The End of the Civil War & Reconstruction   Term Paper ID:27808 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Discussion of how Johnson's plan for reconstruction was very different from what Lincoln had envisioned. Deals with this in terms of: political reconstruction; economics and labor; and religion and society.... More...

4 Pages / 900 Words 1 sources, 3 Citations, TURABIAN Format $16.00 Return to List of Papers

Paper Abstract: Discussion of how Johnson's plan for reconstruction was very different from what Lincoln had envisioned. Deals with this in terms of: political reconstruction; economics and labor; and religion and society. Paper Introduction: THE END OF THE CIVIL WAR AND THE RECONSTRUCTION INTRODUCTION Lincoln's plan of reconstruction was designed to restore the Southern states to the Union with maximum speed and a minimum of Federal intervention. The great majority of white southerners would receive amnesty and full power to reestablish loyal state government. In contrast, Andrew Johnson romanticized the self-sufficient farmer, and seemed to dream of an agrarian utopia free of the influence of the rich planter aristocracy. But he also viewed the future economic role of blacks as no more than that of an unskilled agricultural worker. Johnson's agrarian vision was never realized and the old southern aristocracy which he originally criticized, gradually regained much of its former influence Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Johnson urged the conventions to do threethings: declare the ordinances of secession illegal, repudiate theConfederate debt and ratify the Thirteenth Amendment abolishing slavery.However the state legislatures elected under the new constitutions passedthe "Black Codes" subjecting former slaves to special regulations andrestrictions on their freedom and employment choices. However, as the government set up public schools, theycontinued to segregates - the city schools of New Orleans and theUniversity of South Carolina were the only places where whites and blacksshared classrooms.CONCLUSION The intention of the radicals in providing blacks with civil rightsand economic opportunity was laudable, but the practice was not nearly aspraiseworthy. But he also viewed the future economic role of blacks as nomore than that of an unskilled agricultural worker. Thus, sharecropping becameincreasingly common thereafter. In contrast,Andrew Johnson romanticized the self-sufficient farmer, and seemed to dreamof an agrarian utopia free of the influence of the rich planteraristocracy. GeneralSherman, hampered by huge number of black fugitives that followed his army,set aside the islands and coastal areas of Georgia and South Carolina forexclusive black occupancy on 4 acre plots. Congress wanted to limit the possibility of the resurgence of the oldSouthern elite and provide basic rights and some protection for blackcitizenship; with this in mind they passed the 14th Amendment. Theysupported the chance to form their own churches where they could worship ina more congenial style. Divine, Breen, Fredrickson, Williams, "America Past and Present, Vol II, 1995, pages 471-481.2. Many blacks sought to become small independent farmers. The blackswere once again on their own seeking employment to survive. Greater and longer term protection and some capitalization of the ex-slaves was a necessity that was not provided for. Ibid. The first schools were established bynorthern missionaries and The Freedmen's Bureau. Theratification of this amendment was made a condition for readmission ofsouthern states. Slavery wasdead but new labor relationships were yet to be worked out. BIBLIOGRAPHYDivine, Robert S., Breen T.H., Fredrickson, George M. Proposals for an effective program of landconfiscation and redistribution failed to get through congress. However mob violence still prevented the blacks from entering the pollbooths while later property requirements and poll-taxes difficult for theblacks to satisfy made it impossible for them to exercise their franchise.ECONOMICS AND LABOR The Civil War left the South destitute and demoralized. Ibid. Further, the Freedmen's Bureauwas given control of hundreds of thousands of acres and authorized todivide them into forty acre plots for black settlers. Thisessentially called for national citizenship, reduction of staterepresentation in Congress proportionally to number of disfranchisedvoters, and denied former confederates the right to hold office. When President Johnson pardoned the owners of most of the landconsigned to the ex-slaves by Sherman and the Freedmen's Bureau theyreclaimed their property. page 484. The great majority of white southerners would receiveamnesty and full power to reestablish loyal state government. FOOTNOTES1. In the mean time,with no money up front they had to buy all of their food and supplies oncredit at the owners' stores, resulting in an enormous profit for theowners. This generally left the workers in debt at the end of the seasonand soon reduced their status to indentured labor to a single landlord forextended periods of time.RELIGION AND SOCIETY Some forms of segregation were not unwelcome to the blacks. The land was givenas a three year grant, at the end of which time blacks would be able to buyit at low prices. More radical politicianswanted readmission of the southern states to be dependent on guaranteesthat loyal men would displace the Confederate elite in positions of power,and that blacks would acquire the basic rights of American citizenship. The too rapid withdrawal of the federal troops meant thatthe blacks had no protection as they tried to claim these rights and theearly pardoning of the former southern elite soon reduced them to theirformer status as second class citizens living in fear of their freedoms and their lives, with poverty and destitution always staring them in the face. Workers had to wait for the harvest to be takenin and sold before they got their share of the money. Initially many signed on for one year contracts that were stronglybiased against them. Johnson on his own initiative placed North Carolina, followed by otherstates, under provisional governors chosen from prominent southernpoliticians who had opposed secession. Having been denied alleducation under slavery Blacks saw this as a step forward for theirchildren. By June 1865, forty thousand black farmers were at workon 3 , acres of what they thought would be their own land. and Williams, R. page 483.3. The contracts generally stipulated that blacks wouldwork at fixed wages, most of which was payable after the harvest. THE END OF THE CIVIL WAR AND THE RECONSTRUCTIONINTRODUCTION Lincoln's plan of reconstruction was designed to restore the Southernstates to the Union with maximum speed and a minimum of Federalintervention. One of the most cherished rights was that oflegalizing the liaisons men and women had formed during slavery and passingon their identity to their children. The 15th Amendment specifically prohibited denial offranchise because of race, color, or past servitude. The governors were to callconstitutional conventions and ensure "loyal" whites were permitted to votefor the delegates. Sharecropping put the land-owners in a very strong position, at theexpense of the laborers. Hal, "America Past and Present " Vol II, Harper Collins College Publishers, 1995. However,this actually backfired on the land-owners to some degree because of thedisastrous harvests of 1866 and 1867. Confederate leaders and former officers who hadparticipated in the rebellion were excluded, as were those with taxableproperty exceeding $2 , . Johnson's agrarianvision was never realized and the old southern aristocracy which heoriginally criticized, gradually regained much of its former influence.POLITICAL RECONSTRUCTION The advocates of minimal reconstruction wanted no more protection forthe freed slaves than the abolition of slavery. Blacks seeking to be independent of their former masters often took to the road hoping tofind a better deal. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.