...in there and get feed every night. If they didn’t choose to stay they could try to make there way to somewhere else. At the same time though the government passed vacancy laws outlawing people from staying in a certain place for a long period of time. To enforce this law they hired the old slave catchers to be vacancy patrol. Then if caught for vacancy your punishment was to be sent right back to where you previously were being held as a slave. Soon following came the Fourteenth Amendment giving citizenship to African Americans through the Civil Rights Act of 1866. Three years later the Fifteenth Amendment was pasted allowing the right to vote. ! In 1872 Grant won the election as a Republican party candidate. Soon after all of the rights African American were people were receiving the KU Klux Klan was formed as a white supremacist group. They went around terrorizing Republicans to vote Democratically or not at all. (Butler Civil War 16) The Republican party continued to decline in number do to the...
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...21 January 2010 Reconstruction: A Post-Civil War Failure Viewed as an era as a whole, Reconstruction takes place between the years 1865-1877 or between the Civil War’s end and the Union army’s withdrawal from the South. Reconstruction’s main goals were to integrate newly freed slaves into society, readmitting Southern states whom had seceded from the Union, and recreating Southern property as to better its conditions. At war’s end, the process of reconstruction sought out to solve the challenge that the disembodied Union now faced: what the status would be of postwar freedmen. While the North continued occupying Southern territories, Reconstruction shared very few successes. However, Reconstruction failed to meet its greater purpose. The process of Reconstruction was incompetent in integrating freedmen into American society because of its unstable and strained economy, its political disadvantages and its desire to redesign Southern social structure completely. Financial matters played a key role in Reconstruction’s failure, leading way to public hostility and corruption. Government industrialization plans helped rebuild the Southern economy however; the plans cost a lot of money to the government who financed such plans using tax revenue. Unable to keep up with the ever-growing investments, tax rates skyrocketed resulting in an antagonistic public opinion on Reconstruction. Conditions during this period were bad enough; the Civil War had greatly damaged the economy, greatly...
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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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...How would life be different if the South had won the civil war? The differences would be astounding. The North winning the Civil War was the beginning of many turning points for the United States of America. During the next 35 years, the period from Reconstruction through widespread industrialization in the Western United States, there were many major historical turning points that have made our lives what they are today. These turning points represented the difference between life and death for some and changed the quality of life for all people in the United States. The end of the war and the passing of The Thirteenth Amendment marked the beginning of many major turning points in US history and especially so for the Southern states. The Thirteenth Amendment was passed on January 31, 1865, abolishing slavery and involuntary servitude, and granting Congress the power to enforce this new law. The Thirteenth Amendment brought about rebellion from many of the Southern states. In attempt to regain what they had lost, southern states passed legislation often referred to as “Black Codes”; these laws restricted the rights of blacks in attempt to limit the civil liberties afforded to newly freed slaves and ensure social inequality between whites and blacks. These laws stayed just enough under the line as to be legal while still keeping blacks in a position where they were unable to become self-sufficient thus forcing them into a state of voluntary servitude. The Thirteenth Amendment...
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...America’s Post-Civil War Growing Pains The Reconstruction Era was the time period from 1865-1877 after the Civil War ended. The South was severely damaged from the war. Farms, railroads and bridges were destroyed and The South had tremendous hurdles to overcome to get back on track. The North entered a time where politicians took the opportunity to pass laws that southerners in Congress had resisted before. Businesses started to boom and take shape. The Reconstruction Era was the time period where the government attempts to resolve the issues resulting from the end of the Civil War. One turning point was The Freedman’s Bureau was established by Congress in 1865 to build schools, food and medical care to needy southern black and white people and to ensure equal access to the judicial system for southerners both black and white. It also urged former slave owners and former slaves to work as employers and employees rather than master and slaves. The Bureau was managed by Union Army General Oliver O. Howard, in which the historical black college Howard University is named after. The biggest achievement by the bureau was in education. Before the Civil War, there were no state-supported public education which still in effect today. The ex-slaves long to learn to read and write, and this was a major priority for the bureau and by 1870 more than 1,000 schools had be established. The Freedman’s Bureau was only suppose last for a year, but Congress renewed its charter bill extended...
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...Running head: AMERICA’S POST-CIVIL WAR GROWING 1 America’s Post-Civil War Growing Pains Zarick L. Robinson Professor Peacock Contemporary U.S. History – Assignment #1 Strayer University July 18, 2013 AMERICA’S POST-CIVIL WAR GROWING PAINS 2 The United States experienced many growing pains during the time period of 1865 to 1900 but I’d like to focus on two major historical points that impacted my family and certain Asian friends. African-Americans were not the only ones to experience prejudice as I brought out above, however, they were the main ones targeted when it comes to slavery. Slavery and prejudice was rampant during this time period. An old family friend Jonathan, a Chinese-American, was a victim of racial prejudice as a child. As he grew up, he searched for a place where people would not prejudge him based on his facial features or racial background. He became a medical doctor in a town in northern Alaska, where his appearance was similar to that of many of his patients. He hoped that perhaps there, amid the cold winds of the Arctic Circle, he had finally escaped the even colder winds of prejudice that he experienced in California. Any such hope was shattered when he provided medical assistance to a young woman. As the patient came out of a coma, she looked at Jonathan’s face and uttered a taunt with an expletive, revealing her deep-seated...
