United State Reconstruction Essay Example

Northern voters strongly rejected Johnson's policies, prompting Congress to begin a new Reconstruction. The Reconstruction Acts of 1867 divided the South into five military districts and provided guidelines for creating new governments based on universal male suffrage regardless of race. This marked the start of Radical or Congressional Reconstruction, which lasted until Southern Republican government ended in 1877. By 1870, all former Confederate states had rejoined the Union, with most under Republican Party control. Another significant group at this time were called scalawags – comprised of businessmen and planters, although the majority were small farmers from non-slaveholding regions in the Southern up-country.

Loyal to the Union during the Civil War, African Americans considered the Republican Party as a means to prevent Confederates from regaining power in the South. African Americans comprised the overwhelming majority of Southern Republican voters across all states. Throughout the South, black leaders and newspapers had been advocating for the inclusion of comprehensive civil and social rights for African Americans since the beginning of Reconstruction. The black political leadership, consisting of those who were free before the Civil War as well as slave ministers, artisans, and Civil War veterans, actively campaigned for the elimination of racial discrimination and the economic advancement of former slaves.

During the Reconstruction era, sixteen African Americans, including Hiram Revels and Blanche K., served as members of Congress. Despite their political involvement, they faced violent opposition from white Southerners. A white supremacist group emerged during this time and committed acts of terrorism, specifically targeting local Republican leaders for beatings or assassination. African Americans seeking assistance from white employers, teachers, ministers, and others who aimed to help former slaves also became

targets. In 1873 in Colfax, Louisiana, a significant number of black militiamen were killed when they encountered armed whites attempting to take control of the local government. By 1869, the Republican Party had gained control over all three branches of the federal government.

In 1868, President Johnson faced accusations from the House of Representatives for trying to remove Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, which violated the Tenure of Office Act. While narrowly avoiding removal by the Senate, Johnson's power to hinder Reconstruction was diminished (Douglas, 2014). As a result, Ulysses S. Grant, a Republican candidate, assumed presidency in that same year. In response, Congress passed the Fifteenth Amendment which prohibited states from limiting voting rights based on race.

In 1871, the administration launched a legal and military attack on the Klan, causing significant harm. Grant was reelected in 1872, making it the calmest election of that time.

Effect of Reconstruction on Citizens' Lives

Changes were made to the tax system during Reconstruction in the South. Property tax has always been crucial for generating state revenue in U.S. history. However, wealthy landowners in the South had the power to determine their own land's value for taxation purposes.

These assessments were fake and had little value. Additionally, pre-war property tax collections were not accurate because the value of properties was manipulated. State revenues were generated from fees and sales taxes collected from slave auctions. Some states imposed taxes on property owners based on both land value and a capitation tax, which taxed each worker employed (Ford, 2005). This tax system often discouraged the existence of a free labor market. For instance, a slave was valued at 75 cents while a free

white person was valued at one dollar or more, and a free African American was valued at three dollars or more.

Some revenue also came from poll taxes. These taxes were higher than what poor people could afford, resulting in them being unable to vote. During Reconstruction, the state legislature made efforts to improve public services more than previous governments did. This included building public schools, investing in infrastructure, and supporting charitable institutions like hospitals and asylums. They wanted to increase taxes, which were unusually low at the time. The planters had previously contributed privately to meet their own needs.

After the war, there was a rise in false spending resulting in state credit collapsing due to significant deficits. Consequently, property tax rates had to be raised by the states, sometimes increasing up to ten times higher than before, despite the impoverished condition of the region. The infrastructure suffered considerable damage during the war, leaving many plantations in ruins. To generate revenue through taxes, the new tax system aimed at pressuring owners of vast uncultivated land, specifically those with large plantations, into either selling their land or facing confiscation.

The taxes would serve as a market-based structure for redistributing the land to the landless freedmen and white poor.

Importance of Reconstruction in United State History

Reconstruction remains significant in United State History due to its period of immense suffering and unending uncertainties. The re-admission of the Confederacy into the Union raised questions about whether Congress or the President had authority to determine the terms. The status of freed black individuals in the South also concerned many, questioning if their emancipation meant they would now have equal rights as

white individuals. Furthermore, debates arose regarding the fate of Confederate leaders who were seen as traitors by many in the North. Overall, this era brought up fundamental questions about power distribution between local and national governments, American citizenship entitlements, and what freedom and equality truly mean in America. These ongoing controversies today indicate that the Civil War still holds relevance.

The conclusion of Reconstruction

In 1876, Republican control remained in only South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana. The disputed income from these states would determine the outcome of the presidential election between Rutherford B. Hayes and Samuel J. Tilden. Negotiations occurred between Southern political leaders and representatives of Hayes, leading to a compromise: Democratic control of the remaining Southern states would be acknowledged by Hayes, while Democrats would not contest the certification of his election by Congress.

Hayes was inaugurated; federal troops returned to their barracks; and Reconstruction, an era where the federal government accepted responsibility for protecting the rights of former slaves, came to a close.

Reference

1. Donald, David H. et al. Civil War and Reconstruction (2001), a standard textbook Egerton, Douglas (2014).
2. The Wars of Reconstruction: The Brief, Violent History of America's Most Progressive Era. Bloomsbury Press Simpson, Brooks D. The Reconstruction Presidents (2009).
3. Lynch, John R. The Facts of Reconstruction (New York: 1913)
4. Ford, Lacy K., ed. A Companion to the Civil War and Reconstruction. Blackwell, 2005.

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