Characteristics and Impacts of American Reconstruction Essay -- Americ

Characteristics and Impacts of American reconstruction The key goals of reconstructive memory were to readmit the South into the join and to define the status of freedmen in American society. The Reconstruction era was marked by political, not violent, conflict. Some historic myths are that the South was victimized by Reconstruction, and that the various plans of Reconstruction were mess up and unjust. Actually, the plans were quite lenient, enforcing military rule for only a short gunpoint of time, ignoring land reform, and granting pardons easily. The task of Reconstruction was to re-integrate America into a total nation, securing the rights of for severally one man and establishing order once again. There were three major Reconstruction plans capital of Nebraska, Johnson, and Congress each offered a strategy to unify the nation. Lincolns plan, in 1864, required ten percent of the voting population of each state who had voted in the 1860 election to take an oath of allegiance to the Union and accept the abolition of slavery. Then that ten percent could create a state government that would be loyal to the Union. Confederate officials, army and ocean officers, and civil officers who had resigned from office were all required to apply for presidential pardons (Boyer, 443). Lincolns plan did not at all deal with freedmens civil rights, which is a definite weakness. Under his ten percent rule, no freedmen could be part of a state government. Also, it did not address land reform, an economic weakness of Lincolns strategy. Finally, under Lincolns plan, no federal military occupation was required in Confederate states. This left the freedmen at the mercy of the states for protection. Congress viewed this plan as distant too lenient, and in 1864 passed the Wade-Davis heyday. This bill required the majority of voters in each Southern state to take an oath of loyalty only hence could the state hold a convention to repeal secession and oblit erate slavery. Although Lincolns plan may have been too lenient, this bill would have been far too harsh and delayed readmission to the Union for a very long time. Lincoln did not sign the bill into law, or pocket-vetoed the bill, and was soon assassinated. Therefore, he did not have a chance to enforce his plan of Reconstruction, and his goal was not met. After Andrew Johnson assumed the presidency interest Lincolns assassination in ... ...n did create black institutions in response to Reconstruction there was a cropping up of black churches, schools, and higher(prenominal) education establishments (Boyer 458). Reconstruction made the nation as a whole feel reunited, but it was viewed as a failure and waste straightway after its completion (Boyer, 471). It laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement by passing the 13, 14, and 15th am reversements, change surface though they would not be utilise to protect minority rights for nearly a hundred years. Reconstruct ion overly established a policy of treating African-Americans as second-class citizens. The nation was taught that it was alright to treat blacks as inferior people because the government would not even guarantee them the right to vote in state elections. However, Reconstruction did pave the way for share-cropping and the factory system, which would lead to an economic boom as American expanded. Reconstruction threw America into upheaval, and by 1875 the North had tired of the various plans and politics, and longed to end Congresss plan (Boyer, 467). Boyer, Clark, et.al.Enduring Vision,Volume II From 1865. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston2000.