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...Assignment #1 – “America’s Post-Civil War Growing Pains” By Keith A. Watterson Strayer University Dr. Hammons Spring 2013 Two major historical turning points from the period in United States history know as Reconstruction, (1865-1877), were; how to integrate rebel states back into the nation and the social dilemma of how to integrate four (4) million newly freed slaves. This paper will show that almost all major problems faced by all people, (regardless of color or ethnicity), during this period, stemmed from these two conditions. These two turning points have an effect on current society in many ways. Though slavery has been over for many decades, America is still feeling the trickle down effects of this long gone institution. Black and White relations in the South (and North) though much, much better than many years ago, still has pockets of racism throughout the country. Also, though it is not as blatant as in the past, people still possess some of the same prejudices that they did in the 1800’s. Personally, this became evident to me during the last presidential election. Many people did not listen to what either candidate was saying but looked directly at their color, race, and ethnicity. I think this election divided America, though no one would say it publically. Once it was decided, everyone made their feelings known by saying “well I did not vote for this program or that program”, which was just another way of saying I did not vote for the candidate that...
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...during this time period. After Lincoln’s assassination, Andrew Johnson took office. President Johnson was a Democratic Unionist who was originally from the South. Many considered him an insecure man looking for approval from the South’s planter aristocracy (Shultz, 2012, p. 278). Due to this, Johnson and the Radical Republicans who held a lot of power in Congress were constantly at odds. During the Radical Republicans reign, they were able to pass several laws which often overrode the Presidents veto. If President Lincoln hadn’t been assassinated, the Reconstruction may have turned out differently. Many believe that Lincoln would have done more to help the economy of the southern states which would have helped heal the wounds from the war. African Americans would have also been treated differently. The black codes would have never came to pass and African Americans would have been afforded more freedom in the form of voting or holding office. A second historical turning point is due to the expansion of the railroads. As stated in the text, “With the support of the...
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...America’s Post-Civil War Growing Pains By Jason Strawbridge Irina Popova-Nowak Comtemp U.S. History 4/22/2012 America suffered growing pains after the Civil War. In my humble opinion, two events were crucial to the growth of the nation. Reconstruction, sometimes known as America’s unfinished Revolution, and the 15th Amendment to the US Constitution, which stated that “The rights of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the US or any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude”. These events catapulted the nation to incredible growth and painful adjustments for the population. Reconstruction was then and is today an on-going project. During the post-civil war times, it was a struggle to unite a divided country and today it is a struggle for those black Americans that still blame their current conditions on the slavery that was forced on their culture so many, many years ago. The 15th Amendment, when passed in 1896, gave the freed men a reason and incentive to fight and get involved in government. Sadly, this great Amendment lay dormant for many years until the 1960s, when another attempt at aligning American sentimentality with the constitution, through the Civil Rights movement. Economically speaking, Reconstruction remains relevant in today’s economy because the issues central to it, the role of the Federal government in protecting citizen’s rights, and the possibility of economic and racial justice...
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...America's Post-Civil War Growing Pains Dayna L. Wingert Professor Smith HIS 105 January 22, 2012 In 1865, at Appomattox Court House, Virginia General Robert E. Lee surrendered 27,800 Confederate troops to Grant. This eventually brought about the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, that abolished slavery in this country. The Thirteenth Amendment states that “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” (Becker, 1999) This was easily the most significant turning point in the era of Reconstruction. In today's society all races are integrated, this is what creates the American culture. In 2008, all races came together to shatter more than two hundred years of history by electing Barrack Obama, the first African American President of the United States. President Obama put the sentiments of this history making night in to words by stating “Young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled, Americans have sent a message to the world that we have never been just a collection of red states and blue states,” he said. “We have been and always will be the United States of America.” (Johnson, Nove) This is a testament to the end of slavery and the profound impact it has had...
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...America's Post-Civil War Growing Pains Stacey Planz Strayer University Contemporary U.S. History HIS 105 Professor Regan Smith January 27, 2013 America's Post-Civil War Growing Pains This paper will address the period from Reconstruction through widespread industrialization in the Western United States during the time period of 1865 – 1900. 1. Identify at least (2) two major historical turning points in the period under discussion. The year 1865 began an era of presidential reconstruction. Upon Lincoln’s assassination, Andrew Johnson became president. During this time he unveiled his plan for Reconstruction: (1) scrapping the “40-acres-and-a-mule” plan suggested in the charter of the Freedmen’s Bureau and (2) creating a tough loyalty oath that many southerners could take in order to receive a pardon for their participation in the rebellion (Schultz, 2012, p. 278). Many southern states returned Confederate leaders to political power and they went onto create “black codes” modeled on the slave codes that existed prior to the Civil War (Schultz, 2012, p. 279). Johnson did nothing to prevent the South from re-imposing these conditions on the black population (Schultz, 2012, p. 279). This led The Radical Republican party made up of northerners since no southerners were in congress yet, a time known as Radical Reconstruction. The Radical Republicans moved swiftly to pass the important Civil Rights Act, which counteracted the South’s new black codes (Schultz, 2012...
