Civil war and American Reconstruction - Essay Example

The American Civil WarThe American Civil War was fought between 1861and 1865 and involved the Confederacy and the Union. The Civil War was brought about by the South states insistence on maintaining the institution of slavery, something that the states that made up the Union were against (McPherso par. 2). Yet another contentious issue that led to the Civil War was the move toward cessation by the Confederate states, a move that was declared illegal by the U.S. government. The Republican party’s and Abraham Lincoln’s victory in the election was not welcomed by the South states, a moved that led them to declare their orientation toward cessation.

While the Union states were industrially developed and anti-slavery, the South states mainly thrived on agriculture and considered slaves a vital part of their production resources. The slaves offered rich farmers cheap labor, something that they needed to ensure that their farms maintained high outputs. The south states managed to stay for long in the war given they had an advantage over their counterparts in fighting in the interior and had a wealth of experience at war.Many historians agree that the reconstruction took place between 1865 and 1877.

The reconstruction was characterized by the move by the U.S. government and North states to reunite the country following the civil war (Digital History par. 5). It was also characterized by the fight by African Americans to enjoy the freedoms that they previously did not enjoy such as the freedom to vote, freedom against discrimination, and their recognition as U.S. citizens. The reconstruction period saw a number of amendments to the constitution that favored the African American in these respects.

The reconstruction was a success in that it helped address a number of fundamental issues that affected the American society chief of which included the fate of African Americans as free citizens and the unification of the nation. Some people, however, see it as a failure since it was characterized by corruption, racial discrimination against African Americans, and misgovernment (Digital History par. 5). Works CitedDigital History. American Reconstruction. Web. http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/exhibits/reconstruction/introduction.

html McPherso, James. A Brief Overview of the American Civil War. 2013. Web. http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/civil-war-overview/overview.html