Reconstruction in America - Essay Example

Reconstruction in America was mainly an effort to address the issues of American Civil war. American Civil war ended in the defeat of the confederacyand it also brought the centuries old curse slavery to an end. As the civil war got over three issues came to dominate the then sociopolitical scenario – these three issues comprised of finding a way of the southern state to return into the union once again, fixing the constitutional as well as the legal status of the freed black men called the Negro at that time and establishing the civil status of the leaders belonging to the confederacy. Reconstruction started at the background of these three issues emerging after the American Civil War. Regarding the initiation of reconstruction there is an ambiguity among the historians while some prefer to call 1865 as its initiation year the others stick to 1863. However in a more relaxed way we may consider the period from 1863 to 1877 as the period of reconstruction. The most fundamental principles of reconstruction came to the enactment during the five years plan starting from 1865 to 1870. Reconstruction can be divided into three phases - Presidential Reconstruction (1863 to 1866), Congressional reconstruction (1866 to 1873) and Redemption (1873 to 1877). Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson initiated presidential Reconstruction. Their main objective was to reunite the country as first as possible. Lincoln with his Ten percent plan may be referred as the father of reconstruction. However the radicals were strongly opposing the plan but owing to their majority Lincoln managed to out power the radicals. Lead by Thaddeus Stevens and Charles Sumner, the radicals were skeptical about the actual intention of the southern regions and were favoring more Federal intervention into the issue. The Ten percent plan was followed by Wade Davis bill (1864). Both Sumner and Thaddeus were stringently critical on the effectiveness and motive of the Ten percent plan as well as the Wade Davis bill. Sumner and Stevens Both were of the view that these plan and bills will destroy the statehood and put the state into the status of newly conquered territory. Soon after Wade Davis bill Lincoln was assassinated and Johnson took his place. Johnson was more aligned to Democrats and radicals right away attacked his policies. Especially when Johnson gave his veto to the Civil Rights Act of 1866 he received an ideological battering from the Republicans. It is worth noting that in order to ensure the freedom and the civil rights of the newly freed black men the above act was immensely important. Johnson received a major feedback when he was defeated in Congress on the issues that he cannot enjoy the autocracy to decide what to do similar to the time of war, as the war has been over now. Johnson was overwhelmingly defeated at the election of 1866 and the radical took over the power. Following the election the radicals taking advantage of their increased power instructed the army to take over the south and voted in favor of the black men. The radical era saw a republic coalition in different states and was renowned for promoting modernization through improved form of transportation. Their era is famous for setting up new railroads and public schools. However the Democrats had often raised corruption charges against them. Reconstruction has important bearings considering flattening the social structure of the America. The social hierarchy that was quite prominent till then through the difference of social status and civil rights between white and black men was in a process of smoothening. Lincoln as well as Johnson always maintained a middle position regarding the status of the black men. Lincoln expressed his likings regarding the voting power of the black men through his words “The very intelligent, and specially those who have fought gallantly in our ranks” (Glenapp, 2002, 155); he was with the belief that once a black man fought for USA becomes a true citizen. Johnson was almost in the same tune as expressed in his words “ If you could extend the elective franchise to all persons of color who can read the constitution in English and write their names, and to all persons of color who own real estate valued at not less than two hundred and fifty dollars and pay taxes thereon, you would completely disarm the adversary (radicals in congress), and set an example the other states will follow.” (Franklin, 1961, 61) Sumner and Stevens were restrictive regarding the allotment of voting power to both black and white people. Sumner believes that voting power to both the color should be subject to their educational background. He opined that only the literate persons should have the elective power. Though Sumner did realize that he would never manage to keep the illiterates out of the voting power. (Donald, 1970, 201) However as a whole the republicans were in favor of granting the voting power to the common people, as they believed that through this the common people could be provided with a political experience. Following this belief the black people voted for the first time in 1867 election. Moreover throughout the course of reconstruction around 1500 black men participated in different posts in public organization. The above fact highlights that even though the relation between black and white men were passing through different frictions and somewhere it was in a process of changing that transformed the American society later on. Johnson’s presidential reconstruction witnessed a change in approach for Johnson himself from a strict and aggressive policy maker under the Lincoln presidency to a much softer approach under his own. The Freedmen’s bureau, which was established in 1865, extended its helping hand towards the homeless former slave and white refuge through food, clothe and fuel. (Foner, 1988, 273-76) However till that time many of the white men even the political persons were suspicious about the intention of Freedmen in near future. They used to believe that if black men were provided with political power and equal civil right as the white men then they may become a threat to the existence of White people on American soil. During the Johnson era the Freedmen bureau were gaining powers. They became a strong proponent of civil rights for the blacks and they also handled legal issues concerning the blacks with great efficiency. At this juncture the southern state governments enacted the black codes. No doubt under the black codes a black American was more free than he was ever before but it only provided the black men with limited civil rights, no voting power, and restricted their movements to countryside without employment. Adding