Essay on Could Reconstruction Have Been More Successful

History Term Paper Jack Conway Mr. Hilgendorf February 25, 2013 Word Count: 3234 Reconstruction: Rebuilding America The United States was founded on the belief that every man has â€Å"certain inalienable Rights.† Not until ninety years later, however, when slavery was abolished did the United States actually offer these â€Å"Rights† to all of its citizens. The 19th century was turbulent time of stress and change for America. One of the most controversial dilemmas was the issue of slavery. Slavery was conceived by many to be morally wrong, and it undermined America’s most valued beliefs. Despite this inconsistency, slavery was still widely supported and permitted out of economic necessity in the South. Slavery divided the†¦show more content†¦Clearly the North and federal government still held most of the power over the South. The most recalcitrant Confederate states underwent radical reconstruction enforced by a military regime. After Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, Andrew Johnson, his Vice President, replaced him. Johnson1, a southerner, shared Lincoln’s ideas on leniency when it came to reconstructing the South. He wanted minimal demands. At first Radical Republicans were unwilling to spread national power and felt that in order to properly reconstruct the South they had to maintain their authority. However, the centralization of power did not last long as violence grew in southern states and as the desire to preserve the federal system’s pre-war balance weighed heavily on the minds of leading Republicans. Republican Senator James W. Grimes once said in a letter, â€Å"We are gradually surrendering all rights of the states,† illustrating that the Union intended to transfer power back to the southern states. Despite the turmoil caused during Reconstruction, there were some substantial accomplishments. The Thirteenth Amendment was the first of the â€Å"Reconstruction Amendments.† This Amendment made slavery illegal in every part of the United States. The next was the Fourteenth Amendment that made Blacks citizens and prohibited any state from interfering with the â€Å"inalienableShow MoreRelatedR econstruction Of The Civil War872 Words   |  4 PagesAfter the Civil War, which lasted from 1861-1865, there were three different approaches to southern reconstruction. The Lincoln Plan, as outlined by Abraham Lincoln before his death, would: (1) improve the economic and political status of blacks (2) allow southern states to re-enter the Union after 10% of whites had taken oaths of loyalty (3) grant blanket pardons to Confederate veterans after individual pleas to the president, and (4) not allow a loss of property except slaves. 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