Reconstruction By Eric Foner Analysis

During the post-civil war era, America, specifically the south, was undergoing a period of reconstruction. The general goal of reconstruction was to successfully readmit the former Confederacy back into the Union as smoothly as possible, as well as enacting specific safeguards of freedmen’s liberties. The social and constitutional developments in America between 1860 and 1877 were very minor. The lack of change between pre and post civil war status could hardly be considered a revolution.

In “Reconstruction Revisited”, Eric Foner reexamines the political, social, and economic experiences of black and white Americans in the aftermath of the Civil War. With the help of many historian works, Foner gives equal representation to both sides of the Reconstruction argument.

Foner’s A Short History of Reconstruction verifies the authors prevailing leadership in historical revisionism. His extensive knowledge alters the scrutiny of the historical standpoint, stimulating students and intellectuals to reconsider the assumptions of prominent reconstruction works from foregoing eras such as those that influenced our understanding of the Reconstruction era. Furthermore, Foner advises intellectuals to continue to uncover neglected experiencesof the one of the most phenomenal eras in American history. Foner’s text provides a critical scheme for a more

The American Civil War claimed the lives of over 700,000 people. The war was fought from 1861-1865. The results of the war were described as; a union victory, abolishment of slavery, territorial integrity preserved and the destruction and dissolution of the Confederate States. The twelve years that followed were called the Reconstruction Era, 1865-1877. The purpose of the Reconstruction Era was to restore National Unity, strengthen the government, and guarantee rights to freed slaves. The reality of reconstruction though was; violence (260,000 dead), newly freed slaves suffered the most, and Lincoln's hopes of trust and rededication to peace were lost when he was assassinated on April 15th, 1865. It is these realities of the Reconstruction Era and beyond that this paper will address and how those realities affected the newly freed slaves. Life in post-bellum America for African - Americans was violent and filled with fear because of white supremacy, lynching, and the brutal mutilations of blacks.

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.

With the era of American Reconstruction in America during the mid to late 1800’s came a sense of opportunity and hope for its people. America was on the move as nation, railroads being built faster than ever and the freedmen looking to find their niche in society. Although in the beginning the government provided support for these new citizens, efforts toward reconstruction faded as the years passed. Those efforts faded to a point where they were all but nonexistent, and with the unwritten Compromise of 1877, what feeble efforts that were left of reconstruction were now all but dead. Politically, reconstruction failed to provide equality by pulling Federal troops from the South, allowing former Confederate officials and slave owners

The Reconstruction of the United States was an experiment in interracial democracy. The Civil War victory by the North brought to a close the establishment of slavery but, in turn, opened Pandora's box. The questions and answers pertaining to economical, political, and social equality for freedmen had yet to be addressed on a practical level. The Southern states, still bitter from defeat and economic stresses, strongly rejected the societal transformations thrust upon them. The Northern states' focal point remained on the necessary political powers by which to enact constitutional amendments, therefore empowering the federal government with the capabilities to enforce the principles of equal rights. On paper, slavery was abolished, but in reality, African-Americans were once again enslaved on a ship without the security or knowledge of what the next port held for them. The Civil War had not truly ended. It was still active under the guise of Reconstruction, but now coats and flags of many colors existed, and battles were merely fought on alternate battlefields. A war of ideas lacking in substantial practicality resulted in repetitious battles being won and loss. The motivating forces that set Reconstruction into motion were for the most part the North's quest for unification among states', and the emancipation of slaves. However, the primary objective of Reconstruction was to grant political, economical, and social opportunities for the freedmen. The

The Reconstruction time period, 1865 through 1877, was a complex time for America. The southern part of the nation was in need of governmental, economical, and social repair after losing the Civil War. Radical Republicans, Democrats, and newly freed African Americans all were influential in the age of Reconstruction. Historians have struggled to put into words exactly what Reconstruction incorporates and precisely what the motives of the different groups of people were. Renowned American historian, Eric Foner, is a professor at Columbia University. He has written many books concerning the Civil War and Reconstruction eras. Eric Foner’s Reconstruction theory

