Was Reconstruction A Success Or A Failure

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Recommended: The reconstruction after the American civil war

The American history has had many memorable moments over the time period from 1870 to 1920 which has helped develop the way America is today. Each time period holds many life changing events and discoveries in them. We, as Americans, learn from past events and work together to make this country a better and safer home. Starting in the 1865 to 1877 the Reconstruction began in the South following after the American Civil War. This alteration in the south was not welcomed by the Southerners, which resulted in many problems throughout this process. Even though Republicans were trying to help by restoring the region; the Southerners felt attacked and controlled during the Reconstruction because many characteristics of society and politics were …show more content…

Lincoln’s original goal was to hold the nation together through the Civil War and Reconstruction and in this his goal was a success. The South was politically and economically non-existent and desperately searching a way to get back in. The Confederacy was destroyed and every state in America that was seceded was readmitted to the Union. Slavery was outlawed by the federal government with the 13th Amendment in 1865. This became a great concern to powerful political leaders in the future. This concern emerged ideas of their own plans of Reconstruction. The president at the time, Abraham Lincoln, presented his own version of Reconstruction. His plan stated that a certain criteria had to be met for a confederate state if the state wished to return to the Union. Before Lincoln was able to test out his plan, he was assassinated in 1865. After his death the Republicans, such as Thaddeus Stevens, stood up providing is version of Reconstruction. “Thaddeus Stevens served as one of the leading radical Republicans in Congress during the Civil War and Reconstruction…Stevens supported a ‘hard’ Reconstruction of the South that would erase the gross inequalities in wealth created by slavery, but his plan plans for land redistribution were not supported by more moderate members of his party” (Schaller 161). Dividing land across South and giving 40 acres to each adult freed-man was not sought by the fellow citizens. The …show more content…

The Women’s Rights Movement began in 1848 and ended successfully in 1920. For nearly 70 years, this grew to be a large movement initially emphasizing on goals on securing the franchise for women. This event changed the way society viewed woman’s roles. At the time married women were not able to sue in court, lost their property rights and were not allowed to own a business. This situation led to the 19th Amendment in 1920, which allowed American women the right to vote. The main woman behind this movement was Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who organized gatherings for women to speak up. In 1869, Stanton created the National Woman Suffrage Association, which focused on changing federal law and opposed the 15th Amendment. Lucy Stone formed the American Woman Suffrage Association, which rejected Stanton’s Association and aimed for a national reform effort at the state level. These two Association movements struggled to maintain power and strength. Neither group gained board support from women or persuaded politicians to give rights to women. Even though the movement’s groups had managerial problems and lack of coordination, this did not eliminate its success. In 1869, Wyoming was the first state to grant women voting rights in the country. Before 1910, four additional states agreed and allowed women to vote.

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