Post U.S. – Mexican War through 1870s
After the Civil War, the situation in the United States was chaotic, as the time for radical changes had come. The goal of the Reconstruction (1865 – 1877) was to restore the society, although, it was a great challenge. First of all, the war ended with a significant human loss – “over 600,000 people” died during the Civil War (YouTube). Secondly, the largest slavery system was still present, and it was extremely difficult to put an end to the division of race, as the blacks were still considered to be slaves and the majority of people could not view them as the free citizens of the USA.
The atmosphere between the South and the North became tense. In most cases, it concerned slavery and land issues. “The American North and South continued to fight over the meaning of freedom, the meaning of citizenship, and survival of the nation itself” (YouTube). The American North and South seemed to have different perspectives and it was hard to come to a satisfactory conclusion.
Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation had freed the slaves over the South, although, for the rest of the government it was still unclear what to do next as soon as the slaves were free people. “On January 11, General Sherman set up a meeting with one of the black’s ministers” in order to know how the freed people imagined their future, what was their attitude to the war and the Emancipation Proclamation itself (YouTube). The government was surprised to hear that the blacks had their personal opinion on war and did not want to continue to live in such conditions. The slaves were hoping for some radical changes that might occur in their lives after the war. They understood the Emancipation Proclamation as a chance that could “take them from under the yoke of bondage and place them where they could reap the fruit of their own labor” (YouTube). The slaves wanted to take control of their lives, wanted to have a land they could work on, earn money, and purchase their own lands afterwards. An irrefutable proof of the Emancipation Proclamation was that the blacks were promised 40 acres of land and a mule. It was quite enough to provide for their families and to be self-sufficient. What is more, there were even schools for former slaves, where they were learning to read and write. However, it did not last long, as after the President Lincoln’s death, a new president, Andrew Johnson, was appointed and he did not support this policy.
After the Civil War, the major part of the US Congress consisted of Republicans, whose main goal was to support the blacks and to punish the Confederates. They thought that Andrew Johnson would support their political views, although his aim was different from the Republicans’. The President’s aim was to “bring the white South and the white North back together. The African-Americans did not play a great role in Johnson’s vision of the Post-war South” (YouTube). The blacks were taken as a work force only, and their interests were not considered a lot. As a result, it ended up in a confrontation between the President and the Congress.
Andrew Johnson believed that the planters should get their lands back and that only they could keep the slaves under control and get them back to work. The President started to bring the planters back to the Reconstruction policy with the aim to “put subordination on the former slaves” (YouTube). The blacks were told that they did not have a right for the lands they had thought to belong to them. What could be offered was just to get back to work to the plantations. For the slaves, it was a great betrayal from the government’s side. What concerns the Congress, they proposed the Civil Rights Bill, which was vetoed by the President. Later on, the Republican leaders proposed Amendment XIV, according to which the black people were citizens of the country, no matter what their race was. The republicans protected the rights of the blacks and wanted them to be considered the citizens of the USA.
It should be said that there was no a general opinion on the situation, as many people were unsure whether the blacks could be recognized as the free people and have a right to vote. As a result, the majority of people were against emancipation of the blacks, and many southern whites and ex-planters that could not accept the idea of the slaves being free, united in organizations such as Ku Klux Klan and targeted all the blacks and the whites supporting them.
All in all, it has to be admitted that it was a hard time after the Civil war and that the Reconstruction brought many changes. Despite the fact that the racism still existed and that it was highly unlikely that the blacks would be recognized as the citizens of the USA, there were some people that fought for the freedom of the slaves and for the justice in general. Thus, there was a hope that the political and social view would be changed and that the blacks would be considered as the free citizens of the USA.
Railroad Construction
The goal of the Civil War was to unite American North and South. When the war was over, there was a new goal – to unite American East and West. The only way it could be done was by means of the railroad. It was a golden opportunity to develop the business, to set new communications systems, and be the first country in a world to build the railroad on such a huge territory.
