Of the many trials and tribulations that occurred during reconstruction we arefaced with determining whether it was a success or a failure. Many good things and badthings happened as a result of reconstruction. . Although some setbacks and tragedies didhappen as with any project of this size would.
The entire effort overall was successful. Although it did not accomplished what it was set in place to do. The act changed thecourse of history for the better. As this project started there was much conflict as what to do with the south.
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ThePresidents ideas and Congresses ideas of how to solve the problems in the south differedgreatly. President Johnson was vetoing everything that congress wanted to pass. Hisreasoning for this was that he thought congress was being too harsh on the south. In turncongress thought the President was not being harsh enough. Congress told the southernstates that they must ratify the fourteenth amendment to gain admittance back into theunion. So reluctantly the south eventually gained admittance but not without findingloopholes first.
Some states as they ratified the amendment made laws and clauses thatstill prevented blacks from voting such as black codes and grandfather clauses. Theselaws and codes were totally legal. The way they worked is that literacy tests were givenat the polls before you could vote. Or the grandfather clause that stated if yourgrandfather could vote so could you. All of these problems proved to be a detrimentalsetback in the processes of reconstruction.
Despite all of these loopholes many good things came from reconstruction. It ledthe way for the civil rights movement. It also promoted equal rights and the right foreveryone to be free. Free labor was a result of these acts. Without reconstruction wherewould the south be today? Most likely poor, unequal rights, and most likely badeconomic problems.
As a direct result of reconstruction industrialization emerged in thesouth. Less raw materials were sent north and they were used in the south. Former slavesand poor whites started working in factories earning wages instead of working onplantations. Blacks started to be voted into office. If reconstruction never happened thissituation would never have come about.
Reconstruction not only changed things in thesouth they also changed things in the north. Feminists movements started coming aboutin the north. They started asking why freed slaves could vote but women still could not. Many new questions arose and reconstruction was the cause. Although the reconstruction acts failed in many ways they were reconciled by thefact that it opened doors to many new ideas. It tested the laws, practices, and even ourvery beliefs in the United States of America.
It broke into the time when industrialismreally exploded onto the scene. Civil rights emerged to help make this country equal andjust. Feminism emerged as well to help in this equal rights fight. As with every fight thisone was not easy but was overcome and became one of the most important turning pointsin American history.Words/ Pages : 526 / 24 .
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