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Since the beginning, America has passed through several political changes throughout its existence. Political leaders have been replaced, all of them having different objectives and plans for the long run. As history takes its course, though, most of those revolutionary movements return to normal. One such movement was the Reconstruction. Reconstruction was a period in America consisting of many leaders, goals, and accomplishments. Though, like all things in life, it did return to normal, the outcome wasn’t simply a failure.
When Reconstruction began in 1865, a broken America had just finished fighting the war. Reconstruction was simply that, a period of putting back the pieces, as many people say. This, though, wasn't a straightforward task. The memory of a large death was still in the front of everyone’s mind, turning into anger. The South was nearly non-existent politically or economically, and looking out urgently for how to go back in. Also, currently living with the population were nearly four million former slaves who had been freed by the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865, and after that, it became a good concern to several political leaders. Still, it had been no secret that one thing had to be done. So, political leaders argued, that everyone held their arrangement of the Reconstruction plan. One of the primary representatives was President Lincoln, who came up with a blueprint for his Reconstruction plan. It was called the “Lincoln Plan”, this document stated that once a decision was made, the Confederate states might come back to the Union with perseverance. To rejoin, a state had to get a tenth of voters each and a verdict for the release of slaves and swear loyalty to the union. Also, those of high ranking in the government couldn't hold office or write new rights unless the president agreed to such.
Well, sadly enough, Lincoln was murdered at Ford's Theatre in 1865 before the success of his plan. After his death, many different political leaders emerged with plans in hand. These men were referred to as Radicals. The unconventional Republicans that came after Lincoln’s death had 2 main objectives to their cause. First, they blamed the South as the cause of the war, which caused them to penalize the South and require them to pay. Secondly, they needed to assist all of the four million slaves who were currently free men after the war had finished. They felt these men required their protection, and it had been their job to try and make sure they were safe. There have been 3 main Radical Republican leaders. These men were Thaddeus Stevens, Charles Sumner, and finally, formally inaugurated president President Andrew Johnson. Thaddeus Stevens was a political man while holding his mandate within the House of Representatives. His main concern was the economic chance for slaves. He needed them to be able to create a living on their own, and not rely upon the “white man” as that they had done all their lives. Thinking nearly the same thought process as Charles Sumner. He was a legislator who fought primarily for political rights for African Americans and their right to become citizens. He felt that the “all men are created equal” part of the constitution was very disregarded by everyone. Finally, there was President Andrew Johnson. Due to the influence of former presidents, Johnson had common objectives alike, for example, Abraham Lincoln, who served as president while Johnson was vice president. Several Radical politicians didn't approve of Johnson’s thoughts, though. They felt he went over the limit with thirteen thousand pardons when he wasn’t paying enough attention to the most important issue, the rights of slaves. In 1868 President Andrew Johnson was impeached. He was still not completely kicked out of government, but he was essentially not in authority.
It was at this time that Congress stepped in with their arrangement for the Reconstruction. First, troops needed to be moved in and take up residence within the south. Secondly, any state that had a desire to join the union was solely allowed to try and do this once and if they modified their original legislation. They also had to agree that all men born within the US were voters, which also meant they were warranted equal treatment by the law. Later, in 1870, black men were additionally granted the right to vote.
Now, the Reconstruction Act had been precisely proper on paper, however, as it typically happens in politics someone always crosses the line. The Reconstruction Act once again failed during the 1876 presidential election. The 2 men running were Democrat Samuel Tilden and Republican Rutherford B. Hayes. Because of their very tight competition, a conjunction of men referred to as a commission was in charge of deciding what the fairest outcome would be. In the end, the result was the Compromise of 1877. The result of this compromise brought Hayes to the authority of the government, and both parties were now united. What brought chaos was the decision made by the North to remove the military occupation of troops in the South. This was a very bad and under-expected decision, with no troops protecting the freedmen in the South, they were in danger and had no support to protect themselves from the white men trying to take advantage of them. White men then decided to write their black codes, with their own rules, but in a way that was still legally accepted by the North. This brought many restrictions and a lack of respect towards African Americans. Despite laws being accepted for equal rights for all men, it was not a smart decision to retrieve the troops from the South. It is argued whether or not was the Reconstruction successful, some agree it was due to the great leap towards equality of African Americans, and others argue it was just another unsuccessful attempt.
Although it wasn’t a complete success, it was a great step on the right path. Granted, laws weren’t strictly followed or respected. But it was still a leap of faith in the lives of many African American families since laws were finally written for their protection and rights. African Americans had finally acquired the right to vote, to be considered citizens, and to be treated equally between ethnicities.
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