ipl-logo

Was Reconstruction A Success Or Failure Essay

1521 Words7 Pages

Reconstruction typically refers to the period of time immediately following the Civil War in which the government set conditions that would allow the rebellious Southern states back into the Union. Although whites in the South were not happy because they had to share a portion of their hard earned land, the blacks had just as many rights to the land as the whites did because they were the ones who slaved over it for many years. “This important struggle was waged by radical northerners who wanted to punish the South and Southerners who desperately wanted to preserve their way of life” (35.Reconstruction). Other than the Civil War ending slavery, it also affected the way that the South felt towards the United States. The South’s bitter feelings …show more content…

Reconstruction was difficult for the federal government to enforce because so many “white Southerners could not accept the idea of former slaves enjoying equality before the law” (Foner, 503). This being said, a group of white rebellions created the Ku Klux Klan. “This gave federal authorities jurisdiction over both states and individuals who tried to deprive freedmen and women of their newfound rights” (Shmoop). The members of the KKK “pretended to be the ghosts of the Confederate soldiers” (Aghzadi). The KKK members were afraid of the rising rights of blacks and they believed that they needed to stay as slaves with no rights. Other obstacles such as poverty, slowed industrialization in the South, and corruption played a large role in the downfall of Reconstruction. Even though the South lost in the Civil War, they still had a large influence as to what happened in the United States. With President Lincoln in office, the blacks would have received their full rights and every race would become equal. Andrew Jackson holding office meant that things would be as close to slavery as they could be; he pushed the envelope per say. The blacks were almost dehumanized and treated like there was never a war for their …show more content…

“Radical Republicans believed that southern society would have to be completely transformed to ensure that the South would not try to secede again” (SparkNotes).The Radicals tried to reshape the South by putting Unionist and pro-Republican governments in office, and punishing southern planters whom were held responsible for the Civil War. The South was split when the Civil War ended. There were the Radical Republicans, freedmen, and planters. As it was predicted, most all of the southern states were outraged and refused to share their land that the blacks had rights to. The government stepped in and was able to distribute confiscated lands to former slaves and poor whites. They also helped improve the education system and fostered industrial growth in rebuilt southern cities (SparkNotes). The Radical Republicans, knowing that the blacks would face severe racism, passed a set of laws and amendments that protected blacks’ rights under constitutional

Show More
Related

Military Compromise Of 1877: The Freedmen's Bureau

739 Words | 3 Pages

Radical Republicans wanted to completely destroy the Confederacy’s

Read More

Was Reconstruction A Success Or Failure Essay

1500 Words | 6 Pages

Another major scholar concerning slavery and the Civil War, Foner, in his book, argues that Reconstruction constituted a major period in American history, a time period that was the “beginning of an extended historical process: the adjustment of American society to the end of slavery.” This adjustment varied on a number of levels, most notably seen in the south, but Foner argues that it was the northern ideals found in the United States government, specifically Radical Republicans, that deserve the blame for the failure in Reconstruction. One of the strongest ideologies that Foner recognizes as present among congressmen was the free labor ideology, and Foner argues that free labor ideology after the Civil War failed on account of political action to empower African Americans was largely ignored. Foner argues that it was this failure and “erosion” of free labor ideology that had previously united Republicans “to remake Southern society in accordance with the principles of free labor and legal and political equality… made possible a resurgence of overt racism that undermined support for Reconstruction.” It was this empowerment taken on by the federal government that led to the growth and expansion of radical movements in the south who took more autonomy and favored less government involvement.

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 Did African Americans Have To Say About Reconstruction

591 Words | 3 Pages

In part the Radicals had the same idea of helping the African Americans, but there thinking was more extreme. They proposed to take land from well off white land owners to disperse among the freedmen. At the same time the group wanted to get rid of black civil rights in the area. The Radical Republicans had the upper hand at the end since they had the majority on staff for Congress and the House of Representatives.

