The Civil War And Reconstruction

During early 19th century, the entrenchment of Southern slavery, there was discussion between planters who benefitted from it and abolitionists who fought against it. Most Americans, especially those in Southern states, understood that slavery system could not help parting from their economic and social system. Southern slavery system brought big economical benefits. However, it negatively influenced American society as a whole rather that positively.

The period after the Civil War was a very difficult time in the United States' history. This time was known as the Reconstruction period and it was a very controversial time. There were many issues that had to be addressed such as what to do with the free blacks in the south and how states would be readmitted to the Union. This era saw the rise of the Radical Republicans. The government was going through changes, southerners were going through changes, and blacks were going through changes. Whites in the south were left without people to work their plantations. Slavery was indeed a very important topic during this time. Many of the reconstruction plans that were proposed required states to prohibit slavery in order to be readmitted to

In the beginning of 1865, the Civil War came to a close, abandoning over 620,000 dead and a destructive path of devastating all over the south. The North now was confronted with the task of reconstructing the destroyed and aggrieved Confederate states.

A revolution is a dramatic and sudden change in an organization in the social order that is replaced by a new, more favorable system. When Historian Eric Foner called the Reconstruction period “America’s Second Revolution”, his characterization was correct. Reconstruction can be viewed as a revolution because the previous social order, slavery, was replaced suddenly by a more favorable one, freedom for African-Americans. There was a long period of politicization for incorporating free African-Americans into white society. Reconstruction also revolutionized the preconceived notion that the states had autonomous power.

America: “The land of the free, and the home of the brave” (Key 7-8). When our forefathers overcame the colonial reign of the British Empire, they formed the United States of America based on the premise of enlightened ideals promoting life, ownership of land, and liberty. But after the revolution, the country’s problems were far from solved. The country’s post-revolution issues sparked a Civil War, which was followed by a reconstruction. In some ways, the Civil War and Reconstruction helped the United States accomplish its original goals, but in many ways, that was not the case.

As the civil war was ending many people could see that the odds of the north winning increased dramatically however many people can argue this idea based on the several events that took place during the second phase of the civil war. Carl Schurz concluded, “The Civil War was a revolution, but half accomplished.”(Roark et al 434) Reconstruction started before the civil war ended until 1877, when people of the United States tried figuring out how to put the country back together. Many people had different ideas on how the reconstruction should be handled as a result conflict began between different political groups, between groups in the south, between north and south, and between congress and senate groups. The dramatic transformation of southern states took place during the reconstruction that proved their victory was the organization and formation of government, being reunited in the union, and acquiring constitutional and legal status of African Americans.

Ranging from a necessary evil to a positive good, the perception of slavery proved to be a polarizing issue. Many northern citizens were indifferent to the idea of slavery, while southern plantation owners relied on slavery to support their economies. After the Second Great Awakening, the abolition movement was introduced and opposition to slavery began to receive attention. Due to political ideals, acquisition of new American territories and religious influences, opposition to slavery grew rapidly in the United States from 1776 to 1852. Natural rights of life and liberty fought for during the American Revolution were extended to slaves in the North.

1. The war in 1862 was only more than a year old and the people in both the Union and Confederate sides didn’t anticipate it would last that long, but it is going to go on. Close to the end of the summer in this same year, the Union has made huge progress in claiming confederate lands, winning some major battles. They have put the confederacy in the defensive. They have taken over New Orleans, with even black troops major on the ground of New Orleans. They have taken Missouri and are working hard to take over the Mississippi Valley and maybe even Richmond itself. Bruce Catton puts it this way in The Civil War, “Except for guerrilla activity, Kentucky and Missouri has been swept clear of armed confederates, Western Tennessee had been reclaimed, there was a Yankee army in Cumberland Gap, another one was approaching chattanooga, and a third was sprawled out from Memphis to Corinth, preparing to splice down through Mississippi and touch hands with the Union occupation forces in Baton Rouge and New Orleans” (85) So not only that they Union had taken over regions, they are advancing as well, but they did not win the way this year for some reason. Firstly, because they did not have generals and army heads capable of taking them to victory. General Halleck, chief of the Union Armies and Pope in charge of one of the Union armies in Virginia, were major examples of this.

From 1776 to 1852, there was growing opposition towards slavery in the United States. (PV) Underlying forces and specific events contributed to this. Events that contributed towards the growing opposition towards slavery include the increase in religious beliefs, increase in media, and the abolishment movement. These changes caused the thoughts of the people to change towards thoughts that were against slavery. The people began to feel as though slavery was something that was not right and should be eliminated as soon as possible. Previously, slavery was something that was basically the norm in society, and many people did not think much of it. PV Without these specific things happening, opposition to slavery may not have been as evident in

During the times of reconstruction, Lincoln wished to reunite the country both physically and metaphorically. By this, he intended to have certain hoops the southern states had to jump through before they could regain their statehood. However, due to his death this did not come to complete fruition. Johnson technically made the southern states do certain things before they could rejoin the union, but basically the terms could be met simply by a few individuals telling pretty lies. Also with Johnson, Black Codes were created that returned slavery to the country. Reconstruction itself was a major failure in what it actually accomplished in that time, but the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments that were passed made it possible for future civil rights

Reconstruction is a time period after the Civil War ended in 1877. We view it as something that resembles a transformation, shifts in the southern U.S. after the Civil War. This was when slavery inequality, some political, economic, and social issues were, in some ways, balanced. The categories of issues that arose throughout this “restoration” were aspects such as involving the Confederacy into the Union, abolishing along with figuring out what to do with our free blacks, and addressing conflict between the Confederate leaders and a group of people, which we characterize as “the North.” During reconstruction, there was a challenging goal of incorporating former slaves into our nation as free citizens like everyone else. It looks like this “era” attempted to take out the unfairness of slavery; however, it was successful to a degree. Reconstruction, itself, was successful in fulfilling its goal to a degree because the Freedmen’s Bureau attempted to help former slaves with simple things such as housing, although it “lost its touch” due to deficiency of needed funds along with personnel, and trouble dealing with pressure that was advancing from the so-called white southerners.

From April 12, 1861, to May 9, 1865, the United States had one of its bloodiest conflicts that it was ever involved in. The Civil War was a war between the North and the South of the United States. During this war, there were around 620,000 men that were killed. This war ended after Confederate general Edmund Kirby Smith surrendered his troops. At this point the fighting had ceased, however, the tensions between the North and the South were still present. There were still disagreements on the rights of the now freed blacks.

Following the end of the American Civil War was a period known as Reconstruction, which was an attempt at rebuilding The United States. Many questions were to be answered on how to handle the relations between the Union and Confederacy, but an overriding question was how much equality would the recently freedmen experience?

The Civil War left a country divided not only by property lines and borders but by beliefs as well. Not just religious beliefs, moral beliefs also. It left both sides, north and south struggling, trying to figure out what their next move towards reuniting the divided America was going to be. The period following the end of the Civil War would become known as the “Reconstruction Era.” An era that raised just as many questions as it did answers. A reconstruction of America that seems to carry on many decades later.

and in reality it was a demonstration of the failure to make a dependable political