Define Reconstruction of USA
In the history of the USA, the American Civil war has followed the reconstruction. This reconstruction was held from 1865 to 1877. Here, the reconstruction meaning, changes in the political, social and economic legacy.
The main aim of the reconstruction is to redress the inequities of slavery and its political, social, and economic legacy. It also helped to resolve the problems arising from the readmission to the eleven union states. The reconstruction created many changes in the political life of America.
Also, the new laws and constitutional amendments at the national level helped to permanently alter the federal system. This also created a definition of American citizenship. In South America, the black community joined hands with white allies and brought the Republican Party to power. This article explains the reconstruction meaning, causes of reconstruction, effects of reconstruction on African Americans and benefits of reconstruction in detail.
Origins of Reconstruction
The trigger for the reconstruction of the USA began during the Civil war. In December 1863, President Abraham Lincoln declared the first ten percent comprehensive program for Reconstruction, in which pre-revolutionary voters from the states took an oath of loyalty for no new state government and gave any local support. In 1864 the congress published the Wade-Davis Bill to delay the formation of a new southern government till getting the majority of voters a loyal oath.
Many Republicans have been convinced to provide equal rights for the former slaves and to accompany the South’s readmission to the Union. On 11th April 1865, President Abraham Lincoln announced the Reconstruction in Louisiana and also expressed the view of some black people, those who have served in the Union army and ought to enjoy the right to vote.
Presidential Reconstruction
In April 1865, after Lincoln’s assassination, Andrew Johnson became the president of the United States and started the presidential reconstruction from 1865 to 1867. During that period, Johnson offered an excuse to all Southern Whites except Confederate leaders and wealthy planters. He also restored the political rights and property of people except for slaves. He also framed the structure to create a new state government. His government also granted a free hand for managing affairs including the abolishment of slavery, abrogating the Confederate debt and repudiating secession.
He enacted the Black Codes, which is the law for African Americans to sign yearly labour contracts. This limited the freedmen’s economic options and reestablished plantation discipline. But African Americans strongly opposed the implementation of these measures and this also weakened the Northern support for Johnson’s policies.
In December 1865, the Congress was assembled and Radical Republicans Sen. Charles Sumner from Massachusetts and Rep. Thaddeus Stevens of Pennsylvania were invited for the establishment of new Southern governments. And they agreed to provide equality before the law and male suffrage.
But many other Republicans working with Jhonson modified his program. Then, congress refused to provide seats for the representatives and senators, who are elected from the southern states. In early 1866, they passed the Freedmen’s Bureau and Civil Rights Bills. In 1865, the first time they extended the life of agency congress and control the transition from slavery to freedom. Then they announced that all the people born in the US were national citizens, They can enjoy equality before the law.
Later, Johnson rejected these bills because of his personal stubbornness, fervent belief in states’ rights, and racist convictions. Due to this issue, he got a permanent separation from Congress. In American history, the first significant legislation was the Civil Rights Act. Then it becomes the law over a president’s veto. After that, Congress has approved the Fourteenth Amendment, which gave the principle of birthright citizenship and equal protection for all the citizens. They also made some amendments for profound change in federal-state relations.
Radical Reconstruction
In 1866, they fell in the congressional election because the northern voters refused to accept Johnson’s policies. So, Congress failed to start a new reconstruction. In 1867, the Reconstruction Acts divided the south into five military districts and also outlined the new government without race discrimination. So, this period was considered as the Radical or Congressional Reconstruction. This period was last still in 1877 when the last southern republican government ended.
In 1870, all the former confederate states were kept under Union and are controlled by the republican party. Meanwhile, southern Republicanism creates three groups.
Carpetbaggers were formed by the union soldiers, teachers, businessmen and Freedmen’s Bureau agents. The second large group was scalawags or native-born white republicans.
In all the states, African Americans created the majority among Southern Republican voters. From the beginning of the reconstruction, African Americans have extended their civil and political rights in the entire south through Black conventions and newspapers. During that time,
Sixteen African Americans served in Congress for reconstruction. And more than 600 African Americans in state legislatures. But these advantages created a dramatic break with the country’s traditions and aroused bitter hostility from Reconstruction’s opponents.