The formal Congressional period of Reconstruction, from 1866 to 1877, was intended to readmit the former Rebel states into the Union, rebuild and reinvigorate communities ravaged by war, and eliminate the highly visible vestiges of Southern slave society. The events transpiring during these efforts made the whole affair largely ineffectual and reductive (“Reconstruction and Its Aftermath). In response, the South provided a marked resistance to the attempted establishment of civil rights and liberties for recently freed slaves, producing such scourges as the Ku Klux Klan, Grandfather Clause, and Jim Crow Laws. Beyond enforcing the rudimentary legislation that would grant basic agency to African Americans, Grant failed to institute long term and helpful efforts that would diminish the culture of racialized violence and white supremacy in the South. The Ku Klux Klan still exerted widescale political and local influence

As a country, America has gone though many political changes throughout its lifetime. Leaders have come and gone, and all of them have had their own objectives and plans for the future. As history has taken its course, though, almost all of these “revolutionary movements” have come to an end. One such movement was Reconstruction. Reconstruction was a violent period that defined the defeated South’s status in the Union and the meaning of freedom for ex-slaves. Though, like many things in life, it did come to an end, and the resulting outcome has been labeled both a success and a failure.

During reconstruction the United States was divided on social issues, presidential campaigns were won and loss on these issues during this period. The struggle for development of African Americans and how they initiated change in political, economic, educational, and social conditions to shape their future and that of the United States. (Dixon, 2000) The South’s attempts to recover from the Civil war included determining what to do with newly freed slaves and finding labor to replace them. The task of elevating the Negro from slave to citizen was the most enormous one which had ever confronted the country. Local governments implemented mechanisms of discrimination to combat citizenship

In this seminal work by historian Kenneth M. Stampp, The Era of Reconstruction, 1865-1877 argues that the era known as Reconstruction, the years from 1865-1877 the succeeded the end of the Civil War, had positive effects. Challenging the Dunning School, which stipulated that the era of Reconstruction was an utter failure due to the fanaticism of Radical Republicans like Thaddeus Stevens, Stampp argues that despite its eventual failure and demise due to the Radical Republicans failing to give freedman property or land Reconstruction was by no means as sinister as historians of the past have depicted the era. Relying on an impressive amount of secondary literature as well as primary sources, Kenneth Stampp’s The Era of Reconstruction stands a landmark study for how it takes a revisionist standpoint in challenging the notion that Reconstruction was filled with gloom and despair.

The American South was arguable formed in the formative years of the Civil War. What happened during and after this monumental event would shape the region for years to follow. The period after, or Reconstruction as it is sometimes called was a period of renewal and restoration. In this week’s text, Eric Foner a professor from Columbia University presents us with a monograph about focused on the aftermath of the Civil War. This monograph is entitled A Short History of Reconstruction. This book in my opinion covers all aspects that one needs to know about the period in a straightforward, concise manner.

The Columbian University journalism professor Nicholas Lemann’s aim of writing this book is to look at the brutal campaign of fraud and violence during the mid-1870s that ultimately led to the restoration of conservative, white governments in some southern states. The author focuses on the reconstruction of Mississippi. He stirs memories of the murderous Southern resistance and to civil rights movements 90 years later. Lemann writes at an era when neo-Confederate sympathies have cropped up again in southern politics, and amid several reports of the suppression of the minority voting throughout the country. Mr. Lemann presents the last battle of the Civil War.

The process of Reconstruction ending was aggravated by the mishap of President Andrew Johnson but formally took place during the presidential election between (Democrat) Sam Tilden, and (Republican) Ruth B. Haynes. When Johnson filled in as president for late former President Abraham Lincoln, he deceived all the southerners by making them think that he had intentions of carrying out the same plans to “achieve restoration quickly”, as Abraham had originally yearned to do. Instead, Johnson passed black codes in which were “intended to reduce African Americans as close to slavery as possible.” Not only did southerners attest the ideals and motives of Johnson, but Congress as well did not agree with his ideas either. Once Congress passed the