Civil War Reconstruction

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After the Civil war, Reconstruction started. The reconstruction years of America served as transitions for the social, economical, cultural, and political aspects of society. Throughout this time, the United States of America shifted into a a modern industrial nation. This shift was led by entrepreneurs and businessmen. Industrialism eventually would make America into an economical and technological front runner in the world scope. During this time, American industry grew faster than ever before. While this caused cities and urban areas to spread, it also increased the pace of and therefore the stress of life. This consequence did not seem to have much an effect because during this time, it was the age of progress. Material comfort could potentially be achieved by anyone and everyone(or so it was thought). Industrialism brought many great positives to American society, but where there are positives, there are also negatives. Exploitation in industry ran rampant. Monopolies and laissez-faire policies were being exercised. As a result of this, people began to question the purpose of government. Was it there to serve the many or few, the haves or the have-nots, for business or for people? Many Americans began to even doubt the American Dream. The impact of reconstruction on this time was a big one, the abolition of slavery was taking place and the institution being removed from society, boatloads of immigrants were arriving consistently, and American values were changing. All that glitters is not gold. Reconstruction started in 1865. Reconstruction could simply be called the rebuilding of the south after it’s destruction in the civil war. However, the reconstruction era was more than that. It was a period of transition for the Ame... ... middle of paper ... ...ut the influence of America's rapidly expanding wealth already left its mark on public life, as many politicians embraced a governing philosophy rooted in the premise that the rich should be allowed to pursue its endeavors with minimal government interference. Urban politics was filled with powerful organizations that exchanged jobs and contracts for political loyalty. Unsurprisingly, the politicians running those organizations always managed to skim a little off the top for themselves. America's farmers suffered during these years. At first, they took advantage of the new technologies and markets of America's growing economy. However, they soon faced increasing competition, saturated markets, and falling produce prices. By the last decades of the century, their share of the national wealth had declined and their iconic place in the American imagination was at risk.

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