Reconstruction And Failure Of Reconstruction

The resulting outcome of Reconstruction has been labeled as both a success and a failure. At the end of the four-year Civil War, and nearly 250 years of slavery, President Lincoln’s intentions were to unify a shattered nation. Thus, began the Reconstruction era. Reconstruction succeeded in the installation of the 13th Amendment outlawing slavery, the 14th Amendment defining citizenship and protecting all Americans under the law and extending suffrage to all men in the 15th Amendment. The Freedman’s Bureau and Civil Rights Act also sought to help African Americans to participate equally in government, in society and in the economy. Black men were elected to political office in every level of government and all Southern states drafted new constitutions and ratified Reconstruction amendments.

After the civil war there was a period from 1865 to 1877 called the reconstruction period. Which may be the reason african americans have the rights that they do today. The Reconstruction period was not all good, there were also laws that limited the rights of african americans called “jim crow laws”. Sharecropping also was developed which was practically a legal form of slavery. Over all American Reconstruction was a success due to all of the rights that african americans gained, but it didn't happen easily.

During the span of thirty years from 1865 to 1895 blacks that lived within this time frame went through arguably the most profound series of events to occur in African American history. Southern blacks were faced with prejudice, bondage, slavery, and ultimately survival. Shortly after the thirteenth amendment was ratified, stating that: “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.”

The Constitution of the United States and the amendments that follow established the principles of our country. After the north won the civil war, reconstruction began in the south and several new laws were passed to support African American equality. In 1865, the 13th amendment was passed, which resulted in slavery being abolished. These newly freed men were made many promises. Among them were the promises of political, social, and economic justice. It seemed as though these promises would be kept as violating them was deemed unconstitutional. For example, the 14th amendment granted 3 rights to all men: the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, states cannot pass laws to abridge these rights, and the right that all men were seen equal before the law. Also, the 15th amendment was passed, which established the right to vote for all men, and thereby gave African Americans political power. In reality, however, these newly freed African Americans were still treated as inferior members of society. Reconstruction did not provide political, social, or economic justice to freed slaves.

After the Civil War, the United States was left in tatters, divided and disunited. Shortly after, reconstruction began. Reconstruction refers to the period of time between 1863 and 1877 when America rebuilt and readmitted the southern states back to the Union in attempt to achieve national unification. Reconstruction encompassed economic, political and social restoration for southern society. During this process, Congress passed many laws and amendments that were intended to extend African American rights.

Have you ever thought about the Reconstruction period, maybe all of the negatives or positives from it? Reconstruction had different periods such as Emancipation and Reconstruction, Presidential Reconstruction, Radical Reconstruction, and the Compromise of 1877. The era after the Civil War, 1865 – 1877 was called the Reconstruction period. “The Union victory in the Civil War in 1865 may have given some 4 million slaves their freedom, but the process of rebuilding the South during the Reconstruction period (1865-1877) introduced a new set of significant challenges”(History.com Staff). Though human equality was the main goal of the Reconstruction period in the South after the Civil War, it proved to be an attempted compromise that actually created more conflicts.

There are several ways the Civil War affected the United States. One way is that it created tensions between the North and the South. Slavery was effectively ended, while slavery was not officially outlawed until the passage of the 13th amendment, the slaves were set free upon the end of the war. Next reconstruction, the plan to be re-build America after the war, began. Many people would say that Reconstruction was a success because of the ways it gave more rights to blacks.

It also allowed black men to join the Union Army and Navy, “enabling the liberated to become liberators.” (The Emancipation Proclamation) The big change in slavery and the fight for equality did not come until the Thirteenth Amendment was passed by Congress on January 31, 1865 and ratified by the states on December 6, 1865. With this event, it was declared that “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” (13th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution) Although this Amendment did give slaves their freedom, it did not guarantee them the same rights nor the same treatment that other citizens of the United States had and took for granted. This was especially seen in the states that “enacted ‘black codes’ that were intended to limit the civil rights of the newly free slaves.” (Civil Rights) These “black codes” and the obvious difference in treatment were a large issue, and they were later addressed in the Constitution with the introduction of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendment. The Fourteenth Amendment was ratified on July 9, 1868 and it made large changes for black individuals. This Amendment “granted citizenship to ‘all persons born or naturalized in the United States,’ which included former slaves recently freed.” (14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution) It also “forbids states from denying

Reconstruction was a period after the civil war and it was a failure. I say this because the blacks still hardly had any rights. They were completely separated from the white people. I thought freeing the black people was supposed to bring everyone together not just make special laws so we are still separate. Not being able to attend a school because it's white only is not being free. They should be able attend whatever school they want or go to whatever restaurant they want. “Freeing” people then casting them out is not letting them be free.

The condition of the South was poor, majority of the battles were fought in the South which caused it to destroy the lands, crops,roads and infrastructure. Most of the male populations fought the war and they were left with women with children. At the time all slaves were free; they couldn’t depend on slaves or men to help make the crops better , which caused no money was coming in for the families of the south. Reconstruction was needed because, we as a country needed to fix this problem.That’s when Lincoln came with the 10% plan. He needed 10% of the south's population to readmit the union. John Wilkes Booth assassinated Lincoln and the North lashes out with anger towards the south. The first success in reconstruction was the 13th,

Following the Civil War, the Reconstruction Era began. During this time, the southern part of the United States attempted a transformation directed by Congress from 1863 to 1877. Known for its successes and failures, the Reconstruction was a time of great pain and an infinite amount of questions. As well as many long term, short term, positive, negative, social, and political effects.

The Reconstruction Era was referred to as rebuilding the nation after the period of Civil War. After the Union won the Civil War in 1865, it was their job to begin the reconstruction of the United States. The South was left in a state of social disorder, economic decay, and political upheaval after the war. The goal of the Reconstruction was to reunite southern states, ensure freedom and civil rights for the Blacks. Some would argue that the Reconstruction Era had more failures than successes.

It was an achievement in that it placed Blacks in positions of leadership, and gave them educational opportunities for the 1st time. It was a huge missed opportunity because the North was very vindictive toward a financially and morally crushed South. If they had had more mercy (As Lincoln had) the bitterness and Corruption(CarpetBaggers) that Reconstruction bred would have been greatly

Reconstruction was a failure because African American were still not equal to White Americans. The Emancipation Proclamation was proclaimed in January 1, 1863. It freed more than 3 million slaves in the Confederate states by January 1, 1863, blacks enlisted in the Union Army in large numbers, reaching some 180,000 by war’s end. Reconstruction began in 1865 right after the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln created a plan for Reconstruction that called for Reconciliation. Abraham Lincoln believed that preserving the Union was way more important than punishing the South. On the other hand, Robert E. Lee urged southerners to reconcile with the North and reunite as Americans. Abraham Lincoln proposed the Ten Percent Plan which offered southerners amnesty, or official pardon, for all illegal acts supporting the rebellion. The southerners could do 2 things to receive amnesty. First they had to swear an oath of loyalty to the United States. Second they had to agree that slavery was now illegal.

The Civil War had led to Black freedom. Reconstruction under the Radical Republicans would lead to their suffrage. Despite presidential backlash, the Civil Rights Act passed and quickly advanced into becoming the forerunner for the Fourteenth Amendment. Its passage nullified the Dred Scott decision and redefined US citizenship. It also granted African Americans with the most political freedom they had ever experienced: the right to vote. In 1867, Congress passed the Reconstruction Act that reshaped the recently readmitted states. In order to be officially readmitted to the Union, the voters had to elect new officials to draft a state constitution that granted black suffrage. It was the start of a new era.