...GROWING PAINS OF RECONSTRUCTION AND INDUSTRIALIZATION IN THE POST-CIVIL WAR ERA AUGUST 5, 2012 The Civil War marked a critical time in American history which left behind deep wounds of a divided nation which took years of healing. Although we have come a long way, the infected idealology that existed then still manifest itself in the form of overt and covert racism. One major turning point during the period immediately after the war was termed Reconstruction. In 1865, many Confederate soldiers returned to a devastated South whose farms, factories, railroads, bridges, and entire infrastructure had been destroyed. Immediate rebuilding started with the physical rebuilding progressing quickly. Yet, the rebuilding of southern society proved to be a harder task. Rebel states had to be integrated back into the nation and four million newly freed black slaves had to be integrated into southern society (Schultz, 2012). Reconstruction in the South is considered to be the time period from 1865 to 1877 following the war. In 1863, shortly after issuing the Emancipation Proclamation, Abraham Lincoln issued the Ten Percent Plan. This plan allowed southern states the right to establish a new government if one-tenth of its’ prewar voters took an oath of loyalty and supported the emancipation of the slaves. This was needed to abolish slavery and allow the state back into the union with full privileges. Lincoln was attempting to drain the Confederacy and shorten the war by making this...
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...The U. S. Civil War and Civil Right Era Abstract This paper will contain information dated during the Civil War through the Civil Rights Era. Throughout this paper you will hear about the expansion of the U.S Federal government and the events of the Civil War, The Reconstruction Period, The Progressive Era, The Great Depression and The Civil Rights Era. The U. S. Civil War and Civil Right Era The Civil War is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic or less commonly between two countries created from a united nation. The Civil Right Era began in 1955. Another important factor of this particular era was the great depression. Throughout this paper you will hear about the events, trials and tribulations that transpired throughout this time frame. Through the expansion of the U.S Federal government are the events of the Civil War, the Reconstruction period, the Progressive Era, The Great Depression and the Civil Rights Era, which will also be discussed. The Civil War officially began on April 12, 1861, when confederate troops attacked Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. The bloodiest battle of the Civil War took place in Maryland on September 17, 1862, which was called the Battle of Antietam. This event caused Abraham Lincoln to announce abolish to slavery in the South, which became official in 1863. More men died in the Civil War than any other American conflict, and two-thirds of the dead perished from disease. (Facts, 2011)...
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...this material on the respective quizzes Native Americans (Read this for quiz 1) “ The First Americans” (Not a link…go to the assigned website) European Society (Read this for quiz 1) Colonial Era/Exploration and Discovery The Significance of 1492 European Commercial and Financial Expansion Slavery and Spanish Colonization The Meaning of America The Black Legend Colonial Era/17th Century (Read below for quiz 1) European Colonization North of Mexico Spanish Colonization English Settlement Colonial Era/17 century (Read below for quiz 2) English Colonization Begins Life in Early Virginia Slavery Takes Root in Colonial Virginia Founding New England The Puritans The Puritan Idea of the Covenant Regional Contrasts Dimensions of Change in Colonial New England The Salem Witch Scare Slavery in the Colonial North Struggles for Power in Colonial America Diversity in Colonial America The Middle Colonies: New York Fear of Slave Revolts The Middle Colonies: William Penn’s Holy Commonwealth The Southernmost Colonies: The Carolinas and Georgia Colonial Administration (Read below for quiz 2) No readings th Road to Revolution (Read for quiz 3) Colonial America/18th Century The The The The The The Emergence of New Ideas about Personal Liberties and Constitutional Rights Great Awakening Seven Years’ War Rise of Antislavery Sentiment Fate of Native Americans Road to Revolution American Revolution (Read for quiz 3) Entire Chapter on American Revolution Introduction Why should we care about the American...
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...Reconstruction: The Post War Era Lindsay Pone Professor Goldstein History 105 Strayer University 01/30/2013 Reconstruction: The Post Civil War Era Friday April 12, 1861, America embarked into war with its biggest adversary; America! The American Civil War broke out, and what was believed to be a quick battle by the North, turned out to be a long bloody four years and left the country devastated. President Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, successfully lead this country through its greatest constitutional, military and moral crisis. Everything he did was in the best interest in preserving this nation to what it is today. If President Lincoln task of preserving the union would have failed, our nation would be a split nation today. All the events of the Civil War are what truly shaped the face of America today. The President knew that if he wanted to preserve this nation as a whole, not only would he have to win the war, but he would have to have a plan in place to immediately fix the nation to help it move forward from war. During his time in the white house and towards the end of the war, when it was evident the North would prevail, he worked on a reconstruction plan to get the South up and moving. During the war, the northern armies had gone through the South destroying everything that would help the south to prevail in the war. The agricultural belt that was the strength of the was nothing more than ashes as...
