted four years. It was between the Union and the Confederacy over their differences and problems they created. The consequences the nation faced due to the demolition of the Civil War, was terrifying. Then the Reconstruction era was born to restore, reinstate, and unite the United States as one. During the Reconstruction of 1865 through 1867, African American lives were impacted economically because they were given few rights and their resources were limited, socially because they wanted to be given an ordinary lifestyle, and politically because they weren’t allowed to be joined or linked with the government.

The civil war was the turning point in the history of the USA, and reconstruction time has ended the execution of civil war and the changes that the war has launched. At the same time, the results of the Civil War and Reconstruction broke out for a large number of American people, notably the slave, and his freedom was the main driver of the Civil War, raising rights and fundamental freedom to them Post-Afghan, African-African situations have not changed much. Despite this, the Civil War and Reconstruction have been the basis for the development of the United States as a single country, but at the same time the Civil War and Reconstruction form the basis for more controversy between different social groups in an American society, such as the

Many Americans and people around the world remember the Civil War for a number of reasons. Some will argue that Northern victory in the war preserved the world’s first democracy. Others argue that the Civil War did not weaken the United States; it merely exposed the flaws in government and where it could be made stronger henceforth. Often, many forget that the Civil War affected the fate of nearly four million Americans, or slaves, as they were then labeled. The leaders of the Reconstruction were tasked with piecing a nation back together while keeping the idea of justice in mind. The Reconstruction had a somewhat successful beginning but unfortunately its potential in integrating freedmen into Southern society was never fully realized. Subsequently, African Americans, specifically southern African Americans, truly lost the American Civil War. The Southern Restoration undid the work of the Reconstruction, eventually pushing African Americans to the brinks of southern politics where they would remain until the late twentieth century.

After the Civil War, there were several changes that needed to be rethought and made. Some people believed that the changes were detrimental, and some believed that the changes were beneficial. The changes in American society from the end of the Civil War to the turn of the century were primarily beneficial. These changes created new opportunities for Americans through advances in transportation, creation of the New South, establishment of Memorial Day, implementation of individualization, and immigration.

The years after the war saw a rise in the number of human rights laws