Cause Of Reconstruction Research Paper

On January 1, 1863 President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Over 3 million men, women, and children, “are henceforth…free.” Thus began the idea and process of remitting the rebel southern states back into the Union or what is known as Reconstruction. As the War raged on and the Confederate states fell back under Union control these wartime ideas were put into place. President Lincoln pushed for a rather fast pace of remittance, forgiving the southern states for their wayward ways. While Congress, in what would become known as the radical wing of the Republican Party, wanted to abolish the entire southern philosophy and crush any hope of the South returning to business as usual.

With the surrender of General Lee at Appomattox

They resented the north for its military occupation. The Union Army in some cases disbanded every level of government, from local sheriffs to the state leadership and legislature. The whites were forced to publicly share some power with the African Americans. Tensions grew and behind closed door the southern white were slowly organizing and started to terrorize the black communities. They created laws that hindered the freed slaves from taking part in elections. What they couldn’t do with the passage of these laws they did through terror. Local whites started to riot, kill, and harasses the black community into

African Americans went from slaves to more than a half a million registered voting members of society. This was a significant life improvement. Africans Americans could no legally marry, send their children to school to receive an education, run for every level of state and local government, file lawsuits and own property. For the first time in their lives African Americans were able to become productive and contributing members of society.

With the election of Ulysses S. Grant as the 18th President, Reconstruction took on a much more unified approach. Alongside the Radical Republicans, Grant signed the long awaited civil rights bill and supports congress by sending thousands of additional troops into the south to quall the uprising of the KKK and to support African Americans at the election polls.

They nation grew tired of the idea of Reconstruction. They believed that confederate idealism and way of life was a thing of the past. Under great pressure form elected democrats, newly elected President Hayes pulled all federal troops out of the south, formally ending reconstruction. Although all was not right in the south many believed that it was as good as it was going to get under the stewardship of the federal