Good Example Of Essay On The Reconstruction Era

The re-construction era was the period after the civil war. It took place between 1865 and 1877. Abraham Lincoln began planning for the reconstruction during the Civil War because there were many union soldiers from the areas of the South. His goal was to bring the Nation together. In December 1863, he proposed his plan for reconstruction which demanded the States new constitutions stop slavery.
Congress proposed an amendment to abolish slavery in the United States in January 1865. Congress formally ratified the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery in 18th December 1865. In April 1865, the Civil War ended. A week later, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. This resulted to Andrew Johnson continuing with Lincoln’s policies (Stampp 1967). In May 1865, Andrew Johnson came up with his own plans for reconstruction. His plans included the requirement of the Southern States to abolish slavery before they were made part of the Nation and his vow of loyalty to the Nation.
The reconstruction period had several pros and cons. The positive results from the reconstruction period were numerous. One of the advantages of the period was the reunification of the Nation. This was one of the terms of the terms of the new constitution that abolished slavery (Forner 2002). The separation between the Southern States and the North had lasted 4 years and reconstruction brought the Nation together to what is now known as the United States.
Another advantage of reconstruction was the expansion of the North and the South economy. The reconstruction resulted to many offers to the North as well as the South as it proposed to collaborate so as to make the Nation a better place. The reconstruction era resulted to the formation of more laws (Stammp, 1967). These laws were established to protect the rights of the newly freedmen. These rights also accepted the former slaves as men with the right to speak and vote.
Associations such as the Freedmen’s bureau and other associations were formed. These associations were formed to help the people who were in need to be completely poor or homeless (Du Bois, 1999). The reconstruction period also resulted to education for all individuals regardless of race. Education was also forced on the South. The reconstruction period also resulted to freedom. This is because slavery was abolished and everybody including former slaves had the right to vote and speak.
The enforcement act of 1870 was also formed in the reconstruction period. This act banned the use of force, bribery or terror to stop people from voting because of their race. This act was reinforcement to the Thirteenth Amendment that gave slaves freedom.
The presidential elections of 1876 represented a great sour turn. This was as a result of the compromise of 1877 stating that the Republicans could vote for their own leaders. The Democrat Tilden won the popular vote against Republican Hayes. Tilden was supported by the solid South. This was a group of southerners who took part in the Democratic Party. This resulted to the debate of the electoral vote. Hayes was the victor according to Louisiana, South Carolina and Florida, countries under the control of the Republicans. The democrats argued that Tilden had won in those States (Forner, 2002). As a result, congress commissioned to solve the election. Due to the higher number of Republicans as compared to Democrats, Hayes was made president.
Democrats had enough strength to disagree with this commission. In 1877, the compromise was passed. The compromise was a result of the Democrats agreement to give the victory to Hayes though he had not won completely. As a compromise, Hayes would have to dismiss the troops in the south, authenticate rebuilding levees aside the Mississippi, and help rebuild the railroads in the south.
The reconstruction era had several failures too. One of the negative results of the reconstruction era was the Ku Klux Klan. This was group of people who wore masks and robes and faked that they were ghosts of Confederate soldiers. This was because they were scared of the changes that would result from the rising rights of the African Americans. They wanted them to be slaves and laborers which would be difficult if they got their freedom (Stampp, 1967). They started attacking the African Americans and burnt their homes.
Poverty was an issue after the reconstruction era. This is because, in this period, several white southerners lost their lands and their slaves were freed resulting to lack of economic opportunities for them. This led to entrapment in the circle of poverty. African Americans also had little job opportunities after their freedom.
The reconstruction era resulted to slow industrialization as there was the lack of labor. Tenant farming and sharecropping brought complication in the reconstruction period as it was not fair for laborers. Corruption in this period was rampant (Du Bois, 1999). There was still pressure too about how freedman would live after the reconstruction period. There was also elevation of tax and Jim Crow Laws that supported racial segregation and supported discrimination.
In conclusion, the reconstruction era brought more advantages than disadvantages. Several advantages such as reunification of the nation, expansion of the North and South economy and abolishing slavery were one of the things that resulted from this era.References
Du Bois B. (December 1, 1999). Black Reconstruction in America, 1860-1880. Free Press.
Foner E. (February 5, 2002). Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877. Harper Perennial Modern Classics; Ill edition
Stampp K. (October 12, 1967). The Era of Reconstruction 1865-1877. Vintage Books; First Edition edition