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Main causes of the civil war
The main causes of the Civil War
Economic impacts of the american civil war
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The American civil war was one of the biggest hardships for a young country to endure, and yet it did not prepare them for the tension after. Slavery was the biggest conflict between the Northern states and the Southern states, this is what lead us to civil war. In the midst of all the national crisis was a breaking point for the young country. Reconstruction was needed, and the period following the civil war, the reconstruction period, fostered many significant results and achievements especially for Constitutional amendments. While mending a broken country, the reconstruction period still left many fresh wounds. Creating and passing laws wasn’t enough to make a change, it would take a leader strong enough to change the hearts and minds of …show more content…
Many had lost loved ones from both sides; the death toll over six hundred thousand and the initial issues still remaining. Even with Lincoln passing the Emancipation proclamation and Congress following suit with bills freeing slaves, many southern states didn’t take action. Instead they continued to discriminate against the freed slaves. Many in the north only wanted slaves free simply to harm their owners businesses, but they were very clear they didn’t want the free slaves in the north either. This left many free slaves stuck in the southern states. “Republican politicians who defended emancipation did so with racist arguments. Far from encouraging southern blacks to move north, they claimed, the ending of slavery would lead to a mass migration of northern blacks to the south”. This highlights the continuing issues of racism and discrimination not just in the south but in the north as well. These are some key issues that started at America 's birth as a country, and grew into a bloody conflict, and continued throughout the reconstruction period. These are the ideas the reconstruction period sought to change, but the unwillingness of the people and ineptitude of the nation’s leaders unfortunately lead to the continuance of these ideas for many more years. A strong leader may have softened the blow and could have even smoothed things out for a nation in crisis, but that strong leader was assassinated …show more content…
Reconstruction was needed and the period following the civil war, the reconstruction period, fostered many significant results and achievements especially for Constitutional amendments. While mending a broken country, the reconstruction period still left many fresh wounds. There was great successes and championships for former slaves and the blacks rights, but their was still lingering thoughts and acts of discrimination towards these groups. Reconstruction produced three amendments defending the people 's rights, yet discrimination towards blacks was peeking to new heights. Laws were not enough to change the hearts and minds of the people, which was at the core of the issue. With the unfortunate loss of the nation’s leader, it would be almost a hundred years later until America had leaders strong enough, in the nineteen sixties, that could change the ideas of racism and
Even when the Amendment abolished slavery in 1865, and the black people embraced education, built their own churches, reunited with their broken families and worked very hard in the sharecropping system, nothing was enough for the Reconstruction to succeed. Whites never gave total freedom to African Americans. Blacks were forced to endure curfews, passes, and living on rented land, which put them in a similar situation as slaves. In
Sectionalism, slavery and other issues leading up to the Civil War were some of the most disturbing aspects of our history. The years during the Reconstructive Period were also volatile and often violent. However, these were all critical and contributed to the growth and development of today's United States; the strongest and most democratic country in the world.
... The cause was forfeited not by Republicans, who welcomed the African-American votes, but to the elite North who had concluded that the formal end of slavery was all the freed man needed and their unpreparedness for the ex-slaves to participate in the Southern commonwealth was evident. Racism, severe economic depression, an exhausted North and troubled South, and a campaign of organized violence toward the freed man, overturned Reconstruction. The North withdrew the last of the federal troops with the passing of The Compromise of 1877. The freed slaves continued to practice few voting rights until 1890, but they were soon stripped of all political, social and economic powers. Not until the civil rights movement in the 1950’s and 1960’s were the freedoms that were fought for by our Republican forefathers nearly 100 years before, finally seen through to fruition.
America has gone through many hardships and struggles since coming together as a nation involving war and changes in the political system. Many highly regarded leaders in America have come bestowing their own ideas and foundation to provide a better life for “Americans”, but no other war or political change is more infamous than the civil war and reconstruction. Reconstruction started in 1865 and ended in 1877 and still to date one of the most debated issues in American history on whether reconstruction was a failure or success as well as a contest over the memory, meaning, and ending of the war. According to, “Major Problems in American History” David W. Blight of Yale University and Steven Hahn of the University of Pennsylvania take different stances on the meaning of reconstruction, and what caused its demise. David W. Blight argues that reconstruction was a conflict between two solely significant, but incompatible objectives that “vied” for attention both reconciliation and emancipation. On the other hand Steven Hahn argues that former slaves and confederates were willing and prepared to fight for what they believed in “reflecting a long tradition of southern violence that had previously undergirded slavery” Hahn also believes that reconstruction ended when the North grew tired of the 16 year freedom conflict. Although many people are unsure, Hahn’s arguments presents a more favorable appeal from support from his argument oppose to Blight. The inevitable end of reconstruction was the North pulling federal troops from the south allowing white rule to reign again and proving time travel exist as freed Africans in the south again had their civil, political, and economical position oppressed.
