FREE ESSAY ON RECONSTRUCTION

RECONSTRUCTION

Greg Taylor
The period that occurred following the Civil War is known as Reconstruction. In the
South, during this period of time many people suffered. There was great amount of
property damage done to such things as farms, factories and railroads. Many other things
were destroyed that citizens depended upon to keep their economy strong. Some economic
hardships included destruction of the credit system and worthlessness of the Confederate
money. Though statistics in the South were vague, historians say that 750,000 individuals
would be a reasonably close estimate of Southern enrollments in the armies and navy or
one tenth of the population. In the South, Reconstruction meant rebuilding the economy,
establishing new state and local governments and a new social structure between whites
and blacks. During the war Lincoln had expanded his presidency. With his power he hoped
to set up loyal governments in the Southern states that were under Union control. Lincoln
appointed new temporary governors and instructed each to call a convention to create a
new state government. He did this as soon as a group of the state's citizen totaling 10
percent of the voters in the 1860 presidential election had signed oaths of loyalty to
the Union. Under this plan new governments were formed in Louisiana, Tennessee and
Arkansas, but the Congress refused to recognize them. Republicans in Congress did not
want a quick restoration, because it would bring Democratic representatives and senators
to Washington. In 1864 Congress passed the Wade-Davis Reconstruction Bill. This bill
would have delayed the process of rejoining the Union until 50 percent of the people took
an oath of loyalty. However Lincoln pocket vetoed the bill. Abraham Lincoln was
assassinated just as the South surrendered in April 1865, and then Andrew Johnson
inherited the problem of Reconstruction. Johnson supported Lincoln's plan after taking
office. Enough Confederates signed these oaths to enable the immediate creation of new
governments. Johnson required that the new states ratify the 13th Amendment freeing the
slaves. It also abolished slavery in their own constitutions, discarded debts incurred
while in rebellion, and declared secession null and void. By the end of 1865 all of the
secessionist states but Texas had rejoined the Union. Radical Republicans in Congress
thought they should control Reconstruction and wished to punish the South for causing the
Civil War. Some of these Republicans wished to create a Southern society where blacks and
whites were equal. These Republicans opposed the Southern "Black Codes." Black Codes were
harsh local and state laws passed to control blacks in the South after the Civil War. The
Radical Republicans reconstruction plan included the passage of the 13th Amendment and
established the Freedman's Bureau. Jackson made the 13th Amendment part of his plan. The
Freedman's Bureau was an agency of the Federal government set up in 1865 to help former
slaves and other persons suffering from the effects of the Civil War. This reconstruction
plan also included passage of a Civil Rights bill and the 14th Amendment; Johnson opposed
all of these. The 13th Amendment stated: "Neither slavery nor forced labor shall exist
within the United States or its possessions except as a punishment for one convicted of a
crime. Congress may make laws to enforce this article." The 14th Amendment said in
section four, "The Federal Government shall pay all its debts, including debts contracted
in putting down rebellion. But neither federal nor state governments may pay debts
contracted by aiding a rebellion against the United States, nor pay anyone for the loss
of slaves." Only Tennessee ratified the 14th amendment and was allowed to rejoin the
Union by Radicals. The remaining ten Confederate states were occupied by United States
troops. Southern states had to write a new constitution guaranteeing political rights to
blacks. The 15th Amendment said: "Neither federal nor state governments can deny any
citizen the right to vote because of his race or color, or because he was once in
bondage. Congress can pass laws for carrying out this article." Passage of this amendment
was mandatory for the last four states to re-enter. Andrew Johnson had opposed Radical
Reconstruction and had many vetoes overridden. Congress tried to reduce his power through
the Command of Army and Tenure of Office Acts. The Command of Army act took away some of
the president's power as Commander and Chief of the Army. The Tenure of Office Act said
the president could not remove a federal official without the Senate's agreement. In 1868
Johnson was accused of violating the Tenure of Office Act and was impeached by the House.
At the Senate trial he was acquitted by one vote. In the South during the Reconstruction
period the new state government was dominated by scalawags. These were Southern whites
who supported Reconstruction and who used political power chiefly for political gain.
Carpetbaggers were Northerners who went to the South after the Civil War and entered
politics there, often for personal gain. Blacks took part in the new governments often by
voting Republican, a goal of some radicals. Though some reforms were carried out,
Reconstruction governments were plagued by corruption. This was a national problem for
the Grant Administration. At the end of the Reconstruction period Southern Democrats
(including many ex-Confederates) were gradually winning home rule. Southern Whites
regained total control by 1877 when troops were removed. Restrictions were put on blacks
political rights and eventually laws were passed that discriminated against blacks, these
were called "Jim Crow Laws". The Ku Klux Klan was founded in 1866 to keep blacks from
voting was one of many anti-black groups that started to emerge towards the end of
Reconstruction. They had been controlled by the army, but now were free of that control.
Reconstruction was a very painful scab for America. In conclusion, Reconstruction may
have come off as useless to some, and while it brought social and economic hardship to
most of America, it was necessary to bring "These United States" to "The United States".