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...Civil War Essay Prompts Reconstruction Historian Synopses: • Dunning School (Traditional): Dunning and Moore. It is a Tragic Era. The Southerners were tortured. The two underlying foundations: (1) the South should have been readmitted quickly after its defeat (2) there should have been no discussion of racial equality for the freedmen. He is accused of being racist and pro-southern. The Republicans were divided between leniency (conservatives) and punishment (scalawags and carpetbaggers – radicals). The freedmen are not to be blamed because they were pawns and were used by the Republicans. Once a freedman voted for a Republican, he was not paid back for his loyalty. Corrupt and incompetent Reconstruction governments that were eventually overthrown when Democrats regained control and the Tragic Era could come to an end. Bitterness and hatred between the races resulted. South was converted into a colonial appendage. What the Radicals were trying to do was dominate the South as though it were a colony. Moore emphasizes the punishment of North on South. This is the very negative Traditional school • Revisionist School: Simpkins & Woody. In spite of the Traditional charges of incompetence, the Reconstruction governments achieved a lot. Most wrote new constitutions that introduced long-needed laws about school, administration, civil and judicial rights, etc. They were successful. The Reconstruction governments were not controlled by blacks. In no Southern...
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...The period of reconstruction in the south was a period of social reconstruction on a scale not previously seen in American history. The Reconstruction era occurred after the Civil War period, and lasted from 1864 to 1877. The Reconstruction period brought upon an era of Martial Law, a change of social consciousness towards slavery and the rights of African Americans, a New South with closer ties to the North. Emancipated Slaves, Northerners, and White Southerners all had different opinions towards the New South and the new found freedom of the emancipated slaves along with the various concepts of freedom. “We believe our present position is by no means so well understood among the loyal masses of the country, otherwise there would be no delay in granting us the express relief which the nature of the case demands...if duty ratified, can go no further; neither touch, nor can touch the slave codes of the various southern States, and the laws respecting free people of color consequent…are presumed to have lost none of their vitality, but exist as a convenient engine for our oppression…” (“Address from the Colored Citizens of Norfolk, Virginia, to the people of the United States” 407). Many freed slaves after the end of the Civil War still had the feelings of being oppressed by the new governments of the South, largely in regard towards the black codes. Many African Americans felt their new found freedoms were being largely ignored, especially by their Northern neighbors “The people...
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...up and have more authority depending on the circumstance. The events that happened between the beginning of the Civil War and the Civil Rights Era forced our government to step up and make decisions that would further shape the future development of our country. The United States Government was set in place to maintain a certain measure of control for the country. The Government regulates schools, businesses, utilities and modes of transportation and is necessary to maintain a certain standard of living. Since the formation of this country, there have been many changes to our Government to aid in our growth. Although, there have been incidences where the Government had to be more autonomous based on certain situations that arose. The Civil War, the acts that were passed, the reconstruction period after the war and the Civil Rights Movement for total equality were very important incidents that shaped the way the United States is today. The American Civil War had occurred because of different views and opinions between Americans. The U.S. Federal Government was supported by twenty mostly Northern free states where slavery had already been abolished and by five states that had become known as the Border States. It had taken four years but the Confederacy had surrendered and slavery was abolished everywhere in the nation. In the events leading up to the war, during the presidential election of 1860, the Republican Party, led by Abraham Lincoln, had campaigned against the...
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...In this essay you will learn about the civil war, reconstruction, the progressive era, the great depression, and the civil rights era. Also the American Anti-Slavery and Civil rights Timeline, 1854-1896 during the civil war era. Identify and describe two examples of the U.S. Authority Expansion between the beginning of the U.S. Civil War and the end of the Civil War Era? (1) The twelve years following the Civil War carried consequences for the nation’s future. Reconstruction helped set the pattern for future race relations and defined the federal government’s role in promoting equality. This section describes President Lincoln’s and Johnson’s plan to readmit the confederate states to the Union as well as the more stringent Congressional plan; it also describes the power struggle between President Andrew Johnson and congress, including the vote over the president’s impeachment. This section also identifies the groups that ruled the southern state governments from 1866-1877 and explains why Reconstruction ended in 1877. (2) Immediately following the war, all-white Southern legislatures passed black code which denied blacks the right purchase or rent land. These efforts to force former slaves to work on plantations led Congressional Republicans to seize control of Reconstruction from President Andrew Johnson, deny representatives from the former Confederate states their Congressional seats, and pass the Civil Rights Act of 1866 and draft the 14th Amendment...
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...Following the end of the American Civil War (1861 to 1865), the Reconstruction era (1865 to 1877) took place to repair the North and South, politically, socially, and economically. It was also to rejoin the South to the Union, which had previously succeeded during the Civil War. There is no clear answer to if the Reconstruction Era was successful or if it was a failure. During the era, there was a range of events that were successful and failures which adds to the question of if the era was actually successful. Because of the many different views on Reconstruction created tensions and intolerance for the era as a whole which led to not much rebuilding. During the Era, Harper's Weekly (Doc set 7), a popular and significant newspaper published a couple of of cartoons written by Thomas Nast that show multiple views on Reconstruction, but the cartoons really dial in on the views people had on free African Americans. The first cartoon shows lady liberty next to and touching an African American man that is missing a leg which is implying that he had fought in the Civil war. This is touching on the fact that since many African american soldiers fought for the union and to keep it together, African americans deserve to have the same liberties and opportunities as anyone else. Another cartoon shows...