Read More

Was Reconstruction A Success Or Failure Essay

688 Words | 3 Pages

The goal of the reconstruction politically was to integrate Southern states/rebel states back into the U.S., and socially was to integrate the freed slave population to the society. However, ex-confederates of the South resisted this because of the fear of complete turnover of their lives, and to maintain the social hierarchy, where African Americans remained at the bottom by default due to their race. Several organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan were formed to resist reconstruction and preserve white supremacy. Congress responded to the resistance by establishing the Freedmen 's Bureau, whose aimed was to build public schools and universities, provide food and medical care, political equality between blacks and whites and equal access to the judicial system. Lincoln planned to be lenient

Read More

South Destroyed The Reconstruction Dbq Analysis

667 Words | 3 Pages

South Rejection Destroyed the Reconstruction. After the civil war there were efforts sent out to reconstruct the south, and they went horribly wrong. During the civil war the south was totally destroyed. So the government decided to send help to rebuild the south’s economy and tradition.

Read More

Was Reconstruction A Success Or Failure

1000 Words | 4 Pages

Reconstruction a Failure or Success? Throughout the years, America has gone through many different political changes. Many presidents selected with different plans for our future. Sadly, many of those objectives have failed or came to an end.

Read More

Who Killed Reconstruction North Or South Essay

435 Words | 2 Pages

Who killed Reconstruction: The North or South? Following the civil war, the south killed the reconstruction of the United States. (Reconstruction was putting the country back together after the Civil War) There are many reasons why, the south slowed down the reconstruction of the United States, the main reason was freedmen were not seen as equals to the white.

Read More

Was Reconstruction A Failure Of Reconstruction

989 Words | 4 Pages

The Confederate States of America lost the Civil War, but they won the peace that came afterwards. In terms of race relations, whites defeated the goals of the Radical Republicans and historians agree that Reconstruction was a failure. After Reconstruction, the inferiority of blacks was codified in Jim Crow laws. However, this peace came at a high price for whites and blacks in that the South sank into an economic doldrum that lasted for decades. In terms of industry and economic development, the South remained backwards when compared to the North and West.

Read More

The Successes And Failures Of The Reconstruction Era

515 Words | 3 Pages

The reconstruction period was a failure because African Americans, mainly males, were not treated with equality although the constitution said that the they were free and had the right to vote, be educated and had the right to liberty, life and the pursuit to happiness. Organizations, like the KKK, were created to harm freed slaves and their families. Laws were created such as the Black Codes restricting former slaves from their rights. African Americans endured a lot of violence over the years. “In Grayson, Texas, a white man and two friends murdered three former slaves because the wanted to ‘ thin the niggers out and drive them to their hole’”.

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

Reconstruction After The Civil War Essay

645 Words | 3 Pages

The American civil war led to the reunion of the South and the North. But, its consequences led the Republicans to take the lead of reconstructing what the war had destroyed especially in the South because it contained larger numbers of newly freed slaves. Just after the civil war, America entered into what was called as the reconstruction era. Reconstruction refers to when “the federal government established the terms on which rebellious Southern states would be integrated back into the Union” (Watts 246). As a further matter, it also meant “the process of helping the 4 million freed slaves after the civil war [to] make the transition to freedom” (DeFord and Schwarz 96).

Read More

Reconstruction Argumentative Essay

669 Words | 3 Pages

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.

Read More

Failure Of Reconstruction Essay

1136 Words | 5 Pages

One of reasons the confederacy failed was because the U.S. Congress, with Lincoln’s support, proposed the 13th amendment which would abolish slavery in America. Although the confederate peace delegation was unwilling to accept a future without slavery, the radical and moderate Republicans designed a way to takeover the reconstruction program. The Radical Republicans wanted full citizenship rights for African Americans and wanted to implement harsh reconstruction policies toward the south. The radical republican views made up the majority of the Congress and helped to pass the 14th amendment which guaranteed equality under the law for all citizens, and protected freedmen from presidential vetoes, southern state legislatures, and federal court decisions. In 1869, Congress passed the fifteenth amendment stating that no citizen can be denied the right to vote because of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.”

Read More

Essay On Failures Of Reconstruction

835 Words | 4 Pages

Reconstruction is the time period after the Civil War, where the country attempted to improve the Union. There were many successes, but what also comes along with success is failure. During the reconstruction many failures were present; such as the lack of racial equality and blatant racism towards blacks, a failing economy in the South, and tense relations between the North and the South. This created a very intense and challenging period of time for the Union.

Read More

More about Was Reconstruction A Success Or Failure Essay

Related Topics

Open Document