The End of Reconstruction
During 1867, the Southern Whites turned violent as the effects of reconstruction on African Americans changed Radical reconstruction. The white supremacist organisations like Ku Klux Klan started targeting local Republican leaders, who challenged white authorities includes Black and White African Americans. In 1871, President Ulysses S. Grant passed federal legislation to interfere with Black suffrage and other political rights. But it indirectly supported the white. Racism was still in potent force in both South and North countries. As a result, the economy of the south was depressed and people suffered from poverty. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party took over the control of the House of Representatives for the first time during the civil war.
In 1875, Democrats created a campaign to take over the control of Mississippi. Meanwhile, Grant refused to send federal troops and paved the way to end the Reconstruction-era state governments in the South. In 1876, Florida, South Carolina and Louisiana remained in the hands of Republicans. Democrats in Congress found victory against the Republican candidate. The Democrats took over the control of the entire south.
The year 1876 was marked as the end of reconstruction. But the struggle for the eradication of slavery continued for a long date. In the end, the African Americans fought for economic, political and social equality and took a long time to attain it.
Conclusion
This article gave you complete information about the reconstruction of the United States. It was said to have begun in 1863 with Abraham Lincoln whereas 1876 was considered as the end of the reconstruction. This helped in redefining the citizenship of the US, make laws against the racial discrimination as well as various other amendments. Not only this, it also helped in redefining the relations between the Union as well as the federal governments.
FAQs on Reconstruction of the USA
1. What exactly was the Reconstruction era in the United States?
The Reconstruction era was the period in U.S. history immediately following the Civil War, lasting from 1865 to 1877. Its primary focus was on addressing the challenges of reintegrating the Southern states that had seceded and determining the legal status and rights of the newly freed African Americans.
2. What were the main goals of Reconstruction?
The U.S. government had three primary objectives during Reconstruction:
- To restore the Southern states to the Union.
- To rebuild the South's devastated economy.
- To guarantee and protect the rights of newly freed slaves (freedmen).
3. What was President Lincoln's plan for Reconstruction before he died?
President Lincoln proposed a lenient plan known as the Ten Percent Plan. It stated that a Southern state could be readmitted into the Union once 10 percent of its 1860 voter base took an oath of allegiance to the United States and pledged to abide by the emancipation of slaves. It was designed to end the war quickly and smoothly.
4. What were the most important laws passed during the Reconstruction era?
The most significant legal achievements were three constitutional amendments, often called the Reconstruction Amendments:
- The 13th Amendment (1865), which formally abolished slavery.
- The 14th Amendment (1868), which granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the U.S., including former slaves, and guaranteed all citizens “equal protection of the laws.”
- The 15th Amendment (1870), which prohibited the denial of the right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
5. Why is the Reconstruction era often considered a failure in the long run?
Reconstruction is often seen as a failure because many of its positive changes were temporary. After federal troops were withdrawn from the South in 1877, Southern states began passing discriminatory 'Jim Crow' laws. These laws enforced racial segregation and stripped African Americans of their newly won political and civil rights, a situation that persisted for nearly a century.
6. What is the difference between Presidential Reconstruction and Radical Reconstruction?
These were two conflicting approaches. Presidential Reconstruction, led by Presidents Lincoln and Johnson, was more lenient and aimed for a quick restoration of the South with minimal federal interference. In contrast, Radical Reconstruction, led by Republicans in Congress, was much stricter. It sought to punish the South and forcefully protect the civil rights of African Americans, including their right to vote.
7. How did the end of Reconstruction in 1877 impact African Americans?
The end of Reconstruction was devastating for African Americans. With the removal of federal protection, Southern states quickly re-established white supremacist rule. This led to the loss of voting rights, severe economic oppression through systems like sharecropping, and widespread violence and intimidation from groups like the Ku Klux Klan.
8. What were 'Black Codes' and what was their purpose?
Black Codes were restrictive laws passed by Southern states right after the Civil War to control the lives of freed African Americans. They limited what jobs they could hold, where they could live, and their ability to travel freely. The purpose was to maintain a social and economic structure that was as close to slavery as possible by ensuring a cheap labour force for plantations.