up with these the blacks cannot keep a firearm with them and cannot serve as juries in which case at least one black man was involved. (Oberholtzer, 1917, 485) However the black code was short lived and soon was dethroned by the Civil Rights Act of 1866 that provided the black men legal equalities with the white people, though they were still bereft of voting power. The collective bargaining power of the Freedmen Bureau later on won several other important rights for the black men. Once the republicans took over the power from Johnson they provided a new dimension to the reconstruction process, which is popularly known as Radical Reconstruction. In this era validation of 14th amendment of the constitution came into the origin and also the 15th amendment of the constitution was passed in 1870. The 15th amendment pronounced that power to vote couldn’t be determined in terms of race, color or servitude. The unification of USA also received a boost during this radical reconstruction with the inclusion of states like Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Alabama, Virginia, Mississippi, Texas and Georgia during the period. The military supremacy of America in modern days can owe its origin to this period as well as during this period the USA military receive a massive level of reconstruction and that laid the foundation of a strong Federal power in later years. The first Reconstruction Act of 1867 took ten states directly under the military control by dividing them into five military districts. It has been found that in states under martial law a steep decrease of cases of violence against the black people. (Foner, 1988) The Freedmen Bureau was deeply associated with spread of education among the black people in the America and during the radical reconstruction this effort became one of the most propelling factors of spread of literacy in America. (Du Bois, 1988) Native schools and Sabbath schools were the gift of Freedmen Bureau that became important component of social education in USA. Once the black Americans were given political power this effort to spread education became a more holistic and universal approach and also its potential were realized in true sense. The earlier educational system during the radical reconstruction was segregated in terms of color. However it raised little annoyance among the black people as somewhere even they were in favor of such order. Though the earlier public education system of that time was subject to corruption, insufficient resource and poor payment and these often hindered the growth and restricted the public education system from achieving its true potential. (Foner, 365-68) This situation did not prevail for long and from 1890 black colleges started receiving Federal funds. In words of Lynch “there are very many liberal, fair – minded and influential democrats in the States who are strongly in favor of having the State provide for the liberal education of both races”. (Lynch, 1913) Almost all the Southern states granted subsidies towards the railroads in order to eradicate poverty and isolation. The dollars came that way often ended up in the pockets of government officials and contractors. These fraudulent activities on one hand hindered the spread of railway lines and on the other hand to finance the subsidies and ever-growing educational expenditure high rate of tax was imposed upon the common people, putting them in financial crunch. This era witnessed eighteen thousand miles railroads in addition within a span of 20 years. (Stover, 1955) Owing to the reconstruction the tax structure of the southern part underwent a drastic change. State revenues, which were earlier, comprised of fees and sales taxes were then on started to incline towards property taxes as the prime source of fund. The property tax rate is increased by ten times and if the owner of a large property failed to pay that tax either his land was sold or confiscated. The final stage of reconstruction, which is more popularly known as redemption, came as a democratic fight back of the republic. The new democrat politicians preferred to be called as redeemers took the party control. They were in favor of a cleaner nation in order to avoid unethical barbaric fights or in more general terms to avoid any more civil wars. They carried their attacks to the republicans on the ground of corruption and proposed for modernization at a much greater level and faster speed. The issues of relatively higher rate of taxation on poor people were favoring the democrats. Soon the democrats become successful in forming a coalition with the conservative republicans and occupy the power in Virginia. However in the following years the sharp competition between the republicans and the democrats hindered the normal flow of public life. The redemption period witnessed the fulfillment of reconstruction process, weakening of republicans and steady and strategic aggression of the democrats in American politics. The reconstruction is one of the most important incidence in American history on one hand it paved the way of equality between the black and white people and on the other restructuring the education system and the taxation process it left deep impact in future American progress. However even reconstruction is a highly spoken process but its failures are noting as well. The disparity between the black and white Americans remain for another 75 years after the reconstruction process and it is after many bloody battles the blacks have finally managed to keep up their self esteem and respect. At last one mast agree that the impact of reconstruction on America’s socioeconomic and sociopolitical life smoothened its progress later on, however reconstruction had failed to live up to its full potential and finally ended up in a unfulfilled dream that was beautiful but incomplete. References 1. Donald, David Herbert. Charles Sumner and the Rights of Man, Pulitzer prize winning biography, Knopf, 1970 2. Du Bois, W.E.B. Black Reconstruction in America, 1860-1880. New York: The Free Press, 1998 3. Franklin, John Hope. Reconstruction after the Civil War, University of Chicago Press, 1961, 280 pages 4. Foner, Eric. Reconstruction: Americas Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877, 1988 5. Gienapp, William E. Abraham Lincoln and Civil War America: A Biography: Oxford University Press, 2002 pp. 239 6. Lynch, John R. The Facts of Reconstruction. 1913, retrieved on february 21 2008 from: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/16158/16158-h/16158-h.htm 7. Oberholtzer, Ellis Paxson. A History of the United States since the Civil War. 1917, Vol 1. 8. Stover, John F. The Railroads of the South, 1865-1900: A Study in Finance and Control, 1955 Read More