When Reconstruction began in 1865, a broken America had just finished fighting the Civil War. In all respects, Reconstruction was mainly just that. It was a time period of “putting back the pieces”, as people say. It was the point where America attempted to become a full running country once more. This, though, was not an easy task. The memory of massive death was still in the front of everyone’s mind, hardening into resentment and sometimes even hatred. The south was virtually non-existent politically or economically, and searching desperately for a way back in. Along with these things, now living amongst the population were almost
The Reconstruction has been killed! Who’s to blame, the North or South? The Northern neglect stopped Reconstruction because of neglect and racism. At the time the Reconstruction ended, the Declaration of Independence became one hundred years old in 1876 (Background Essay, Paragraph 1). Another important event that occurred was the election of 1876 for the new president. It was Rutherford B. Hayes against Samuel J. Tilden. The election caused talk of a new Civil War but then the Compromise of 1877 gave Hayes presidency. Rutherford B. Hayes became the new president at the time the Reconstruction was coming to an end (Background Essay, Paragraph 4). The presidential election did not help the Reconstruction at all. It destroyed American dream for the black people who were in the South (Background Essay, Paragraph 1).
The radical reconstruction era in the south saw the emergence of African americans in political offices, however there was no real black supremacy and the whites ultimately had the overwhelming power. The 13th, 14th and 15th ammendments to the constitution were ratified or passed during the era which saw the abolishing of slavery, civil rights granted to all people born in the United States and the right to vote to citisens of any race, colour and religion. The latter summed up by Kenneth Stamp ‘ if it was worth four years of civil war to save the union, it was worth a few years of radical reconstruction to give the American negro the ultimate promise of equal civil and political rights’.
As you can imagine the assassination of Lincoln greatly influenced the relationship between the north and the south. The assassination soured their relationship, increasing the north’s hate toward the south (The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln pg.51). Even before the north even knew who killed Lincoln, they blamed the south. The north mourned whereas the south was happy (History Engine). In the north, not only whites, but blacks too mourned for their fallen president (History Engine). In the south most were happy, but not all of them (History Engine). Some southerners joined with the north in their sadness and sorrow. The ones who mo...
From the inauguration of Lincoln and the secession of eleven states to the Union to the first exchange of fires at Fort Sumter, the inevitable Civil War began. Ever since America began to expand as an independent country, sectionalism (where the North wanted the abolition of slavery while the South wanted slavery) and growing conflicts between the north and south has always closely revolved around the issue of slavery. This long due problem finally blows up in the “United” States of America’s face as the Civil War. Conflicts relating to African Americans caused the war, changed the course and complications of the war, and shaped the war results in both informal and formal ways.
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
Reconstruction failed to bring justice, social and economic equality to freed Blacks. Reconstruction may have bought freedom to slave but it only caused more horror in their life. Many of the trauma caused by reconstruction is shown in documents D, E, and F. Reconstruction was not all a failure to the African-American community it cause them to gain some type of equality in the American society. Example’s of the positive effect of the reconstruction is shown in documents A, B, and C. Reconstruction had both a negative and positive effect on the social class of African-American in the United States.
Following the events of the Civil War in 1865, the United States and its Americans began a period of reconstruction. After the Union and Confederacy fought a bloody and violent war, the question was what was next for Americans? Thousands of ex-slaves were free and without aim after the Emancipation Proclamation earlier in 1863, the north and south were still divided, and on top of it all, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, it was truly one of the most difficult and challenging times in American History. These events influenced various groups of Americans to model their mindset and values, which will eventually shape the history of the United States up to the modern day. From White Americans holding dear their judeo christian values and believing
After the great battle of the American Civil War was fought, and the North won, a bigger battle still had to take place; reconstruction. Reconstruction after the war was not going to be easy, and it was not. What was the primary goal? What should be done to ex-confederates? Free Blacks? How should this reconstruction take place? Many of these questions were solved by the government, but how well? Reconstruction could have gone very differently, and that is what I intend to show. I will develop my own reconstruction policy for the United States after the American Civil War, dealing with several critical points, and the overall re-integration of the south into the Union. My policy is based on equality for the South and North, and making sure that a political balance and a balance of economic power was restored as much as possible.
After the devastating Civil War, the nation had millions of freed slaves. Most former slaves were African Americans and the South were suffering a time of discrimination and living in horrible working and living conditions. The Union had a challenge in protecting the African American's rights of citizenship. This began the era of Reconstruction. Reconstruction’s goal was to protect and help African Americans get back on their feet and adapt them to this new society. Also, an attempt for the United States to become a unified country. Reconstruction wasn’t a success but it wasn’t a failure. It was a success by the thirteenth, fourteenth, and the fifteenth amendments being passed which abolished slavery for African Americans, becoming full citizens,
Finally the dreams of millions of African Americans were being turned into reality, slaves were becoming free. Although, as soon as the progress was being made, it was instantly crushed and would be arduous to return. Lincoln’s assassination was a dreadful day in American History. When the tide of the new election came around the corner, it was such a strenuous decision that there was talk of a new Civil War. The answer is clear, the North is at fault for the end of Reconstruction because of Grant’s focus only on the Government, racism, and the distractions the North had.