American Reconstruction after the Civil War Essay

Reconstruction was a period of time after the Civil War (1865-1877) that was supposed to be the rebuilding of America. It was also the process used to readmit all the Confederate states back into the Union. There was controversy, however, on how to go about rebuilding the nation. Abraham Lincoln proposed a lenient plan. After he was assassinated, Andrew Johnson proposed a very similar plan. The Radical Republicans, a group of legislators that were in favor of freedmen’s rights, were opposed to both plans under â€Å"Presidential Reconstruction†. They initiated â€Å"Congressional Reconstruction†. Because of the conflicting views, there was little cooperation between the Executive and Legislative branches. This lead to many unsuccessful†¦show more content†¦Johnson stated that the seven remaining states would be admitted if: they withdrew its secession, swore allegiance to Union, anul Confederate was debts, and ratify the 13th Amendment, which ab olished slavery. The only main difference being that Johnson did not want high-ranking Confederates and wealthy Southern landowners to take the oath needed to vote. The Radical Republicans were infuriated by Johnson’s Plan because it failed to effectively help former slaves. They wanted a plan stricter on the punishment of the Southerners, and one that addressed the land, voting, and protection under the law of slaves. This is why when Johnson pardoned all Southerners the Radicals refused to admit the Southern representatives back into Congress. The Radical Republicans, and the rest of Congress, were the ones who passed most of the bills for Reconstruction, because of their ability to override the president with their majority. They expanded the Freedmens Bureau, which did show some progress in the helping of former slaves and poor white men. The Freedmen’s Bureau set up hospitals, schools, and also gave out supplies. This achieved the enablement of former slaves having the right to free education. Later on, however, the Freedmen’s Bureau became neglected, and was often forgotten or overlooked. The Freedmen’s Bureau is accurately described in this following statement, â€Å"This auspicious beginning belied the great disappointments that lay ahead,† (CITE TEXTBOOK). Many ofShow MoreRelatedNorth or South: Reconstruction after the American Civil War Essay1762 Words   |  8 PagesThe American Civil War came to a terrible and bloody end with six hundred thousand casualties and the North winning and the South losing. Southern soldiers returned from the war and found their home in ruins. Lots of people lost their homes, land, businesses, and their way of life. Many Southerners faced starvation due to the high food prices and the widespread of crop failure. The Confederate money that was used by Southerners was now useless. Numerous banks collapsed, and the merchants went bankruptRead MoreReconstruction During The Civil War Essay1676 Words   |  7 PagesReconstruction The United States went through many changes after the Civil War and during the Reconstruction period of 1866-1877. Before Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on December, 1863, by John Wilkes, Lincoln announced the first Reconstruction plan a year before the Civil War had ended and Lincoln offered general amnesty to white southerners who would pledge an oath of loyalty to the government and accept the abolition of slavery. During the summer of 1865, Johnson not long after he took officeRead MoreEssay about The Reconstruction Era: The Planted Seeds1231 Words   |  5 PagesThe first roar of the Civil War ended with a last gasp for air. Where in such a war more than six hundred twenty thousand men sacrificed their lives for their own belief in the abolishment of slavery (â€Å"Civil War Facts†). â€Å"We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain. That this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom† (Baslor). These wise words of Abraham Linco ln cleared the way of a desolate trail of violence and pain, yet he was determined to accomplish his plansRead MoreWhat Defines Us as Americans894 Words   |  4 Pagesas Americans Over the years there have been many events that have taken place. These events not only affected the people and the world of the present at that time, but also the future and even the way things are today. Knowing this we must ask ourselves what defines us as Americans? There are series of events that all together add up to define us as Americans such as, the Constitution, Westward Expansion, and the Civil War and Reconstruction. What do you think defines us as Americans? Read MoreReconstruction And The Rights Of Former Slaves. In The998 Words   |  4 PagesReconstruction and the Rights of Former Slaves In the 1860s the United States was a nation that had been ripped apart by the Civil War and left in torn pieces. The war left many white southerners stripped of their slaves, land, and in destroyed towns with little to eat. The only people worse off than the white southerners at this point in history were the black southerners who had nothing to their names but the freedom they had recently been granted which left them penniless and searching for aRead MoreThe Civil War Was A Grave Cause Of Many Events. Many People1663 Words   |  7 PagesThe civil war was a grave cause of many events. Many people may see the results of the war as a chain reaction to many following eras. One of the most prominent eras that emerged from the civil war was the reconstruction era. The reconstruction era emerged around 1865 and continued until 1877. This time period generally refers to the time in United States history in which the federal government set the conditions that would allow the rebellious S outhern states back into the Union. The States wereRead MoreReconstruction Of The Civil War1108 Words   |  5 PagesAmerica’s Mindset Although the end of the Civil War and the beginning of the Reconstruction brought great hope to America’s four million former slaves, the efforts of Congressional Reconstruction ultimately failed to establish equal rights for the freedmen because the racist mindset still dominated American society at the time and Democratic influence steadily overcame Republican control in Congress. Despite the Union’s victory, the end of the Civil War brought many significant national problemsRead MoreThe American Civil War1418 Words   |  6 PagesGuns fired, smoke lingering in the air, people dying. The American Civil War had a huge impact on the United States. Two compromises took place before the start of the Civil War. These compromises include the Missouri Compromise and the Compromise of 1850. The Missouri Compromise dealt with the crisis in 1819 over Missouri entering the Union as a slave state. The compromise was â€Å"the first major crisis over slavery, and it shattered a tacit agreement between the two regions that had been in placeRead MoreThe Shaping Of Our Country1092 Words   |  5 Pagesthe major pivot points that occurred consists of: Jeffersonian democracy, Jacksonian democracy, Civil War/Reconstruction, Revolution/Constitution. However one of them happened to be the most impacting which was the Civil War and Reconstruction. The American Civil War occurred during 1861 to 1865, lasting only five years. America’s bloodiest clash resulting in the death of approximately 620,000 Americans and millions more were injured. In the spring of 1861, the north and south began to rise intoRead MoreFjkhgk1491 Words   |  6 Pagesvigorous Reconstruction measures held that| A)|although particular southerners had erred, the Union itself had endured through the Civil War.| B)|the Reconstruction process outlined in the Constitution should be closely followed.| C)|the president had sole responsibility for Reconstruction.| D)|the Confederate states, by seceding and making war against the United States, lost their status as states and should now be treated as conquered territories.| 2.|The First Reconstruction Act| A)|recognized