Massive Changes During the Reconstruction Era of America

1.Lincoln’s original plan was the Ten Percent Plan which would exclude the Confederates except for important officials. This is significant because this was the original idea that the United States wanted to follow in order to rebuild the country.

The plan that Lincoln had, was to get the south back into the union as quickly and smoothly as possible. He coined the Ten Percent Plan, which was to have a measly ten percent of southern voters to swear loyalty to the union. This plan had such a low requirement to begin with, that it would have made it a steadfast process to which the south could be integrated into the union. This, however, did not make it to pass but was instead countered with the Wade-Davis Bill, which proclaimed that fifty percent of southern voters must declare allegiance.

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.

President Lincoln’s plan was known as the 10% plan. It was called this because he believed that once 10% of a southern states population of voters swore into allegiance to the union, they should be allowed to join it. His plan was based on that he wanted the United States to become united again and it should be done quickly. He also said that once the states were rejoined they would be required to write

With all the issues the ex-Confederate states were giving the United States government, Lincoln devised the 10% Plan that was later carried out by Johnson, while Radical Republicans created the Civil Rights Act that later helped develop the 14th Amendment. Lincoln’s 10% Plan was to be lenient with the states from the Confederacy who had seceded from the Union. The Plan said that only 10% of the voting population had to take an oath of loyalty to the Union and rewrite state constitutions accepting emancipation. Congress, disliking Lincoln’s plan, wrote the Wade-Davis Bill which stated NO pardons to be given to those ex-Confederate states and that instead of only 10% taking the oath of loyalty, 50% had to. Lincoln’s response was to pocket veto the bill. When Lincoln was assassinated Andrew Johnson became President. Now Johnson was a very troubled man, poor and from Tennessee, he grew up despising the wealthy southern plantation owners and because of this, he set out for

After the war, the government tried to solve key problems facing the nation. The 10% Plan was proposed by Abraham Lincoln and its purpose was to end Reconstruction quickly. It pardoned all Ex-Confederates in the South as long as they apologized, it would only need ten percent of the voters in each state to swear allegiance to the Union, and did not offer any type of equality to the Freedmen. The 10% Plan was a short-term effect because Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in 1865, and after he was killed and Vice President Andrew Johnson took over the idea of the 10% Plan disappeared. Another attempt to end Reconstruction by the government was proposed by the Radical Republicans in congress and was the complete

The reconstruction era was a time that then affected America in positive facets and negative aspects as well, and still affects America today. Thanks to the reconstruction era, there are several implementations that geared the world on the path in which it is today. Had it not been for some of the laws that were set in place African Americans may have not had many of the opportunities that were presented during the reconstruction period, therefore the years of oppression and cruelty might still be present.

Over 150 years ago, the slaves were proclaimed free by President Lincoln. However many people even today still consider the african-americans under the bindings of slavery and barred from true freedom. The african-american slaves were brought to America while it was still being colonized to replace the rather expensive indentured servants. They were sold into slavery to carry out often harsh chores and tasks for their owner. Eventually, a civil war broke out between the north and south over the south not wanting slavery to be abolished. However, the south lost and President Lincoln established the Emancipation Proclamation, which completely freed the slaves. The period following the civil war, known as reconstruction, was a failure due to the fact that the newly freed slaves still experienced inequality, racism, and exclusion.

America following Reconstruction was completely different from America during FDR's New Deal. In 1876, the government was based on the ideas of Laissez-faire which meant that government stayed out of the citizens' lives. Society in 1876 was dominated by white men who ran the country while there were no rights for women, blacks, and immigrants. In 1876, Americans lived on farms in rural America. By the 1930's, America was a welfare state with government just starting to control different aspects such as economy and corporations. In the 1930's women, blacks, and immigrants all had the right to vote, and the majority of Americans were living in cities. Blacks had the right to vote; however, they were usually disenfranchised by whites.

Shortly after the Civil War ended in 1867, President Abraham Lincoln’s new objective was to unify the union and the confederate states into what was formerly known as the United States of America. This time period is known as the Reconstruction Era, starting with the surrender of Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House in 1865 and ending with the implementation of the Compromise of 1877. The Reconstruction Era was a time period full of political, economic, and social changes, some being temporary and some lasting to modern time. Many modern ideas about freedom and political equality come from the positive results of reconstruction. Reconstruction however did not successfully solve the problem of social inequality between African Americans and White Southerners, but the goal of reconstruction was not to promote social equality, it was to unify the union, which was accomplished. So, the Reconstruction Era was not a failure, if anything, it was successful because it granted rights to African Americans that they never had before, it started programs such as the Freedmen’s Bureau to assist former slaves and poor whites with education, and it met the goal of unification.

The Reconstruction Era occurred between 1866 and 1877, immediately following the Civil War between the Northern and Southern states. The Reconstruction Era brought change to not only the American economy, society, and government, but significant changes to the lives of African Americans as well. Lincoln’s assassination in April 1865 impacted conditions for African Americans in the post-war period through political and social changes in the Reconstruction Era; which ranged from a new array of rights to many new opportunities in society.

The Reconstruction Era happened on 1865-1877. At the point when Lincoln got killed and Andrew Johnson progressed toward becoming president. The Civil Rights Bill was instituted and Andrew Johnson vetoes the bill and Congress abrogate his veto authorizing blacks break even with rights. The Ku Klux Klan was built up in Tennessee. The fourteenth amendment was proposed by Congress furnishing blacks with citizenship and equivalent rights. The Reconstruction Acts Congress isolates previous Confederacy into five military areas and requires races in which African American men can vote. The fourteenth Amendment was verified and endorsed. South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, and Louisiana each endorsed the fourteenth Amendment

In Appomattox Court House, 1865, the Civil War concluded, ushering in the Reconstruction Era. Approximately one week after, John Wilkes Booth, a radical southerner, assassinated President Lincoln. The Reconstruction Era, which ended when Rutherford B Hayes ceased its enforcement to keep the peace, was a time for the country to consolidate and forgive the wrongs of the past. This Reconstruction period included many lasting effects on the governing of America. However, it shattered the welfare of southerners, Freedmen, and the general public. Additionally, discrimination ran rampant in the newly reunited country. Reconstruction was successful in the government, but not fiscally nor with public unity.

America was in disarray following the events of the Civil War. Southern economy was in shambles while congress was struggling to find a middle ground between the radical republicans and Lincoln’s lenient policies. Many Southerners faced the aftermath of uprooting their society and their way of life while thousands of newly freed slaves struggled to find a way to support themselves. The country needed a strong leader, however on the 14th of April, 1865 President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth in the Ford Theatre in Washington (Farmer). Without the man that had once held the nation together, the country now faced an enormous obstacle; reconstructing American economics, politics and social life.

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.