There was a goal to build a railroad from the East coast to the West coast, and without the government’s help it was impossible. “In 1862, the Congress hired 2 companies to build the railroad: The Central Pacific and The Union Pacific” (veoh.com). The Central Pacific had to push eastwards, and The Union Pacific had to start from the Missouri. The Congress promised “64 acres of federal land for every mile of the track” and the money (veoh.com). It was a profitable business, and the companies agreed to take part if the railroad construction. These two lines, two directions that were moving towards each other had to meet at Promontory Summit.
A great number of people were working for these two companies. “In Nebraska, more than 10,000 men worked for The Union Pacific” (veoh.com). Most of the workers were immigrants from Ireland, Mexico, Germany, and England, former slaves, ex-soldiers, and other people that wanted to earn money. “11,000 Chinese worked for The Central Pacific” (veoh.com). They were considered to be a good workforce, as they were not high, light, and they were perfect for digging and blasting.
Despite the fact that so many people were working for the companies, there were some challenges and dangers. First of all, it was a hard work; there was no time for rest, and many people died because of exhaustion or harsh weather conditions. Secondly, as the workers earned high wages, there were gun men, prostitutes and gamblers following them. To some extent, it could lead to violence and chaos. What is more, there were some confrontations with the Native Americans. Their religion, culture, and life depended on the buffalo herds a lot. These people ate buffalo meat, made containers from their stomachs, and produced clothes from their skin. The Native American tribes took these animals as the sacred ones. When the railroad builders reached the territories of the Native Americans, “The Union Pacific hired men to hunt buffalo and use their meat to feed the hungry railroad workers” (veoh.com). It is understandable that the Native American wanted not only to protect their territories, but to protect their lives. As a result, the Native American tribes derailed trains and fired on the crews. In order to have a possibility to work, 5,000 troops were sent to provide the railroad builders with protection.
It should be said that however desperately the American tribes tried to protect their lands and buffalo herds, they did not manage to do it. More than 3 million buffalo were killed within two years of the railroad building. People sold their meat, used their horns to produce buttons, combs, and knife handles (veoh.com). As a result, their population decreased, and they got almost extinct.
The railroad construction had an influence not only on the life of the Native Americans, it influenced the life of all the citizens of the USA. The population started to grow in the Northern and Western states, and, as a result, more food was required. Texas has always been known for cattle breeding. After the Civil War, the cattle business in Texas was in ruins, and the only way to survive was to drive the cattle to the North. It was a wise decision in addition to the fact that “the rest of the country was crying out for beef” (veoh.com). Thus, 6 million cows were headed for the North, and the people that railed the cattle were known as the cowboys. As a result, a new industry was born. The cowboys were involved in this business, and, as it was profitable, they moved back to Texas to get more cows and sell them for the eastern and northern territories. It should be said that they not only favored the development of a new business, but became a part of the American culture, which became famous all over the world.
The railroad construction influenced the status of a woman too. A lot of them had to follow their husbands and get used to a life on the new territories and in new conditions. What is more, some new tendencies appeared in the society. The Mormons started to settle in the Western states of the USA, and some of them practiced the polygamy, i.e. a plural marriage. A lot of people fiercely criticized that, although, many Mormon women supported it, as polygamy gave them “more time for thought, for mental culture, more freedom of action, and a broader field of labor” (veoh.com). What is more, many women felt as if they had the sisters that could always help and support them. In addition to that, some western states, such a Utah, “granted women the right to vote” (veoh.com), which was a great experiment and a fundamental change in the society.
Railroad construction created the passage between two oceans, which opened up the new possibilities for trade, for the development of the country and its settlement. Railroad gave endless possibilities for the economic development of the USA. It also became a new means of communication between people that allowed them to purchase and sell goods from different parts of the country and to change their lives in a considerable way. The railroad communications helped people move from their former territories to the new ones and gain some new knowledge and experience from other people.
Works Cited
“Reconstruction. The Second Civil War.” Documentary Daily. YouTube, 5 Jan. 2014. Web. 21 Jan. 2016. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOJch5C8aEg
“The West Grandest Enterprise Under God 1868 to 1874.” History of Building of the Transcontinental Railroad. VeohTM. Web. 21 Jan. 2016. http://www.veoh.com/watch/v151084465zRdfXBY
