ipl-logo

How Did The Policies Change Throughout The Era Of Reconstruction

861 Words4 Pages

Throughout the era of Reconstruction, President Andrew Johnson and Congress clashed in their views and policies, which can be seen in the way that they responded to one another’s actions. In May of 1865, President Johnson outlined his plan for reuniting the nation. This consisted of Johnson issuing a series of proclamations, one of which offered a pardon to nearly all of the white southerners, with the requirement that they had to take an oath of allegiance to the Union. In addition to this, the proclamations appointed provisional governors and ordered them to call state conventions to establish loyal governments in the South, elected by whites alone. These governments were required to abolish slavery, repudiate secession, and refuse to …show more content…

One of these bills extended the life the Freedmen’s Bureau, which was originally only for one year. The other, the Civil Rights Bill of 1866, defined all persons born in the United States as citizens, and also listed rights that they had regardless of their race. President Johnson vetoed both bills, saying that they centralized power in the National government, and deprived states of the ability to regulate their own affairs. In April of 1866, the Civil Rights Bill became the first major law in American history to be passed over a Presidential …show more content…

Reconstruction was the central issue to the campaign, which Grant went on to win. One issue that Grant faced was the South’s poor economy. Hopes for Southern economic growth was pinned on regional economic development, and railroad construction and Northern investments were extremely important. Despite the government’s efforts, the Southern economy failed to revitalize, and most African Americans remained locked in poverty. Furthermore, Grant faced immense opposition to Reconstruction. The traditional leaders of the South, planters, merchants, and Democratic politicians, bitterly opposed the new Reconstruction governments. In addition to this, rising taxes contributed greatly to opposition of Reconstruction, however, the main cause of opposition was whites not accepting that former slaves were voting, holding office, and otherwise participating in

Show More
Related

  • Reconstruction Argumentative Essay

    669 Words  | 3 Pages

    During his presidency, Congress ratified the 13th-Amendment that abolished slavery in 1865. In addition, President Johnson made contributions to the black people by vetoing bills that increased protection offered by Freedman Bureau. His vetoes also nullified the Black Codes and guaranteed full citizenship and equal rights to black people. This brought up the Civil Rights Act of 1866, an act that granted citizenships and same rights that both black and white enjoyed. As a result, the Civil Rights Act set up the basis for the 14th amendments that was also later ratified in 1866.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Andrew Johnson Approach To The Need For Reconstruction

    610 Words  | 3 Pages

    Indeed, the need for reconstruction was more than welcome. Recontruction, 1865-1877 President Abraham Lincoln had a flexible and realistic approach towards reconstruction. He insisted that slaves had to be emancipated, and this could only be possible after defeating the Southerners. In this regard, he appointed military governors like Andrew Johnson, whose success in the reconstitution of Tennessee proved worthwhile, leading to his recommendation as vice president on the Republican ticket under Lincoln in 1864 (Klotter et al., 2005). Following the assassination of President Lincoln, with Andrew Johnson assuming power, it was believed that he would be able to work well with the Congress, in order to effectively administer the reconstruction process.

    Read More

  • Differences Between Johnson And Congress Over Reconstruction

    1003 Words  | 5 Pages

    The new state legislatures replicated the revolutionary changes brought about by the Civil War and emancipation; for the first time, blacks and whites stood together in political life. The southern state governments formed during this historical of Reconstruction epitomized a combination of African Americans, and northern whites and

    Read More

  • Veto The 14th Amendment Essay

    712 Words  | 3 Pages

    It also stated that everyone born or naturalized in the U.S citizenship no matter what race they were. In 1866 the Civil Rights Bill was passed and it stated that ex-slaves were U.S citizens and also gave them the right to make contracts, sue, be witnessed in court, and also to own land. The president vetoed this bill which also means that he violated the 14th amendment. In his veto statement the president said that the blacks were not qualified for citizenship and also that the bill operates in favour of the blacks and against the whites. The Republicans didn’t have any hope in working with the president to make progress after this and tensions increased.

    Read More

  • Dbq Essay On The Period Of Reconstruction

    993 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Civil War and the period of Reconstruction engendered significant political, social, and economic changes in American society, with many effects of these changes continuing to influence the United States in the twentieth century. Following the end of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln and Congress were determined to rebuild and reunify the nation. Lincoln wanted to restore the United States by readmitting the southern states into the Union, as well as provide newly-freed African Americans with more rights and opportunities. The Reconstruction period aimed to improve life for all individuals, with an emphasis on African Americans. However, it had an opposite effect and adversely impacted the lives of many.