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...you imagine living in an era where people tag you according to your color and origin? Specifically during a time period called the Reconstruction era. Reconstruction era was when President Lincoln ordered the southern areas to be fixed and also recover the economy of the United States. In this era it was believed that slavery was gone however, the people of the south still didn’t accept them as being equal. Some believed that Reconstruction aided the people of different origins; others believed it made no change. African Americans were better off after the Civil War. As a result of the Civil War, “the federal government outlawed slavery with the 13th Amendment” (Document 1). The 13th Amendment granted the male slaves citizenship; in addition to this came the 14th and 15th Amendment which allowed them to have the right...
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...Devin Sheridan The South After The Civil War The Union victory in the civil war lead to economic decay, social disorder, and political turmoil. Reconstruction was the time period from 1865-1877 which sought to rebuild the south, and with reconstruction brought all new challenges. The unions total war tactics destroyed southern plantations, cities, and factories. Economically, the south post-civil war had a hard time importing and making money off of its main cash crop, cotton. Inflation was also an issue due to the decrease in worth of currency in the south. Socially, emancipated slave’s sought work and validation for the rights they deserved. Politically, the confederate government gave no power to the states and federal government, so it...
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...merica's Post Civil War America’s Post Civil War Growing Pains HIS 105 – Contemporary U.S. History January 30, 2013 “America’s post civil war growing pains” In 1619, African-Americans were forced into slavery and roughly 244 years later, in 1863, as the nation approached its third year of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring that all persons held as slaves were to be freed (U.S. National Archives & Record Administration, 2013). Despite the vague verbiage of the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln, the proclamation was repressed in many ways and did not end slavery as implied, or intended (Freeman, J., 2011). In January of 1865, began the downfall of the Confederacy. In the U.S., post Civil War, Reconstruction began abolishing slavery (Freeman, J., 2011). The Union victory at War promised a new future for the South's 4,000,000 freed African-American men, women and children, who were once slaves (Freeman, J., 2011). After the Civil War ended in May 1865, freedom was to put forth new opportunities for the newly freed African-American slaves (Azpiroz, X., 2012). The year following the Civil War, congress passed the Civil Rights act of 1866 (Azpiroz, X., 2012). The civil Rights Act of 1866 declared that all persons born in the United States and not subject to any foreign power, excluding Indians not taxed, are hereby declared to be citizens of the United States; and such citizens, of every...
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...Following the end of the Civil War, the United States entered a period known as Reconstruction. Reconstruction was essentially a time that was aimed at rebuilding and unifying the United States. This, however, was not at all an easy task. The United States was still trying to recover from the devastating, painful repercussions that had been embedded in the hearts and minds of countless people. Nevertheless, the nation needed to be restored and/or rebuilt immediately. The Reconstruction Era set out to do just that. It was a time that posed many debates and questions. For instance, what role would the federal government have in securing civil rights? In addition, what would the stipulations be in permitting the Confederate states to rejoin the Union and what should be done with the emancipated slaves? There were ultimately three main plans laid out in order to crack the many unanswered questions. The plans were as follows: President Lincoln’s Plan, President Johnson’s Plan, and Congress’s Plan. Ultimately,...
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...The Reconstruction Era The Reconstruction Era was a rebuilding period in American history following the Civil War. After winning the war in 1865, the Union states began the exhausting process of reconstructing the United States, as well as each side's belief system. The two main goals of this era in American history was to ensure basic civil rights to former slaves, as well as reunite the North and the South to form one Union again. However, with each side having it's own agenda, accomplishing those goals proved to be quite a task. During the Reconstruction Era, several factions of American politics formed within the Republican and Democratic parties. The most noted include the Radical Republicans, Southern Conservatives, and the Southern Freedmen. Radical Republicans demanded extreme policies be put in place for Confederate states, and stressed the civil rights and liberties of former slaves. Although their agenda compared well to Lincoln's, the Radicals wanted to make re-entry into the Union a difficult one for the Confederate states. Another faction formed, the Southern Conservatives, believed the south would rise again to its former economic status, and wanted little to no rights for African-Americans. The last faction, the Southern Freedmen, saw the greatest success for ensuring the basic civil rights to former slaves. Made up of former slaves and supported by whites who believed African-Americans should have equal rights and civil liberties, the Freedman's Bureau, initiated...
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...After the destruction and chaos of the Civil War, the entire nation was in a dreadful condition. Congress and law makers had an extremely demanding task ahead of them to steady the volatile nation and reunite the segregated sections. It was clear that the Union had won the civil war but it is very hard to determine the victor of the Reconstruction Era. Although, the Reconstruction Era was a new experience for both the North and the South, in my opinion, it was the Northern States that laid the model for the growth of the Southern States and therefore the North was the champion of the Reconstruction Era. During the Reconstruction Era, there were many political changes that occurred. In my opinion, the 15th Amendment was the most crucial political...
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