American reconstruction essay

American reconstruction essay

The history of America is monumentally marked by the Civil War which occurred between 1861 and 1865. The war posed a serious risk to the U.S survival, because the effects that the war had were dependent upon the ability of the United States to execute freedom and justice whilst upholding equality and preserving human rights. The war occurred during the reign of Abraham Lincoln as president of the United States. At this time, there was a strong debate as to the powers that both the state as well as the federal governments possessed. America had split into two; North and South. War had broken out between the two divisions, and this resulted to pressure on the then constitutional government. This war lasted four years after which the restoration of the Union and the end of slavery followed. Following this preamble, the war has been regarded in two perspectives. On the one side, it is considered to have smashed democracy that characterized the political system. On the other, the war was the beginning of a new chapter in the history of America’s racism. Whether or not the reconstruction actually brought racial injustices to an end is subject of debate.

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According to Fooner and Mahoney (1997), the reconstruction is considered as being among the eras in the history of America that were marked by turbulence and controversy. The reconstruction started at the same time as the civil war i.e. 1855 and came to end in 1877. The American reconstruction was focused on two pillars; the roles that federal governments were expected to play in the endeavor to protect the rights of citizens; as well as the likelihood of achieving economic equality and racial justice in a society that was largely heterogeneous. America’s reconstruction witnessed significant amendments in the country’s socio-political system. Nationally, the hitherto federal system was replaced by new laws; amendments were done to the constitution as well as to the composition of U.S citizenship. The reconstruction saw the new national government charged with the responsibility of the definition and protection of the civil rights of Americans. Men of African-American origin living in the South of America now enjoyed voting rights as well as the right to hold office. This phenomenon was significant as it signaled departure from the racism that dominated the days before the War and in which only a few blacks were allowed to vote. The reconstruction was marked by an end to oppressive slavery and the centralization of the Southern America. This in turn brought remarkable changes to the way citizens lived, both black and white citizens. Those who had been freed from slavery exercised their newly found freedom by acquiring and possessing land (Fooner & Mahoney, 1997, p.11).

The reconstruction is regarded to have brought an end to slavery and racism, but not fully. Fooner and Mahoney observe that only few whites living in Southern America readily accepted the argument that African-Americans were entitled to the same rights and opportunities, both politically and economically. In fact, some whites in the South sought to reinstate a system of governance in which whites were to be so supreme over the blacks that it could best be described as slavery. This incompatibility generated further conflicts in the South (Fooner & Mahoney, 1997, p.11).

Reference

Fooner, Eric & Mahoney, Olivia. (1997). America's Reconstruction: people and politics after the Civil War. LSU Press

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