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Essays of reconstruction in the usa
Essays of reconstruction in the usa
Essays of reconstruction in the usa
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More handpicked essays just for you.
Essays of reconstruction in the usa
Essays of reconstruction in the usa
Essays of reconstruction in the usa
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Essays of reconstruction in the usa
The Reconstruction of many Southern states from the year 1865 to 1877 is a failure, although reconstruction plans are set up, African Americans still face the same poor treatment they are given prior to the Civil War. The president at the time, Abraham Lincoln, puts in place a reconstruction plan to help rebuild the South in a way it has never been before, without slaves. Lincoln also puts the thirteenth amendment in place, which abolishes slavery. However, after Lincoln’s death, his Vice President, Andrew Johnson takes over and overrules his reconstruction plan, and puts in place his own, which favors the former Confederate states. Johnson fights with congress over the passing of the fourteenth amendemnet, but Congress overrules his vetoes,
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.
Johnson, a former senator from Tennessee who had remained loyal to the Union during the war, was a firm supporter of states’ rights and believed the federal government had no say in issues such as voting requirements at the state level. Under his Presidential Reconstruction, which began in May 1865, the former Confederate states were required to uphold the abolition of slavery (made official by the 13th Amendment to the Constitution), swear loyalty to the Union and pay off their war debt. Beyond those limitations, the states and their ruling class (traditionally dominated by white planters) were given a relatively free hand in rebuilding their own governments.
Many Americans had high hopes for life after the Civil War. This period was called Reconstruction and happened partially in the Southern starters from 1865 to 1877. During this time, the government was focused on restoring the landscape destroyed during the war but also regaining the unity of the people and states. For Radical Republicans, Reconstruction was an opportunity for freedmen to finally gain their rights back and to punish the South for their actions. On the other hand, President Andrew Johnson had a different plan for Reconstruction, this included giving former Confederate officials the right to hold office and not granting equality to all freedmen.
Andrew Johnson was another individual involved in the reconstruction. Johnson allowed the Southern states to reconstruct themselves (TCI 23). By observing this evidence, it is clear that he was not promoting the reconstruction. He had a different mindset than Lincoln. He wanted to permit and obstruct any rights that Blacks had.
Johnson was a democrat and a previous slave owner, which didn’t make him an avid supporter of Lincoln’s plan of Southern Reconstruction. What Lincoln had previously intended on doing was have criminal amnesty to Confederates who pledged allegiance to the Union and allowed states to hold a constitutional convention along with setting up their state government. Though Johnson kept some of the plan intact, he called for there to be no limits on voter allegiance for the Southern states. This sparked opposition from the Radical Republicans, a group of congressmen who believed black southerners should be guaranteed equality with whites. They deduced that Johnson shouldn’t set legislative policy for reconstruction as it wouldn’t lead to a country of tolerance that they worked to achieve.
Mainly, Reconstruction was unsucessful because of South and North disagreement on the slavery isssue. Firstly, after Emancipation Proclamation was announced, Southern States started to prevent African-Americans from leaving the plantation and moving west, thus creating the black codes. These black codes were several restrictions on African-Americans like voting or serving on juries. Those black codes were a way of Southern states showing their disagreement with the North which showed opposement to the Reconstruction. Secondly, the Radical Republicans were determined not to let Johnson control Reconstruction.
To repair a country that has been split in half requires making significant strides that will create harmony between both sides. After the American Civil War multiple phases were required in order to mend the broken country. These phases were Presidential Reconstruction and Radical Republican Restoration. Presidential Reconstruction was the reconstruction plan put in place by President Johnson who had to step into the role of the man who would fix the country after Lincoln’s assignation. While Johnson’s reconstruction plan did not anger the southerners whom he was trying to get to support, his methods were too lenient towards the south as he allowed for mostly states rights.
The Radical Republicans were a group of politicians within the Republican Party of the United States from around 1854 until the end of Reconstruction in 1877. These "Radicals" were opposed during the Civil War by the Conservative Republicans and by the pro-slavery Democratic Party. Preceding the war, the Republican Radicals were opposed by self-styled "conservatives" and "liberals" . Radicals were firmly against slavery throughout the war, and after, distrusted ex-Confederates and demanded harsh policies for the former rebels. They pushed for civil voting rights for the "freedmen"
The era of Reconstruction was an important time for the United States. It had begun towards the end of the Civil War of the United vs the Confederate states, and it addressed the issue of bringing the Union back together after years of severe, bloody war. It lasted through the 1860s and 70s, and there were many different ideas, or “plans,” regarding how the Confederate states should be treated, and what to do with the controversial idea of slavery. There was also a lot of disagreement regarding blacks, specifically, their treatment, citizenship, and rights. There was a full spectrum of opinions, from the idea of white supremacy to the notion of complete equality.
After Lincoln died, Vice President Andrew Johnson became the president of the United States. Johnson was opposed to African Americans' having equal rights and vetoed laws protecting said rights. He pushed the country back by 20 years, and intimidation against African Americans remained in the South, making it impossible for them to use the newly obtained rights. The evidence shows that the failure of the Reconstruction period was caused by many factors. Andrew Johnson's opposition to equal rights for African Americans, as well as his attempts to slow down the progress during the Reconstruction era , he threatened progress made toward racial equality.
The Reconstruction Era lasted from 1865-1877, this was during the time period in which the United States was trying to rebuild after the Civil War and address the issue of slavery. This was supposed to give African Americans citizenship and voting rights but it didn’t go exactly according to plan. W.E.B. DuBois had an interesting perspective on Reconstruction since he lived through that era and witnessed effects of it. Success but also failures came out of this era and it all depends on what stance people have on it. …..….The
Reconstruction is during which the United States began to rebuild the Southern society after they lost to the civil war. It lasted from 1865 to 1877, and it was initiated by President Lincoln until his assassination in 1865. President Johnson continued Lincoln’s agenda to continue the Reconstruction. Throughout the process of Reconstruction, one of its main purpose was to guarantees for equal rights for all people, especially for the African Americans. Even though slavery was abolished after the civil war, many Southerners were still against the idea of equal rights for all black people, such as the Republicans.
Fortunately for the US, President Lincoln had a plan for Reconstruction. The country was unstable as a result of the flourishing North and their functioning industry, economy, and pretty much all aspects of life were going better than those in the South. The emancipation of African Americans mostly just destroyed the Southern economy and generated even more chaos as the plantation system collapsed without the cheap labor. The very broke southerners were not content with the new conditions, to say the least, and their visceral fear of change had made them unwilling to compromise. The main issue with the Reconstruction process was that it did not catalyze America’s journey to equality at the speed one might have hoped.
By granting African Americans the right to vote, the Reconstruction policies aimed to dismantle the remnants of slavery and challenge the deeply ingrained racial hierarchy of the South. This act signified a commitment to rectifying historical injustices and fostering a more egalitarian society. Through voting, freed slaves could have a direct impact on legislative decisions, leading to the implementation of laws and policies that addressed racial inequality and promoted the welfare of all