Reconstruction

Reconstruction

Reconstruction was a period when America strived to get back on their feet after the Civil War was over. Reconstruction included properties in the South losing its value, the South spending $100 million for damages, and African Americans being freed. After plantation owners lost their land's value, they offered jobs to some of the freed slaves as tenant farmers. As a result of the South spending $100 million, they would be in a heap of debt for years to come. As for the freed slaves, they were now allowed to vote, own land, and travel without being stopped by a white person passing by.

Reconstruction also caused many problems between the North and South. Many northerners, known as carpetbaggers, moved down South to introduce schools to the poor whites and slaves. Other problems occurred within the South among themselves. A group of southerners called scalawags, joined the Republican party. Most of these scalawags were poor whites who didn't want to see the rich take over again. The rich whites were Democrats and wanted to change everything back to the way everything was before the Civil War began. And lastly, President Andrew Johnson, a southern abolitionist from Tennessee, wanted to punish rebellion leaders for causing the war.

Mickeal Burdine

Military Force

After the Civil War, there was a time period called reconstruction. At the start of reconstruction, Lincoln was president, but not but a few days after the war he was shot. Vice President Andrew Johnson became president and had many problems in his term of office. He sent military forces to the south to make sure nothing went wrong during the rebuilding of the nation. This caused more tension to both sides. He also had to deal with the actual rebuilding and his impeachment. Congress believed that they should deal with rebuilding and not Johnson. One thing lead to another and Johnson was up for impeachment. He was safe by one vote. So having military forces to solve problems just might of lead to his impeachment.

The use of military force to preserve a nation is not always good. When you have a country such as Cuba, the use of military force is not used to control a situation, but more to instill fear on it's people. So you are not in anyway fixing a situation, but making sure that the situation works out to the governments advantage. Military force, if used correctly, can also be good. For example, having troops in Iraq has brought them the right to vote for their leaders and a new government. In the case of military in the south during reconstruction, that was unnecessary because it bought about more tension between the two regions. I know if I were a southern at the time, I would feel threatened. So military force, if used for the right reasons can be appropriate and necessary.

Preserving The Nation

In 1877 the South began rebuilding, after the Civil War. Eventhough the war was over the effects of it were still being felt. For example General Sherman marched from Georgia to the Carolina's (1864-1865), destructing everything in his path. Sherman's march caused millions of dollars of damage. Rebuilding the South because of Sherman's march, was one of the main reasons for reconstruction. Along with the damage, the South had to reconstruct their goverment, and the newly freed slaves. The South knew that reconstruction would take along time. Also, they had a little bit of trouble finding the money to pay for it.

I belive that the use of military force, by Sherman, did not preserve the nation. I believe, it only made the nation worst. There is no way that a destructive attack like this, can preserve a nation. Good choices made by political and military leaders preserve a nation, in my opinion. Along with the political and military leaders, good choices also have to made by the people. If the people of a nation do not agree with each other then there is bound to be chaos among them. In the recontruction chapter, I learned how bad choices, not only effect yourself, but in some cases everyone elese also.

Preserving The Nation

Before leaving on Christmas Break, our class studied the Civil War and the Reconstruction. Based off everything that happened throughout this time period, yes a nation can be preserved by the use of military and politics. Abe Lincoln knew the south was seceeding illegally. It says in the Constitution that no one state can not seceed from the nation. The south doing such thing became known as the CSA. After doing so the president (Abe Lincoln) forgives them and still recognizes them as part of the nation. Our president at the time did not want to start a war but unfortunately it started April 1861. After the fight in Gettysburg, the Gettysburg Address was written. Lincoln recognized all of the soldiers that fought throughout this terrible war. In 1867 the reconstruction act came into play. This divided former confederate states into 5 military districts each with a union general, so there was the military enforcing the law.

I believe that everything need order and control. Thats why everywhere there are leaders. For example, at home the parents are usually the ones making all of the decisions or with the final say so. Also at school, the one person that makes all of the decisions is the Principal. Then there are the teachers, and last the students. By Abe Lincoln putting the soldiers in the 5 different confederate states was a smart decision because the CSA turned their back on the Union and were able to do it again. Another thing is when Abe Lincoln declared what the Confederacy was doing was unconstitutional. The United States needs control now and will need it later.