    Read More

  • What Was The Period Of Reconstruction From 1865 To 1877

    231 Words  | 1 Pages

    The period of Reconstruction lasted from 1865 to 1877 were congress passed and enforced multiple laws for African Americans. Of those laws included the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865 which ended slavery, the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868 which granted the rights of African Americans to be American citizens, and the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870 which granted black men the right to vote in elections. It was a Republican lead movement that demanded civil and political rights for African Americans but was met with great resistance by white southern Americans. During the reconstruction roughly seven hundred African Americans held elected public offices and another thirteen hundred between men and women held government jobs. Among those numbers two

    Read More

  • Reconstruction Policies During The American Civil War

    1650 Words  | 7 Pages

    Additionally, a decline in racial discrimination in public amenities reduced drastically. The South greatly benefitted from investment in critical infrastructure such as railroads. These interventions were aimed at ensuring the South attained its economic potential.   The reconstruction policies would benefit all races residing in the Southern

    Read More

  • Was Reconstruction A Success Or Failure Essay

    810 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Failures of the Reconstruction Amendments The Reconstruction Era was a period of time after the Civil War in which the U.S. Government took measures to “reconstruct” the South by readmitting the former Confederate States into the Union. During this period of time, the Radical Republicans, those who supported Congress’s active role of reconstruction in the South, in Congress passed amendments to help the newly freed slaves adjust to their new lives. Two of these amendments included the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery, and the Fifteenth Amendment, which granted them the right to vote. However, these amendments were not entirely successful in “freeing” the slaves. Although, some improvements were made, the Thirteenth and Fifteenth

    Read More

  • During The Reconstruction Era Analysis

    1133 Words  | 5 Pages

    Sources Analysis Freedom During the Reconstruction era, the idea of freedom could have many different meanings. Everyday factors that we don't often think about today such as the color of our skin, where we were born, and whether or not we own land determined what limitations were placed on the ability to live our life to the fullest. To dig deeper into what freedom meant for different individuals during this time period, I analyzed three primary sources written by those who experienced this first hand. These included “Excerpts from The Black Codes of Mississippi” (1865), “Jourdan Anderson to his old master” (1865), and “Testimony on the Ku Klux Klan in Congressional Hearing” (1872).

    Read More

  • Most Important Events During The Reconstruction Era

    701 Words  | 3 Pages

    Reconstruction was a period of time dedicated to rebuilding the nation after the Civil War. The war ended with the South being defeated and their economy being devastated. Many Southerners struggled after the war with rebuilding their land and lives. The President and Congress had to decide the terms for which the former Confederate states would be permitted to join the Union. President Lincoln’s plan for reuniting the country was found in the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction.

    Read More

  • Reconstruction Vs Reconstruction

    928 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Civil Rights Act of 1875 gave freedmen, and white men the same rights and legal protection, regardless of different laws. Though the bill said that blacks could serve on juries, the bill did not provide the means for enforcement. Although these acts were no longer enforced, they served as a model for the civil rights acts passed in the twentieth century. The South used different laws called black codes. These codes were like another type of slavery that would place whites higher than blacks, instead of everyone being equal.

    Read More

  • Economic Inequality During The Reconstruction Era

    1464 Words  | 6 Pages

    Although many attempts were made to prioritize freedom and equality for all, these values were undermined by racist Southerners who wouldn’t accept equality. In the end, Reconstruction had failed and former slaves endured another hardship akin to slavery. However, Reconstruction still could have prospered. There are multiple events that, if they had occurred, Reconstruction would not have failed. For example, had the government continued to fund the Freedmen’s Bureau, then the South would have legislated their discriminatory laws much later, if not at all.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Era After Reconstruction And 1900

    319 Words  | 2 Pages

    The era after Reconstruction and 1900 is often referred to as the 'Gilded Age'. The Gilded age was a period where rapid change in the economy, but also in the population of the U.S. The name ‘The Gilded age’ was given by Mark Twain in a book, gilded means golden on the outside but not golden on the inside. Mark Twain referred to this as the Gilded Age because he believed that the greed for wealth was a cover for crime, fraud, bribery and corruption. This era lasted from 1860-1910.The overall aspect of this era was to expand industrialization.

    Read More

  • Impact Of Racism On Reconstruction

    1533 Words  | 7 Pages

    Racism’s Impact on Reconstruction While the issue of slavery evidently contributed to the divide that resulted in the American Civil War, it is debated whether prevailing ideals of racism caused the failure of the era following the war known as Reconstruction. With the abolishment of slavery, many of the southern states had to reassemble the social, economic, and political systems instilled in their societies. The Reconstruction Era was originally led by a radical republican government that pushed to raise taxes, establish coalition governments, and deprive former confederates of superiority they might have once held. However, during this time common views were obtained that the South could recover independently and that African Americans

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Andrew Johnson's Reconstruction Plan

    747 Words  | 3 Pages

    Abraham Lincoln’s vs Andrew Johnson’s Reconstruction Plan Lincoln shared the uncommon belief that the confederate states could still be part of the union and that the cause of the rebellion was only a few within the states which lead him to begin the reconstruction in December of 1863. This resulted in plans with lenient guidelines and although they were challenged by Wade-Davis Bill, Lincoln still rejected his ideas and kept his policies in place. Lincoln also allowed land to be given the newly freed slave or homeless white by distributing the land that had been confiscated from former land owners however this fell through once Johnson took office. After Lincoln’s death when Johnson was elected many things started to turn away from giving blacks equal rights and resulted in many things such a black codes which kept newly freed slaves from having the same rights as whites. When Lincoln first acted after the civil war, he offered policies that would allow the confederate slaves to become part of the union again and would allow a pardon for those states.

    Read More

More about How Did The Policies Change Throughout The Era Of Reconstruction

Open Document