Reconstruction Policies During The American Civil War

The American civil war occurred in 1861. This war marked a critical turning point in the United States history. The war pitted the northern against the southern states. The states in these two regions had different social, political and economic attributes. For instance, the North had a booming industrial sector whereas the South relied heavily on the agricultural sector. The North advocated for the abolition of the institution of slavery whereas Southern States vehemently opposed this proposal (Burton, 2011). This opposition was attributable to the fact that Southern States heavily relied on slave labor to support its expansive agricultural sector. The slaves were of African American descent. In sharp contrast with the Northern States the

The governments established during the reconstruction period revolutionized the way of life in the South. For instance, for the first time in Southern history a public-school system funded by State governments was established. The labor laws employed in the South focused on empowering the laborers working in plantations (Bogue, 2009). The reconstruction era brought with it different economic reforms. For instance, taxes charged on the population were more equitable. 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

Therefore, the party could easily implement its policies with little opposition. In 1868 President Andrew Johnson survived an impeachment attempt. This was after the senate failed to ratify the impeachment motion passed by the House of Representatives. The rationale behind the impeachment attempt was attributable to the fact that he acted in contravention of the Tenure of Office Act (Baggett, 2004). His role in influencing reconstruction policies was curtailed by Congress. However, Congress continued to play its legislative role and approved the fifteenth amendment to the constitution. This constitutional amendment barred State governments from using race as a factor in according voting rights. The United States Congress also enacted enforcement legislations. The primary objective of these acts revolved around suppression of political violence. In pursuance of this objective the federal government in 1871 sanctioned military and legal undertakings against white supremacist organizations that perpetrated acts of domestic