The Reconstruction Era Essay

After the Civil War, America was still amidst great turmoil and economic instability. During this time period, the ultimate goal for Americans was to seize the “American Dream”. This was defined by most as being able to support their family and live a comfortable life. Although some did achieve this, many faced social, political and economic hardships. Beginning with the unjust treatment of African-Americans, then the struggles of immigrants, and followed by the rise of big businesses, the challenges faced during this time of rebuilding varied among the classes.

The first roar of the Civil War ended with a last gasp for air. Where in such a war more than six hundred twenty thousand men sacrificed their lives for their own belief in the abolishment of slavery (“Civil War Facts”). “We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom” (Baslor). These wise words of Abraham Lincoln cleared the way of a desolate trail of violence and pain, yet he was determined to accomplish his plans of abolishing slavery and creating equality. The Civil War, began in 1861 and ended in 1865, yet it was known as one of the bloodiest wars America has ever walked through compared to other American Wars (“Civil War Facts”). After the Civil War

Reconstruction was the time between 1863 and 1877 when the U.S. focused on abolishing slavery, destroying the Confederacy, and reconstructing the nation and the Constitution and is also the general history of the post-Civil War era in the U.S. between 1865 and 1877. Under Abraham Lincoln, presidential reconstruction began in each state as soon as federal troops controlled most of the state. The usual ending date is 1877, when the Compromise of 1877 saw the collapse of the last Republican state governments in the South

Reconstruction was a period of time that took place directly after the Civil War when the Confederacy was ruled by the Union government and military. Reconstruction is sometimes seen as a good thing because it did help out the newly freed African Americans, and the recently deprived white Southerners. However, it also created tension and resentment between Southerners and Northerners, as well as between the whites and the blacks, and, when the Reconstruction was over and the whites were back in office, they saw blacks as the enemy, and they took out the anger and injustice they felt they had received on the blacks. It brought the nation together once more, but it made the racial gap wider than ever.

Reconstruction was a period of time between 1865 and 1877, which was very complex and controversial. It refers to the actual rebuilding of the south physically, economically and politically from the damage of the Civil War. It was an effort to rebuild southern states and also to restore the Union.

In the beginning of the 1860’s, America had fought one of its bloodiest wars. The opponent of this war was the rebelling southern states of the union. The North and South had many opposing views which led to conflicts, but it was not until the eleven southern states decided to secede the union, that the war had begun. After fighting for four years, led by President Lincoln, the North had finally won. Then had come the “Era of Reconstruction.” Unfortunately, Lincoln did not live long enough to oversee the entire “Era of Reconstruction.”

Throughout Reconstruction and post Reconstruction eras, education has been a staple of many political campaigns, and the downfall of others. Society thrives on education. In the aftermath of the Civil War, freed slaves scrambled to get representatives into the government, so that public schools for black folk might be established. All was well during the reconstruction era, but post Reconstruction saw a heavy decline in black congressional representation, and a corresponding decrease in support for African American education. Reconstruction helped to establish institutes of public education in the south for both races, but, in the end, provided more help to whites than blacks.

The Reconstruction Reconstruction is defined as the period following the Civil War in which the Republican-dominated Federal government sought to reunite the Union; the measure included drastically remodeling Southern society in order to secure equality and independence for blacks through granting them various freedoms. Many historians believe that in order to fully understand the modern United States, one must understand Reconstruction. Studying it, therefore, has been a top priority amongst historians. Over the years, three main schools of thought have developed concerning Reconstruction. The Dunning School viewed the Northern Republicans as tyrannical leaders who pushed aside the governments

Was the Rectronstruction of the United States really as affetcive as we all think? The end of the Civil War brought profound changes to the United States. The Reconstruction changed some things, but it did little regarding political turmoil and racial equality. In the end, the government established black suffrage, but this reform proved insufficient to remake the South or to guarantee human rights.

Willis Rodeshia Willis HIST1302.DCBG.16SP March 14, 2016 Essay 1 1 What accounts for the failure or success of Reconstruction to bring about social equality to the freedman? There are many things that account for the failure of Reconstruction to bring about social equality to the freedman. Examples are the Freedmen’s Bureau, the Civil Rights Act, and Voting Rights Act. 2

The Civil War, which was caused by the secession of the Confederate states, lasted four long years. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers have lost their lives during the bloody battle. However, after the war has ended and reconstruction took place, there were some very major events that took place that helped changed and bettered the United States, as well as bring the Nation back together.

During the time of the reconstruction era it had many effects on many different people, the whites and blacks, although it had different effects on the two races, for the blacks it coulda gone either way, good or bad, but in my opinion it did more bad than good. The Reconstruction era was the time immediately after the civil war that would let the the southern states back into the Union during the reconstruction era, the President at the time, Abraham Lincoln had appointed Military governors to bring back governments into the southern states. During all of this time the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), which is a white supremacy group, wanted the opposite to happen, they wanted all blacks to suffer and them to have no rights.The Ku Klux Klan got their start as a fraternal organization on December 24th, 1865, the KKK in the state of tennessee, with the military and freedom voting behind the KKK the became known as a political organization. Now under the Reconstruction Act the blacks became freed and because of that they began taking over the white people farms by slowly pushing them out because they began to claim land for themselves, which in my opinion probably made the whites hate the blacks even more.

"African-Americans as a matter of our highest law were in fact no more citizens than cattle. " -- Ira Glasser, Legacy of Racial Subjugation, 2014

The Civil War and Reconstruction period provided African American people with a legal definition of citizenship through three constitutional amendments. Beginning with the 13th Amendment slavery was abolished, then 14th Amendment provided equal protection under the law, and lastly the 15th Amendment allowed all men, including African Americans, the ability to vote. However, the transition from enslavement to freedom was a difficult and terrifying one for most black women as they had little or no money, limited or no education and little access to it, and faced racism that impacted every aspect of their lives. However, the Reconstruction period in America promised African Americans a new life of freedom with the same inalienable rights provided to other American citizens and allowed for many social reforms to take place during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries due to the efforts of African American women.

After the Civil War, the South lay in ruins. Streets were lined with the lifeless bodies of Confederate soldiers whilst the buildings smoldered right down to their foundations. In an effort to restore the South to its former charm, the U.S. government plunged the country into what is now called the Reconstruction Era. President Lincoln’s approach towards reconstruction, known as the 10% Plan, was rivaled by the collaborative effort of Henry Davis and Benjamin Wade; known as the Wade-Davis Bill. Both plans never made it into effect, but they set a precedent for more rivalries to come.