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...the first covers the complete history of the entire U.S. from 1865 to 1877 following the Civil War; the second sense focuses on the transformation of the Southern United States from 1863 to 1877 as directed by the President with the reconstruction of state and society. Reconstruction was an era in the United States history after the Civil War, in which federal government set the conditions that would allow rebellious southern states back in the union. The ultimate goal of reconstruction was to readmit the south in ways that was acceptable to the North. This meant full political and civil equality for blacks and denial for the political rights of whites. 1865-1877 in the U.S. history, was a period of readjustment following the civil war. The defeated south was ruined, physical destruction brought upon by the invading union forces were great, and the old social economic order founded on slavery had collapsed with nothing to replace it. There were 11 confederate states that needed to be restored to their positions in the union. Radical Republican leaders argued that slavery and the slave power had to be permanently destroyed, and all forms of confederate nationalism had to be suppressed. Before the end of the war, President Lincoln began the task of restoration. “Lincoln was motivated with a desire to build a strong republican party in the south and to end the bitterness developed by the war.” Lincoln issued a proclamation on December 8, 1863 of amnesty and reconstruction for those...
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...Reconstruction: The process of reestablishing the union to again include the seceded states began during the war and lasted until 1877. Abraham Lincoln believed secession was unconstitutional, and so legally, the Southern states were still in the union. He believed the executive branch, particularly the president, should establish the process of reconstruction and the terms should be generous. As the union army gained control of seceded states such as Tennessee, Lincoln appointed military governors and was prepared to recognize a new state government once 10 percent of the state’s 1860 voting population swore allegiance to the union. Members of congress in 1864 presented their own much less generous plan, but Lincoln did not sign the bill, angering the radical or extreme Republican in congress. Republican in Congress, more interested in punishing the south than Lincoln was bristled at Lincoln’s leniency. In opposition to Lincoln’s plan they passed the Wade-Davis bill, which would have allowed a southern state back into the union only after 50 percent of the population had taken the loyalty oath. Furthermore, to earn the right to vote or to serve in a constitutional convention, southerners would have to take a second oath, called the iron-clad oath that testified that they had never voluntarily aided or abetted the rebellion. Lincoln vetoed the bill, but the battle about reconstruction continued. On April 14, 1865, Lincoln was shot in the back of the head while watching a...
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...treatment of slaves is, horrible. They were finally granted freedom during the Reconstruction period. Although, they were free, life was still extremely difficult for blacks in America especially in the southern states. It would take many years before life improved for the former enslaved African-Americans in the United States of America. According to Smith (2010),” the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865 abolished slavery”. The first thing many freed slaves did was move. Most slaves wanted to reunite with family members they lost due to the slave trade. Freed African-Americans wanted to establish their own churches and schools. Many schools for African-Americans opened in the southern states. Strong bonds between families was the backbone of the post war African-American community. Slave marriages had no legal standing at all. After emancipation thousands of freed African-Americans registered their unions before the army, Freedmans Bureau, and local governments. White southerners were scratching their heads trying to figure out a new system of labor to replace the one that was destroyed by slavery coming to an end. Former slave owners were use to having complete power over their workplace. Many of them wanted to reestablish the stronghold they had during slavery. The newly freed African-Americans did not take a liking to this and would absolutely not accept it. Former slaves felt like they should have a...
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...The Union victory in the Civil war in 1865 gave millions of slaves their freedom. Although they were free former slaves had many new challenges to face during the rebuilding of the South. This time period is known as Reconstruction (1865- 1877). The reason this time is called Reconstruction is because this was the period when the federal government restored the seceded states to the Union. During the era of Reconstruction there were massive changes in American culture, economy, and politics. Before the Civil war was over President Abraham Lincoln began to prepare his plan for Reconstruction. Lincoln’s plan for Reconstruction was one of forgiveness, he did not want to punish the southerners. Lincoln’s plan for Reconstruction was that a southern state could be readmitted to the Union once 10 percent of its voters, who voted in the 1860 election, swore an oath of allegiance to the Union, this plan was called the “10 Percent Plan”. Radical Republicans did not agree with President Lincoln’s plan and they came up with their own plan to counter President Lincoln’s. This plan was the “Wade Davis Bill”, which required 50 percent of a states registered voters to swear an ironclad oath of allegiance to the Unites States. President Lincoln was able to block this bill from passing, but unfortunately he was assassinated before he was able to act on his plan for Reconstruction. President Lincoln’s assassination was a major turning point for this time in history. If President Lincoln had...
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