Three Plans For Reconstruction Essay - 1043 Words

Analysis of the Three Plans for Reconstruction The American Civil War, lasting from 1861-1865, was the most severe military conflict the country had seen; it involved the United States of America (the Union), and eleven secessionist Southern states (the Confederate States of America). The war was the upshot of decades worth of political, social, and economic conflict between the agricultural South, which produced mainly cash crops such as cotton, tobacco, and sugarcane, and the industrial North. The South depended on its four million slaves for its social and economic livelihood, whereas the North despised slavery as immoral and illegal. Even before General Lee’s surrender in 1865, the federal government was confronted with an†¦show more content†¦However, the Black Codes imposed by the Southern State governments, as well as the stiff resistance to Reconstruction, infuriated the North. The Black Codes aimed to stifle former slaves’ freedom by hindering their economic options through debt peonage, sharecropp ing, tenant farming, vagrancy laws, and curfews; in a phrase, â€Å"slavery by another name.† nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Congress decided to punish the South for their continuous resistance to Reconstruction by scrapping Johnson’s failing plan, and establishing Congressional Reconstruction. Congressional Reconstruction was by far the most vindictive, and therefore most loathsome to the South. Over the course of ten years, Congress passed the 13th Amendment (abolishing slavery), and established the Freedmen’s Bureau in March of 1865 (providing food, medical aid, and education to freed people). It passed the Civil Rights Act of 1866 (granting citizenship to blacks, and authorizing the federal government to protect their rights), the 14th Amendment ratified in 1868 (solidifying the Civil Rights Act by defining citizenship and guaranteeing equal protection under the law), and the Reconstruction Acts in 1867. The Reconstruction Acts established Radical Reconstruction, namely by dividing the South (excluding Tennessee) into five military districts, headed by northern ge nerals. Once fifty-one percent of the voting population had taken an oath to the constitution, all qualified voters (including blacks) could electShow MoreRelatedAdvantages And Disadvantages Of Reconstruction1486 Words   |  6 PagesDuring the period of reconstruction in the U.S., from 1865-1877, there were plans put in place by Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, and Congress in hopes of a brighter future. Reconstruction took place after the Civil War occurred in the U.S. from 1861-1865. Abraham Lincoln was the President during the Civil War, and he had plans prepared at the end of his presidency because he sensed that the nation would have to be rebuilt through a reconstruction period. Once he was assassinated in 1865, his successorRead MoreEssay on Success of Reconstruction777 Words   |  4 PagesSuccess of Reconstruction Reconstruction was the time period following the Civil War, which lasted from 1865 to 1877, in which the United States began to rebuild. The term can also refer to the process the federal government used to readmit the defeated Confederate states to the Union. While all aspects of Reconstruction were not successful, the main goal of the time period was carried out, making Reconstruction over all successful. During this time, the Confederate states were readmittedRead MoreU.s. Congressional Reconstruction Era844 Words   |  4 PagesThe Reconstruction Era In 1865, the city was devastated because of the crisis that left the civil war. Therefore, political, economic and social issues needed to be resolved to improve and reconstruct the Nation. It was the period in which the State and local governments in the South were restored, and the Southern states were unified to the rest of the States. This essay emphasizes the differences between congressional and presidential reconstruction. Also, it highlights the achievements and successRead More Reconstruction Essay932 Words   |  4 Pages Reconstruction took place after the end of the civil war. The reason for reconstruction was to put the union back together and free the slaves once and for all. Reconstruction took three eras to be completed. The first was Lincoln, the second Andrew Johnson, and the third was the Congressional â€Å"hard plan.† The Lincoln era lasted from 1863-1865. On December of 1863 the decree of â€Å"soft plan† was introduced. The â€Å"soft plan† included amnesty for the southerners that took the loyalty oath. It alsoRead MoreThe Reconstruction Period from 1865 to 1877 Essay1316 Words   |  6 Pagesknown as Reconstruction (Tindell). This period of American history generated extensive implications for life of Americans (Tindell). The main goal of the Reconstruction was to rebuild a devasted South after the abolition of slavery, disruptions of the economy due to the war, and the tremendous amounts of deaths left it in near ruins (Tindell). The first question at hand was to decide which governments would uphold authority in the South (Tindell). President Abraham Lincoln created a plan for regularRead MoreReconstruction Plan1116 Words   |  5 Pagescountry in ruin. Abraham Lincoln, the president of the U.S at the time came up with the plan to re-build the country after the war. He called it Reconstruction Plan. The Reconstruction Plan was put to use right after the war in 1865 and ended in 1877. Within the Reconstruction Plan, Lincoln offered a model for reinstatement of Southern states called the 10 percent Reconstruction plan. And also, during reconstruction period, we witnessed the emerged of Black Code which created the Fourteen and FifteenRead More Characteristics and Impacts of American Reconstruction Essay1548 Words   |  7 PagesCharacteristics and Impacts of American Reconstruction The key goals of Reconstruction were to readmit the South into the Union and to define the status of freedmen in American society. The Reconstruction era was marked by political, not violent, conflict. Some historical myths are that the South was victimized by Reconstruction, and that the various plans of Reconstruction were corrupt and unjust. Actually, the plans were quite lenient, enforcing military rule for only a short periodRead MoreThe Legacy Of Reconstruction During The Civil War Essay1254 Words   |  6 Pagessuch movement was Reconstruction. Reconstruction was a time in America consisting of reuniting the country and pulling it from the economic catastrophe that stemmed from the Civil War. The reconstruction era had dealt with three separate plans: the Lincoln Plan, the Johnson Plan and the congressional Plan. These plans, each with their own unique way of unifying the country and integrating newly freed blacks into American society, came with their pros and cons. Abraham Lincoln’s Plan Abraham LincolnRead Moreâ€Å"I Want To Cushion The Shock Of A Total Revolution Of Labor†¦I1317 Words   |  6 Pageswere for Reconstruction. After the Civil War ended, Reconstruction was presented as a way to unify the country once again and have all Americans live together in equality and unity. In theory, achieving successful Reconstruction seemed easy to implement and an idea that every American would be in support of; however, actually executing Reconstruction plans proved to be difficult and welcomed many criticizers of all of the plans that were presented. Abraham Lincoln had come up with a plan that mayRead MoreReconstruction Of The Civil War872 Words   |  4 PagesAfter the Civil War, which lasted from 1861-1865, there were three different approaches to southern reconstruction. The Lincoln Plan, as outlined by Abraham Lincoln before his death, would: (1) improve the economic and political status of blacks (2) allow southern states to re-enter the Union after 10% of whites had taken oaths of loyalty (3) grant blanket pardons to Confederate veterans after individual pleas to the president, and (4) not allow a loss of property except slaves. At the time, Lincoln’s