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FAILURE OF RECONSTRUCTION

            The tumultuous period of American history which we now refer to Reconstruction began in 1863 when Abraham Lincoln first outlined his Reconstruction program, but its inevitable end and relative lack of success had been predetermined more than two centuries before, with the arrival of the first Europeans and their slaves in North America. To claim that Reconstruction failed solely as a result of one specific reason or another would be crude and unobservant, but the specter of racism clearly lay at the heart of all reasons imaginable.1 The horrible racism that eventually brought Reconstruction to its knees persisted during the 1860s and 1870s in a number of different forms. Two main racist influences combined in the late nineteenth century to destroy Reconstruction. The most important of these influences was the popular racism which had inherently existed in both northern and southern colonial America since the establishment of the institution of slavery in the seventeenth century. The second important influence was the standards of racism supported by the first Reconstruction president, Andrew Johnson.
             Although the institution of slavery existed predominantly in the South before the Civil War, the morals and ethics perpetuated by the racism associated with it permeated all of American society--the North as well as the South. The only way that southern slaveholders maintained their status as such throughout the course of American history was through the societal indoctrination of certain religious, economic and moral principles which--the slaveholders argued--justified the institution of slavery. If generation after generation of Southerners had not been brainwashed into thinking that Blacks were inherently inferior to whites, slavery would not have perpetuated itself. The perennial inculcation of these racist values soon fused them with the very essence of the South itself. In effect, the end of Reconstruction was conceived as soon as slavery became a part of the Southern consciousness and way of life.


Essays Related to FAILURE OF RECONSTRUCTION

1. Failure of the reconstruction

To think that Reconstruction failed solely as a result of one specific reason or another would be very unobservant, but the presence of racism clearly lay at the heart of all reasons for its failure. ... While the evidence is in support of racism as the primary cause of the failure of Reconstruction, there are many historians who argue in support of other causes. ... These historians discount racism as the primary cause of the failure. ... Other historians have argued that the governmental system of the post-Civil War South was responsible for the failure of Reconstruction. ... All of the evid...

  • Word Count: 1238
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

2. Why Reconstruction Was a Failure

Nonetheless, Reconstruction was a failure because many political differences still existed, the South was stronger politically more than ever, and the Southern economy was destroyed, and freed slaves still suffered drastically. ... Before Reconstruction, slaves were counted as three-fifths of a person. ... The Reconstruction Era did not help these circumstances efficiently at all. ... All in all, Reconstruction was a failure. ... Nonetheless, the road to recovery was a long one until the Reconstruction Era's end....

  • Word Count: 583
  • Approx Pages: 2

3. Reconstruction

Although the former slaves were undeniably freed, the foundations for a racial democracy were laid, and the country was once again united, overall, Reconstruction was a period of political strife, shortcomings, and general failure. ... By vetoing them, the president marked his alienation from Congress and set off a chain of events leading towards failure. ... Despite its ultimate failure, Reconstruction did have some positive outcomes contributing to a changed South. ... However, the many inadequacies and failures of Reconstruction seem to outweigh these minor achievements. ... Reconstruction ...

  • Word Count: 1277
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

4. Reconstruction:success/failure

Reconstruction Failure or Success? ... Because of these conflicts in goals, the failure to bring complete equal rights to all newly freed blacks during the reconstruction of the 1860's and 70's was mainly due to the social war between the northern and southern white Americans. ... In this, the failure to bring equal rights to blacks during reconstruction was proven. In the end, reconstruction was a failure. ... Although the intentions of Reconstruction were good, the process at which the actions were completed resulted in failure. ...

  • Word Count: 621
  • Approx Pages: 2

5. reconstruction

Reconstruction Essay The twelve-year time period after the Civil War, also known as the Reconstruction, was considered by many people to be a failure. Although the two main goals of the reconstruction, giving blacks civil rights, and re-uniting the Confederate and Union states, were met, they weren't stretched out to completion, and at the end, left blacks worse off then they were before. ... In my eyes, the reconstruction wasn't a complete failure. ...

  • Word Count: 371
  • Approx Pages: 1
  • Grade Level: High School

6. Reconstruction paper

Although the former slaves were undeniably freed, the foundations for a racial democracy were laid, and the country was once again united, overall, Reconstruction was a period of political strife, shortcomings, and general failure. ... By vetoing them, the president marked his alienation from Congress and set off a chain of events leading towards failure. ... Despite its ultimate failure, Reconstruction did have some positive outcomes contributing to a changed South. ... However, the many inadequacies and failures of Reconstruction seem to outweigh these minor achievements. ... Reconstruction ...

  • Word Count: 1331
  • Approx Pages: 5
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

7. Reconstruction

The historians Moore, Stampp, and Randall each provide their individual interpretation of the Reconstruction of the South following the Civil War. ... Randall states that black voting and officeholding was a failure because they were manipulated by leagues like the Union League (1857) and often incompetent to hold office. ... Finally, Randall states that Reconstruction did not honestly begin until the Republicans were removed from power while Stampp downplays that sentiment as extreme. ... Then, during Reconstruction, radical Republicans monopolized the process and spread corruption and fra...

  • Word Count: 619
  • Approx Pages: 2
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

8. Arguements For Reconstruction

Arguments for why Reconstruction was not a failure The Reconstruction implemented by Congress reorganized the Southern states after the Civil War, readmitted them into the Union, and defined the means by which whites and blacks could live together in a non-slave society. ... African-Americans gained civil rights and emancipation during this Reconstruction period. ... Reconstruction also reorganized the state governments of the South. ... Reconstruction also modernized South with Social reforms. ... The Civil War Reconstruction was a foundation for the modern civil rights movement in th...

  • Word Count: 269
  • Approx Pages: 1
  • Grade Level: Undergraduate

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