The Failure of the Post Civil War Reconstruction Period...

After the North won the civil war, it was time to rebuild this nation. This period of reconstruction was supposed to have a profound change on society. Unfortunately this was not the case. Reconstruction did not fundamentally alter this nation. Not to say that nothing happened, but nothing that really made a change or difference happened. First, the control of the south was given right back to the planter elite. Also, even though slavery was abolished; blacks were not free. Finally, Congress and President Johnson could not get along. Although the civil war reshaped this country profoundly. The reconstruction efforts did little but scratch a surface, before being quickly wiped away. After the civil war the South was†¦show more content†¦They also called for any officials to swear an oath of allegiance to the union.2 After Lincolns assassination, and Johnsons inaugeration these plans changed. Johnson pardoned all the southern leaders that were in trouble for seceding from the union. This effectively put them back in power in the South. Ultimately everything that congress and Lincoln had tried to do in the south. Taking back the power from those who seceded. As well as any help that was given to the poor whites or any blacks in the south was undone by Johnson. One of the biggest ways the reconstruction efforts failed was with giving equal rights to the black community. Although the slaves were freed it was very conditional freedom. The creation of Black codes made it seem like they were free. These codes made it possible for black families to remain intact. It also gave blacks the right to sue in court, and own property. This seems like prog ressive thinking at the time. The big problem with these codes is what they denied blacks. Blacks could not testify against whites. They could not own guns, or travel without permits. Although slavery had ended blacks were still being controlled. Without slaves to work in the fields the plantation owners needed workers. A lot of them would rent out their land to newly freed blacks. In exchange these poor blacks would have to give up 2/3 of their crop.3 The rest would be used to pay off their debts. This wouldShow MoreRelatedHow Did The Radical Republican s Rise For The Failure Of The Post Civil War Reconstruction?1619 Words   |  7 Pagescontribute to the failure of the post-civil war reconstruction? The time between 1863, when Lincoln passed the ten percent act, until the year 1877, when reconstruction was officially ended, will be evaluated with information provided by the sources. The investigation will specifically look to how the Lincoln assassination allowed for th e rise in the Radical Republican Party from 1866 to 1868 and the party’s effect on reconstruction acts leading to the failure of the post-civil war reconstruction era. EricRead MoreOrigin Of And Role Played By Manifest Destiny1323 Words   |  6 PagesSince then, scholars have used the term to refer to the expansionistic excitement that defined the 1840s. During that time, the United States’ population had more than quadrupled and Americans believed God had destined that they span the entire North America from one coast to the other. Although the term â€Å"Manifest Destiny† was used to typify the 1840s American expansionistic exuberance, it can be broadly used to characterize any country’s imperialistic thrusts (Harriet). In this regard, Utah, the indigenousRead MoreThe Civil War And Reconstruction Periods1118 Words   |  5 PagesThe Unfinished Revolution The Civil War and Reconstruction periods had many positive outcomes for America, such as the reunification of the Union, the expansion of the North and South’s economy, education for all, and much more. Although there were many positive results from these two periods, there was also an aftermath of much failure. The post Civil War, and Reconstruction period consisted of the formation of the Ku Klux Klan and the black code laws. Despite the fact that African American’s wereRead MoreCauses Of Reconstruction829 Words   |  4 PagesAmerica was in a rough spot after the Civil War between the Union and the Confederates. The South had her lands destroyed and ravaged by the Union armies, and thousands of slaves were suddenly freed from slavery. It was a time where the Radical Republicans were gaining power. A time where change was coming. This change would be Reconstruction. Reconstructions purpose, in simplicity, was to bring the South back into the Union and to somehow inte grate the freedmen. Abraham Lincoln and Andrew JohnsonRead MoreReview: the Continuing Evolution of Reconstruction History by Eric Foner961 Words   |  4 Pagesunderstanding of race relations, politics, and economic change during Reconstruction.† The article essentially encompasses the meaning of three different views of reconstruction: traditional, revisionist, and post-revisionist. After Foner defines these and explains his thesis, the article becomes somewhat of an advertisement for his own articles on the topic. Foner defines the traditionalist view as the interpretation that when then civil had finally come to an end, the white population of the south moreRead MoreReconstruction During The Civil War1487 Words   |  6 PagesReconstruction was the period when America was figuring out on issues pertaining to who was an American, what rights an American should enjoy and what rights other Americans were exercising. The post bellum period was a period after the civil war that had affected the United States of America. This conflict had mostly taken place in the south and therefore the people there were the for the most part affected by this warfare. After the civil war, racism was still a threat and a struggle for the nationRead MoreDebate over if the Reconstruction Era was Failure Essay1222 Words   |  5 PagesAmerica was divided in two, the south; which promoted the act of slavery and the north; where individuals encouraged the abolishment of the discriminating structure. Despite the diffe ring opinions of the two regions, ‘Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee [...] sought readmission to the union’ knowing that they were agreeing to the abolishment of slavery under the Thirteenth Amendment; which abolished slavery, Fourteenth Amendment; that stated all persons born in the states were American citizens andRead MoreAndrew Johnson And Radical Reconstruction1285 Words   |  6 PagesAfter the American Civil War and President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, Americans entered a new period of Radical Reconstruction under the faulty presidency of his successor, Andrew Johnson. With the Emancipation Proclamation being put to use, America went through an abrupt and rigid shift from a slave heavy society to one now being forced to adopt new ideologies which centered around racial equality and acceptance. However, as with all new ideologies, an opposition also emerged. Due to Johnson’sRead MoreRecostruction Era and African American Integration1333 Words   |  5 Pagesaround the world remember the Civil War for a number of reasons. Some will argue that Northern victory in the war preserved the world’s first democracy. Others argue that the Civil War did not weaken the United States; it merely exposed the flaws in government and where it could be made stronger henceforth. Often, many forget that the Civil War affected the fate of nearly four million Americans, or slaves, as they were then labeled. The leaders of the Reconstruction were tasked with piecing a nationRead MoreHistoriography of the Reconstruction Era2240 Words   |  9 PagesRiham Elshazli Professor Clement Price Civil War and the Reconstruction 12/11/12 Historiography of the Reconstruction Era At a time when America was trying to piece itself back together, the Reconstruction Era is one of the most important chapters in history. It is also, however, one of the most debated. After the Civil War, the South was devastated and thousands of freed slaves needed to be integrated into society. When Andrew Johnson took office, he was moderate in his views as to what should