Congressional Reconstruction Research Paper

After the Civil War the Unite States dealt with the after math of rebuilding the country. The Reconstruction, which was from 1865 to 1877, was the period in which the country attempted to reunite the South and North. The conditions of the North and South were different because of many things, especially there economic stands. The North during this time depended on factories and other modern companies as their main source of wealth. The South was more dependent on farming and agriculture.

After the Civil War, America was in a time of turmoil. The Civil War was a dramatic experience for the entire country that was thought to bring about significant changes, but it did not. Within one year after the war, slavery had been recreated under a new name through the creation of black codes. Although changes were being made, these changes were not valid because the Southern states were resisting change in their values and beliefs. There was lots of controversy during this period of reconstruction between the Republicans of the North and the Democrats of the South surrounding the political rights and opportunities of the newly freed slaves. The recent war had hardened both sides opinions, polarizing

Reconstruction in the south began after the Civil War. As a part of the reconstruction, freed slaves were rewarded for their loyalty to the Union by having land distributed to them. This gesture was believed to be the catalyst for allowing the newly freed men to better their lives and provide them with opportunities that they had not previously imagined. They were now considered United States citizens, and therefore, expected to benefit from all of the rights of this new citizenship. The reality, however, would prove to be not nearly as promising as the dream. Land ownership was important to their development as new citizens, as it would provide them with the opportunity to establish their own homes, and benefit from their own labor.

Reconstruction was a time of great pain and endless questions for the United States of America. What was going to happen to the newly freed slaves? How would they be treated? Would the United States ever be one cohesive country? Many of these questions are still unanswered in today's society, but reconstruction was in place to try to rebuild the US after the devastation of the Civil war. The reconstruction era lasted from 1865-1877. During this time the United States military was stationed in the South, so that everything would run smoothly and hopefully allow for readmission of the once confederate states, back into the Union as one.

—Henry Ford. This was the Southern optimist’s view of what the results of post Civil War Reconstruction could be. Unfortunately, once the Congressional era of Reconstruction began, this view was squandered under federal punishment of the South. This policy led to strained relations between Congress and the ex-Confederate states. The difference of opinion was over how harshly the South should be punished for leaving the Union. The South wanted to be readmitted with as little friction as possible, so they sided with the Democrats, like Robert E. Lee, and Moderate Republicans. Congress on the other hand, being mostly controlled by Radical Republicans, believed

Throughout the decades immediately following the civil war, federal reconstruction rebuilt and forever changed the nation. Federal reconstruction in the south ceased in 1877 due to an abundance of social and political factors, but not without creating an everlasting impact that forever changed the nation.

Congressional Reconstruction was what happened after the election of 1866. The congress had many people in power from the south that shouldn’t have been in power yet. The congress passed a tenure of Office Act which prohibited the president from removing federal officials or military commanders without the Senate’s approval. While Andrew Johnson was President, he got rid of most of the officials that were against the south, and put in Southerners against the Senate’s approval.

In 1865, the city was devastated because of the crisis that left the civil war. Therefore, political, economic and social issues needed to be resolved to improve and reconstruct the Nation. It was the period in which the State and local governments in the South were restored, and the Southern states were unified to the rest of the States. This essay emphasizes the differences between congressional and presidential reconstruction. Also, it highlights the achievements and success of both. Although the presidential and congressional Reconstruction has some similarities, they also disagreed on many points and created a conflict between each other. Nevertheless by early 1867, the new Congress passed the Reconstruction Act of 1867 over President Johnson’s veto. The Congressional Reconstruction Plan dramatically changed politics in the South.

Black Codes restricted the rights of blacks in numerous ways. These codes brought light upon the fact the former Southern slave holders were not willing to completely set the former slaves free and they did as much as they could to retain their power. One way they attempted to do this was by creating a code that restricted blacks from holding jobs other than farmers and servants. According to Black Codes, it says, “In South Carolina, a law prohibited blacks from holding any occupation other than farmer or servant unless they paid an annual tax of $10 to $100.” Consequences of not following this law included forced labor without pay which was basically a form of slavery. Because of this law in South Carolina, blacks were unable to advance in other areas because they could not take any other jobs since they were already in the midst of poverty. Most blacks could not afford this extra tax in order to take other jobs. Thus, Black Codes restricted the type of labor that blacks could take leaving power in the hands of the former slaveholders once again. Furthermore, the Reconstruction did not stop the formation of secret societies such as the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). In The American History Herald, Colonel George W. Kirk, one of the soldiers that went to administer the South says, “Not less than fifty or sixty persons have been killed by the Ku Klux, beside some three or four hundred whippings, and there has never been a man convicted.” This continues to support the fact the Reconstruction was a failure. It not only allowed the creation of such societies, it did not do anything to help control these societies. Men who were part of the KKK were never convicted for their crimes at all and more sixty people died without

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.

The reason I’m writing to you today is to inform you of what I (and many others) think of the Reconstruction Acts. As we the people elected you I thought you would be interested to know that we feel strongly that you should vote to support the Joint Resolution to Authorize the Removal of Federal Troops from the Southern States.

When reading about the reconstruction era after the civil war I try to take a step back and look at their perspective and the struggles they went through. The best way to try to understand life at that time would be from the words of Houston Hartsfield Holloway, born enslaved who lived and wrote about his life at the reconstruction era "For we colored people did not know how to be free and the white people did not know how to have a free colored person about them."

After the Civil War, it became very noticeable that changes in the South like, restoration of the Union, the transformation of Southern society, and the enactment of revolutionary legislation favoring the rights of freed slaves, had to be made. Therefore there were many political, economic, and social reforms introduced in the South between 1864 and 1877, some of which did not survive in the Compromise of 1877. There were three main phases of Reconstruction under, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson and the Radical Republicans. Reconstruction was a time period consisting of many leaders, objectives and accomplishments. Nevertheless the Reconstruction period did come to an end, the resulting outcome has been characterized as both an achievement

After the Civil War slaves got their freedom, blacks started their own churches and schools were able to purchase land, and by 1870 sent 22 representatives to congress that was a big difference for them going from slaves to having a vote and leading our government. Some of the Southerners were not happy with the decision for blacks to be free. White power started “Ku Klux Klan” they began burning down houses, schools, and churches that the African Americans lived in or went to, soon the south was run by white people again and the blacks were losing almost everything they had gained from the vote. Jim Crow Laws started as a derogatory word for African Americans the southern state legislatures started to pass laws requiring the separation of

The white southerner's seeked to control those who were in slavery which led to coming up with special state codes. The public schools excluded the black children. The laws that were passed were same as those that were there during the colonial times, which placed severe restrictions on both slaves and emancipated blacks. Neither of these who were in slavery groups could vote, serve on juries, travel freely, nor work in occupations of their choice. Even their marriages were outside the law for example-le the slaves were going to be given mass land during Christmas but when they refused to sign the contract they were not given the land. This was one of the ways that was being used so as to ensure that there is