Reconstruction Policy after the Civil War Essay - 1176 Words

Post-civil war the torn nation juggles wide ranges of emotions as they attempt to piece together the shattered unity but didn’t know how to go about doing so. President Lincoln had great plans for the reconstruction but was killed before he could put them into action. He was murdered by John Booth at Ford Theater and passed the next morning. Lincoln’s Vice-president, Andrew Johnson, took over and became the new president. Johnson and Congress argued about how to go about the reconstruction and in the end Congress enacted their own laws and amendments that strengthened the federal government. Freedmen weren’t truly free after the Civil war ended, free in name only. Ex-Confederates were less than the Northerners and didn’t get the rights†¦show more content†¦Unfortunately harsh methods used by the government, if anything, slowed the integration of the south. The south wouldn’t want to pledge their loyalty to people that treated them like the dirt stuck to the bottom of their shoes. Lincoln seemed to realize and was eager to provide a simple but effective solution and the 10% plan was born. The Freedmen of the United States weren’t truly free. Freedmen was a title only and did nothing to guarantee the treatment of former slaves when they stepped out into the world of a free man. African Americans were looked down upon, not property anymore but as less than human. The end of the civil war bought about the end of slavery and the beginning of â€Å"equality†. To properly integrate the freedmen jobs, homes, and small amounts of property should have been shared with them. Mixing African Americans and whites would have strengthened the presence of both, something that neither side should try to deny. With the end of the Civil War slaves were free but such an action was impossible to accept right away. Ex-slaves were overjoyed at their newfound freedom but were quickly shot down when they realized that freedom was something they didn’t yet have. Integration of blacks would take much more than a law against slavery, blacks being looked upon as property was deeply ingrained into society and was something they couldn’t just stop. Integration shouldn’t have been handled in such a passive manner but with actual effort thatShow MoreRelatedHow Did The Radical Republican s Rise For The Failure Of The Post Civil War Reconstruction?1619 Words   |  7 Pagesfailure of the post-civil war reconstruction? The time between 1863, when Lincoln passed the ten percent act, until the year 1877, when reconstruction was officially ended, will be evaluated with information provided by the sources. The investigation will specifically look to how the Lincoln assassination allowed for the rise in the Radical Republican Party from 1866 to 1868 and the party’s effect on reconstruction acts leading to the failure of the post-civil war reconstruction era. Eric Foner’sRead MoreChapter 22 Apush Key Terms1694 Words   |  7 Pageslast for one year after the end of the Civil War. At the end of the war, the Bureaus main role was providing emergency food, housing, and medical aid to refugees, though it also helped reunite families. Later, it focused its work on helping the freedmen adjust to their conditions of freedom. Its main job was setting up work opportunities and supervising labor contracts. 8. Exodusters Was a name given to African Americans who left the south[Kansas] in 1879 and 1880. After the end of ReconstructionRead MoreThe Legacy Of Lincoln And Andrew Johnson1017 Words   |  5 Pagesconferred by the federal government. Johnson s interpretations of Lincoln s policies prevailed the Congressional elections of 1866 in the North, which enabled the Radicals to take control of policy, remove former Confederates from power, and enfranchise the freedmen. 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The aftermath of the war was crucial due to the fact that the south and north were totally separated during the civil war, but more importantly was that all the fighting had ben done in the south, which meant that the majority of the damage was done in the southern towns. This caused the towns and fields to be ruined, and many properties worthless. So many peacemakers wanted to assure the southerners possessions. b. SecondlyRead MoreThe End Of The Civil War1228 Words   |  5 PagesAfter the Civil War, the fact that slavery was abolished might seem to be the end of the story; however, the problems derived from the abolishment of slavery had yet to be addressed. During the Reconstruction Era, these problems were reflected on the political, social, and economic aspects. Which played several major roles in shaping America from the late nineteenth into the twentieth centuries.These three aspects, political, social, and economical, affected one another so much that they were inseparable