Reconstruction 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. During this time period, the federal government passed a series of laws, acts and amendments to bring change. Many of these amendments guaranteed the equal rights to African-Americans. Yet, the question was still that is reconstruction successful? The topic of reconstruction is still very debatable even today. Although there are more facts that would prove reconstruction to be very much successful, there is also evidence that Debt peonage trapped sharecroppers and tenant farmer on the land because they could not make enough money to pay off their debt and their failure to pay off their debt led to convict labor in which they have two options, imprison or forced labor. These kinds of services called de facto discrimination, which is discrimination caused by conditions rather than by law. Southern states government also found new ways to legally limit the rights of free African-Americans to vote by developing laws like property requirements to vote, poll tax in which everyone has to pay tax to vote if you can’t afford it you can’t vote. If free blacks managed to pay poll tax, they then have to go through literacy test, the test which involves writing and reading the Constitution, very unfair because African-American had very little or no education and Grandfather Clauses, it was a law giving the right to vote only to the people who had that right in 1867, it was also an intent to keep blacks from voting but it benefited poor whites. The Civil War ended slavery, but the failure of reconstruction left many African-Americans in circumstances where they were helpless and lost their newly unseen gained freedom (ch.12 sec.4). Even though the reconstruction ended in 1877, it brought some
Related Documents: Essay on Reconstruction After Civil War
When the Civil War ended in 1865, America was in ruins, both economically and socially. Approximately 625,000 men died in the war, which is more Americans than in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War combined. The war destroyed many of the South’s farms/plantations thus leaving people poor and homeless. Black slaves, while freed, had nowhere to go and constantly in danger. In a way to attempt to clean up the South and the rest of the nation, a period of Reconstruction went through…
When the Civil War ended in 1865, America was in ruins, both economically and socially. Approximately 625,000 men died in the war, which is more Americans than in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War combined. The war destroyed many of the South’s farms/plantations thus leaving people poor and homeless. Black slaves, while freed, had nowhere to go and constantly in danger. In a way to attempt to clean up the South and the rest of the nation, a period of Reconstruction went through…
The War Between the States, or better known as the Civil War, was a time when the southern states wanted to secede from The United States. After the war came to end, America, as we know it, began to change. I strongly believe that actions taken after the Civil War were primarily beneficial for American society. The changes led the United States in being actually “united” once and for all. From approximately 1865 to 1910, changes in American society such as the time of reconstruction, immigration…
The Reconstruction Era Must be submitted no later than Februaruy 3, 2010 Reconstruction appeared to be a program to aid in the assimilation of the freed blacks into the American social and economic system. The Radical Republicans in Congress had a different goal. Read Chapter 16 and write an essay describing the plans of Presidents Lincoln and Johnson and how they differed from the plans of Congress. Put special emphasis on the impact of the 14th Amendment and what it attempted to reverse.…
. Morrill Land Grant Act- consists of United States statutes that allowed for land-grant colleges. This act was at first rejected but later after this act underwent some changes it was passed by Abraham Lincoln on July 2, 1862. This affected all states and it granted any eligible states 30,000 acres of land used to create colleges for advanced education. Significance- This is significant because it gave more room for colleges to start, also it allows more people to attend different colleges due to…
enormous industrial advantage as well. The North had twice the density of railroads per square mile. 6.Election of 1864- Define: Lincoln vs. McClellan Significance: Lincoln wants to unite North and South, McClellan wants war to end if he's elected, citizens of North are sick of war so many vote for McClellan, Lincoln wins. 7.Northern group most dangerous to the union cause- Identify: Northern Peace Democrats. 8.Union national banking system- Define: It was the 1st national banking system since…
Alyssa Gumlaw Mr. Rodrigues CP US History C1 26 February 2015 The Reconstruction Era (1865-1877) was an important and very complicated time in our history. The Reconstruction Era came right after the Civil War, which explains why it was such a complicated time in our history, historians call this the Reconstruction Era because this is the period of time that the government restored the seceded states to the Union and they had three main power struggles that they had to deal with, including what to…
Max McGreevy February 19, 2014 History 1493 Jeff Cox Reconstruction of a Nation Wars have large consequences and radical reform, but it took some time after the Civil War to get reconstruction started in the South. Obviously, many problems arose after the war, like the assassination of President Lincoln, but there was not very strong government action taking place in the south. If reconstruction is promised to the black community that didn’t have certain rights and chances before, then everything…
passionate confederate during the time the civil war was ending, Booth was very angry about the outcome of the war. He saw Lincoln as a tyrant, and that his assassination was a blow for liberty, which is why he carried it out in public for all to see. Booth thought he was doing the South a huge favor in doing this, and nothing but good could come out for them. He devised his plan when he had heard the President would be attending a play that night. After several failed attempts to kidnap him, Booth…
Would the disastrous Reconstruction era have taken a different course? What would have happened had Abraham Lincoln not been assassinated? Every time I lecture on Lincoln, the Civil War, or Reconstruction, someone in the audience is sure to pose this question — one, of course, perfectly natural to ask but equally impossible to answer. This has not, however, deterred historians from speculating about this "counterfactual" problem. The answer to the question depends in part on one's opinion…