Mookie

Preserving The Nation

Dear diary,



It's me again, I am here sitting in my room doing nothing because the military regiment that was assigned to my town has ordered us to stay inside until told otherwise. This whole thing has thrown my parents into an uproar, they keep saying, "how are we supposed to farm if we can't go outside". I personally enjoy the military presence in the town they give us order, they give us direction. When the military presence first began I hated the regiment that was assigned to our town but as time went on I realized that with out them there some people from our town would have tried to start the war all over again. The military presence keeps us in check though, they make sure we dont try to do anything stupid. Sometimes though they can get a little forceful and may have resort to brute force but on their defense it is the citizens fault because they start it and leave the soldier no choice. Sometime's a military presence is needed in certain area's to keep that area under control. I may not understand everything that is going on right now but I have a feeling that this military presence will do us all some good. Well I am gonna go now, it sounds like the military regiment is letting us out of our homes now. Until next time.

Can the use of force preserve a nation? It is a question that has run through the minds of politicians alot, and it is also a question that our nation has had to deal with during past events. I for one think that force is a great way to preserve a nation, think about it, without some kind of force pushing us we would never do some of the things we do. Think back to the reconstruction of the south, without that military presence that was there, I truly believe that the south would have never gotten back to what they used to be. Why, you may ask, because that military presence the south would have never stopped arguing about everything, but because of that presence the south got to work and rebuilt themselves to their former glory. Let us also think back to the 13th, 14th, and 15th ammendment, congress knew those ammendments would throw the south into an outrage but they had to force themselves and the south to agree to it and in the end those three ammendments would eventually bring our nation together. So you see force can be a great way to preserve a nation. The question still stands though, can the use of force preserve a nation? The question may never be answered but we can always try.

Reconstruction

The Civil War was a time when the nation was damaged yet working to bring the nation to a time where every person in the nation would be treated equally. It was also a time when the nation was working to come together. Reconstruction was the time period of rebuilding after the Civil War. It was a time to rebuild all of the damaged land and to bring the nation together as one. Although twenty percent of the population was down in the south, taxes were increasing and the property values were lower, the nation was slowly recovering. Scalawags were joining the Republican party and Carpetbaggers were moving from the north to the south. They helped bring the nation together by letting the north and the south do things as one. This means teachers and ministers were starting new industries in the south and people were moving to the north to help with the production of goods in the north.

During Reconstruction this helped the nation politically. It helped in politics by having an amendment giving African Americans the right to be free. It also helped with amendments giving the African Americans the right of citizenship and the right to vote. This increased the number of votes in the south because now the African Americans would be counted as a regular vote like everyone else in the nation. Now everyone in the nation was beginning to have a say-so in what should happen with and for the nation.

Great Preservers

When the Civil War was over and the Reconstruction period ended, Americans needed to find a way to preserve the nation or keep it together. People lost land and their homes, people did not have a place to go, and many people did not have a job to support their families. Since the north won the war, slavery was now claimed as illegal. This forced the south to find a new way to make money, since they depended on the slaves to plant and reap their crops. Amendments 13, 14, and 15 gave previous slaves rights. The right to vote, allowed them to be citizens, and abolished slavery. Although the slaves were freed, this caused more problems. Freed blacks did not know were to go, they had no money, food, and an education. Another problem that freed blacks faced was racism. Even thought they were freed and given rights, most whites were still racists. Jim Crow laws were set up to ensure that blacks were restricted and given limited freedom. Although they were allowed to vote, the whites set heavy voting requirements which prevented many blacks from voting.

Military, political, and economical action can not alone preserve a nation. It is the people that have to come together as one to preserve it. The military can come in and force people to behave but people might rebel. Politicians and governors can try to set strict laws so that the people are forced to help provide for their country in some way. However most will refuse to follow the law. The government can take economical action by setting high taxes on scarce materials so that they can pay for the damages, but people might refuse to buy the materials. The people have to come together and ignore their differences to help build a strong nation. They have to have high moral and great spirit to preserve the nation.