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Reconstruction And Reconstruction Essay

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After the Civil the War the United States was left in shambles, the question surrounding what to do with the roughly 4 million slaves continued to be a daunting question. Prior to the Civil War the southern economy relied heavily on slaves to produce cotton. Once the war was over the South had to reestablish its labor force. The United States as a whole had to address the question of what to do with the 11 states that had succeed. In addition, the government as a whole was deeply divided regarding the topic of Reconstructions. Radicals viewed the South as betraying the Union as a whole and demanding that they have harsh punishments for succeeding. Lincoln and his followers saw the war as extremely volatile to the whole nation and demand for soft peace. The questions surrounding the days months and years following the Souths surrender at Appomattox Court House would forever shape the United States of America. The Era of the Civil War and Reconstruction (1830-1877) was determinedly shaped by rulings delivered by State Supreme Courts and the United States Supreme Court. Throughout the course of Reconstruction both courts ruled on a number of subjects. These three court cases and rulings are a few of the examples of how they shaped the history of Reconstruction. Arguably these court cases are amongst the most influential cases surrounding the era of Reconstruction and the history of the United States moving forward. The first case I wish to examine is United States Supreme

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