Reconstruction Era Reconstruction

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

Reconstruction Era has two uses; the first covers the entire nation in the period 1865–1877 following the Civil War; the second one, used in this article, covers the transformation of the Southern United States from 1863 to 1877, with the reconstruction of state and society in the former Confederacy.

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

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.

Macdonald, Allen Ch. 15: This chapter covers the events from 1865-1877, known as the era of reconstruction; when major changes in the sociological and economical standards occurred. Equality was a forefront of the national agenda; however, during this time many lines were blurred and shaded. Certain stigmas and social complexes remained, some blacks seized property, and black codes were established to minimize their social standing. Black codes certainly were established to restrict the rights of black people, essentially hindering their social position.

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.

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.

After four years of fighting between the Union and the Confederacy in the American Civil War, it was finally decided in 1864 that the 11 southern states that seceded from the nation would be restored into the Union once again. However, the problems of reconstructing the Union were just as difficult as the war itself had been. Because most of the war was fought on Southern ground, the South had been devastated both physically and economically. Helping former slaves and making state governments loyal to the Union also presented various problems that would take years to resolve.

By 1870, the Northerner lost interest in reconstructing the south. The north tried to reconstruct the south and change southerners attitudes about black people. Although they failed at this because many southerners were still racists and believed that the white race was superior to others, blacks were not as good as southern white men. To add to that, the Northerners lost interest in the reconstruction, which gave southerners a chance to gain control of their state governments again.

After the triumph of the Union came to Reconstruction. Reconstruction was in the time range of 1865-1877. President Lincoln,the former president of the Union, was assassinated ,afterward, Vice President Andrew Johnson became president. As a result of Lincoln not having a play by play action on paper as to what he was going to rebuild or reconstruct the Union, Andrew was left without an idea on what to do. Reconstructing the Union left many questions such as, what labor would take place if there were no slaves and what kind of rights would the 4 million freedmen get. I subjectively believe that the reconstruction was a failure with a few good things hidden in between . In this essay, I will detail my own plans for Reconstruction.

In the late nineteenth century, as the civil war and reconstruction era drew to an end, newly freed African Americans were still faced with many problems. Slavery had taken up most if their lives and now that they were free with no jobs. Most resorted in being farmers to former slave owners to make a living. The whites, however, who did not agree with African Americans being free created "black codes." These were designed to force freed blacks to work on plantations. These codes also denied blacks the right to purchase or even rent land. The Freedmen 's Bureau was issued in an effort to bring freed people to full citizenship. This would help with getting the African Americans jobs, houses, education, land, and anything necessary to start their new lives. By 1879, Benjamin “Pap” Singleton, a former slave from Tennessee, became known as the leader of the “Exoduster Movement.” Benjamin Singleton urged blacks to leave the south to move westward. Kansas, at the time being a free state became appealing to Singleton and he put advertisements up to show blacks what opportunities awaited them in the west. Those who agreed with him and who moved west to Kansas called themselves “Exodusters.” Some believed that this was their promise land. A small town by the name of Nicodemus, Graham County, Kansas, was home to 75 Americans by the year 1876. When the Exodus movement brought African Americans westward, the small town became known as the center

It’s May 1865 in the United States and the war that was splitting the country in two has finally ceased. The Southern States had been demolished by the Union, and America is in shambles. Although the war had ended, there was still much for the United States to figure out. Following a war, comes a time in which both parties must rebuild what had perished in the war; this period is referred to as Reconstruction. Reconstruction after the Civil War was a huge burden on the United States at the time. The job of Reconstruction was to restore Southern States as well as redefine African Americans in society. With this, was going to come many arguments and disagreements amongst the north and south, as well as various opposing parties in government. Conflicts between the North and South went from the battlegrounds, to the legislative issues. Furthermore, American Government, Economy, and social systems, due to necessity, were changing alongside the needs of the people. Many people in government at the time stepped in with their own ideas as to how they would solve the problem of reconstruction. Reconstruction was a dark time for the South. The Southern way of life was upended by the Era of Reconstruction. However, their

There are different perspectives on the history of Reconstruction; some people believe that rebuilding the South during the period of 1865 to 1877 was a very important stage in the United States history because it was the start of American Society as a home of freedom. However, others view Reconstruction as a negative impact on African Americans. Ronald E. Butchart sees Reconstruction as the main reason for educational discrimination against African Americans. Reconstruction in the South helped African Americans in good ways, such as giving them the freedom they deserved. Like anything else, Reconstruction in the South had purposes, achievements, and failures. The main purpose for Reconstruction in the South was to restore the south to the union. Reconstruction succeeded in many different aspects such as the Enforcement Act of 1870. Along with succeeding, Reconstruction in the south had some failures including the Jim Crow Laws, which affected the African Americans. This paper will talk more thoroughly about each of these points that occurred while reconstructing the South and how each point helped the African Americans during this time period.

The Reconstruction era was a very impactful, but hard time for South Carolina after the Civil War. The process of rebuilding the south came with many great challenges, including the profound main conflict of racial discrimination. Although the Union had won the war, much of the Southern United States had been destroyed, including the many farms, plantations and crops. Also, due to the Union victory more than 3 million slaves were granted freedom, but still faced racial discrimation from restrictive “black codes”. 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.