US History. To what extent were the aims of Reconstruction achieved by 1877?

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History Essay

Reconstruction

To what extent were the aims of Reconstruction achieved by 1877?

This essay will analyze to what extent were the aims of Reconstruction achieved by 1877 in the United States.

The Civil war took place from the year 1861 to 1865; it was a long and difficult struggle between the North and the South. There were differences between the North and the South which created political arguments between the sectors like for example the serious differences caused by the use of slavery in the south, and States ‘rights. Although the North beat the South economically, as the North was more industrialized and its economy was stronger than the South’s economy which was based on monoculture of cotton, it took 4 years for the North to beat the South. By 1865, the North had won a great victory, the south was crushed and completely defeated, cotton plantations were destroyed, and they had lost all international trade as Britain had found new markets from which to buy cotton, this weakened even more the South. Also the South had seen the defeat of its political beliefs as secession, state’s right and nullification were proved to be false, this made the South even weaker. The civil war finally led to the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation which freed the slaves. After the war, the process of Reconstruction began white started the task of reforming the economic, social and political traditions of the South. The situation was therefore a crisis, but also a great opportunity and a promising start, the South was in some ways ready for whatever changes the North imposed. However, this process of Reconstruction was not completely successful, the North failed to understand the full strength of southern resentment to the freedmen, and President Johnson, the new president after Lincoln was shot, had views that seemed to represent the Old South more than the new United States, this made the Reconstruction process weaker. Some progress was finally made, like for example the 13th, 14th and 15th amendments, but major opportunities to change the south and reconstruct the USA were lost in the crucial first years after 1865.

Overall, the aims of reconstruction were, firstly Saving the Union, the North wanted to bring the South back to the Union, defeating secession, and make the South an integral part of the United States, which would mean the South would have to overcome a series of changes. Also, another main aim of reconstruction was to remodel, rebuild the South along northern lines, their aim was to make political social and economic changes in the South so that the South would be more like the ante-bellum North. They planned to industrialize the south, and in that way strengthen the South’s economy and remove its dependence on crops such as cotton, “cotton in king”, modernize the south, improvements in infrastructure, “Towns were to grow” education etc. Also, destroy the power of the planters, and encourage democracy in the South, “develop a two party system in which a chastened Democratic party would compete with a revived Whig party”, and finally free the African-Americans, and ensure that they remained free to work, live and prosper without being again enslaved.

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On the one hand, Reconstruction succeeded in achieving its aims as, Afro American strength in the United States had been clearly asserted during 1851-1865, “They were a force to be reckoned with”, they had won their own freedom and they grew stronger, as they joined the army league to fight for the United States and had strong leaders, “once let the black men get upon his person,…, there is no power on earth which can deny that he has earned the right to citizenship in the United States.” Therefore, reconstruction was a success as it officially recognized this new role ...

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