Reconstruction in American History - Essay Example

The reconstruction period refers to the era in American history that was after the civil war. It was an experiment by the American leaders including Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson to end the aspect of slavery in American and provide better terms and reduce the impact of slavery on the people affected. The plan was to bring America after the civil war back to normalcy and ensure everyone of all races and ethnicity healed from the war effects. Equally, American history views this era as an attempt to adopt interracial democracy where the blacks were constituted into ruling politically and citizenship granted.

Similarly, constitutional laws were revised and the freed slaves were granted their basic rights and also new state governments were created.  The dominant white Americans developed a description of the reconstruction as a disgrace to them as they could not accept that black Americans to have the same powers as them. The description of the reconstruction era being a disgrace to American history is inaccurate. This is because the period was meant to help the African American slaves and eliminate the inequalities they had from the whites.

The plan was to bring America after the civil war to an equal state having everybody enjoy their rights. The constitutional amendments helped the blacks to gain the power to rule, attain citizenship and enjoy the advantages of democracy. However, the whites anticipated this as a disgrace due to the success of the blacks and their supremacy. The events of reconstruction started with Abraham Lincoln proclaiming a reconstruction plan which was to have constitutional amendments and give blacks equal rights.

Congressmen agreed to the plan of reconstruction and eradicated slavery.  Abraham was assassinated and his vice president Andrew Johnson took over the power. Andrew continued with the legacy of Lincoln to help the blacks in the south. The states established adopted the black code rules meant to restrict and discriminate the African Americans and bring back a kind of state of slavery. A freedmen's bureau program was enacted to help the former slaves with the assistance they needed on health, education, and land.

The civil rights act was passed to provide civil liberties and equal treatment under the law and amendments made to offer citizenships to the former slaves. A reconstruction act was then signed into law which allowed black males to be voted into power with elections held. Black Northerners who supported the Union migrated to the South for their beneficial issues to overrule the blacks. The events brought about opposition to U.S. society due to white supremacy. The reconstruction period was not effective to the South as it was viewed as a disgrace to the whites due to the blacks rising and ruling them.

Problems arose like assassinations, beatings and the blacks were denied their rights through black codes restrictive. This era ended where the Republicans withdrew for racial fights and power, corruption and instability in the South, and Supreme Court limitations of reconstruction laws and amendments.