Reconstruction Dbq

The American Civil War ended in 1865 which resulted in victory for the Union and the disbanding of the Confederacy. The aftermath of the war ushered in major political and social reforms in attempt to prevent the Civil War from happening ever again. The Reconstruction Era (1865-1877) began immediately after the war, then it was followed by the Gilded Age (1877 –1897), and at the turn of the century was the Progressive Era (1897–1920). These three significant time periods in American history introduced major changes to civil rights, industrialization, and foreign policy during the forty-five years following the Civil War. However, change was not always good. Some sought to take advantage of the shifting of tides and benefit from

For the first time in the United States History, President Andrew Johnson, was the first sitting president to be impeachment from office. President Johnson was sworn into office after President Lincoln was assassinated. Like former President Lincoln, Johnson, felt that the country should have been ran by the white man. In fact, Johnson wanted to carry out former President Lincoln’s leniency more. Shortly after becoming president, President Johnson granted wholesome pardons to the ex-confederates. Allowing the Former confederates the right to have slaves in every way but call them slaves. The Confederate states forcing the slaves to sign year long contracts or face forced enslavement. They called this “The Black Codes,” which controlled the

In May 1865, President Andrew Johnson announced his plans for Reconstruction. When word got out about his plans for reconstruction and how he was all land that had been confiscated by the Union Army and distributed to the freed slaves. As a result of Andrew Johnson’s idea the people in the south put in a series of laws called “black codes” which were made to restrict freed black slaves. In 1866 the “black codes” were still in

The aftermath of the civil war left the U.S in a terrible position; thus calling for the dawning of the Reconstruction era. The idea of Reconstruction was brought up by Pres. Abe Lincoln, but it was brought out by Andrew Johnson after President Lincoln was assassinated. The hopes for former slaves was lifted when the 13th-15th amendments were established and many rights for black men were created. While Southern state governments abolished slavery, they did nothing to alter the status of freedmen and women; to show, the rights once held by former slaves were taken away from them. Black men could not vote, they could not own property, and they were forced into sharecropping, which made debt highly likely. Slavery was still punishment for crimes, but the biggest punishment for crimes committed by blacks was lynching.

Johnson issued thirteen though sand five hundred Presidential pardons to those he earlier hoped to keep out. There were many ex-Confederates who were elected to Congress. Also the state legislatures in the south demoted blacks to a second class status, and this was known as the Black Codes. These codes states blacks were not allowed to vote, be on juries, testify against whites, could not interracially marry, and it was most unfair in Mississippi and South Carolina. Johnson like Lincoln wanted to restore the Union in as little time as possible.

The Union Victory in the Civil War in 1865 granted freedom to approximately 4 million slaves, however, the process of rebuilding the South during the Reconstruction period 1865-1877 brought a lot of challenges. In 1865 and 1866 under the supervision of President Andrew Johnson, new Southern state legislatives passed the “black codes” to control the labor and behavior of former slaves and other African Americans. During the Radical Reconstruction in 1869, new enfranchised blacks had a voice in the government for the first time in

The Civil War, fought between the North and the South, stemmed from issues regarding the slavery of African Americans. During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln proposed the 13th amendment which abolished slavery and involuntary servitude. The amendment was not ratified until December 1865, after Lincoln’s death on April 14, 1865. Following Lincoln’s death, Vice President Andrew Johnson became the new President of the United States. Andrew Johnson attempted to follow Lincoln’s plans for the time period following the Civil War that focused on easing the transition of newly freed African Americans into a free society, called the Reconstruction Era. The Reconstruction Era set ground for many accomplishments for African Americans including

The twelve years after the Civil War, known as Reconstruction, proved to be a difficult time for America. Although new amendments were created that gave African Americans more rights in society, the Southern Democrats shackled the full potential of the Reconstruction era by restricting blacks’ freedom, voting rights, and economic independence.

Did Reconstruction ultimately succeed or fail in improving race relations in the United States? Ava Chae Hour 4 The Reconstruction ultimately failed in improving race relations in the United States. Although the result of the Reconstruction was a slight improvement from the period before the American Civil War, it did a disastrous job in advancing the equality between all people.

As a Representative and a Senator from Ohio I John Sherman convicted Andrew Johnson. "Instead of cooperating with Congress, by execution of laws passed by it, he has thwarted and delayed their execution, and sought to bring the laws and the legislative power into contempt. Armed by the Constitution and the laws, with vast powers, he has neglected to protect loyal people in the rebel States, so that assassination is organized all over those States, as a political power to murder, banish and maltreat loyal people, and to destroy their property. All these he might have ascribed to alleged want of power, or to difference of opinion in questions of policy, and for these reasons no such charges were exhibited against him, though they affected the peace and safety of the nation. When he adds to those political offenses the willful violations of of

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.

After the Civil War, there were two major paths of reconstruction–presidential reconstruction and radical reconstruction. Presidential reconstruction was headed by President Andrew Johnson, who believed that the southern states had never given up their rights to govern themselves, and failed to institute any sort of voting requirements. Aside from having to take an oath of allegiance to the Union and pay off war debt, the South was free to do what they like. This leniency led to the instillation of Black Codes and the continuation of wrongful treatment of African Americans. This caused the Republicans in Congress to take control of Reconstruction in the South after Johnson’s

Before it even began the Reconstruction was a political battle and President Johnson didn’t add well to the mix of the battle. “A lonely, stubborn man, he was intolerant of criticism and unable to compromise” (Foner, p. 579). Many people believed he was unfit for the political world and he wasn’t ready to be our president. He was a very racist man and he believed that African Americans played absolutely no part in the Reconstruction and believed they had no rights what so ever. The beginning of the Presidential Reconstruction (1865 – 1867) “Johnson offered a pardon (which restored political and property rights, except for slaves) to nearly all white southerners who took an oath of allegiance to the Union” (Foner, p. 580). Many people thought

After the civil war ended, the southern plantations, cities, and farms were in ruins, they were faced with hunger and being impoverished. There was even an occupational army in their core. Reconstruction governments were threatening to seize the traditional white ruling authority. “For a few months after the war, white southerners had to contend with the losses of life, property and, in their eyes, honor.” “Southern state legislatures began enacting laws that made it clear that the aristocrats who ran them intended to yield none of their pre-war power and dominance over poor whites and especially over blacks” (www.splcenter.org). These laws would become known as the Black Codes. Mississippi and Florida, enacted vicious black codes, while other southern states passed less severe types, and President Johnson stood by and did

President Andrew Johnson came up with a plan based on unionism and states rights. The first step is to let the south govern themselves, that means the south determines voting laws. Step two is giving all land captured by the Union army to freed slaves or the original owner. Johnson was lenient with the South’s new laws allowing the south to create “Black Codes”, or a series of laws created to keeps blacks out of power and ensure they are a labor force. President Johnson, who was a Democrat, vetoed the renewal of the Freedmen's Bureau, and various Civil Rights bills. The Freedmen’s Bureau was created to give newly freed slaves a start in their life as a citizen. Congress was eventually able to pass a set of laws known as the Reconstruction Act of 1867 over another Johnson veto. Due to Johnson’s stubbornness moderates began to join the Republicans, the Republicans regain the majority by 1868. The Reconstruction Act separated the states who seceded (except Tennessee) into five military districts and put federal troops in each, the Act also forced the south to ratify the 14th amendment in congress giving equal protection to all citizens regardless of skin