Free Essays on Reconstruction to Get Inspired & Learn by Example

The era of reconstruction remains one of the most important events in the American history as it sought to introduce equality among the population in the country. The era is defined by the lenient plans by President Lincoln and Johnson to incorporate the southern states back to the union as well as the stricter plan by the radicals which led to a power contest between the president and the congress. The era saw many changes in the country with the African-American being accorded right that they did not enjoy before through constitutional amendments and state protection. The reconstruction era Continue reading...

The notion that the Reconstruction Era was only a time that impacted the Southern states following the Civil War is an oversimplification of the decades after the Civil War. Reconstruction is typically referred to as being between the years 1865 and 1877 in which the South attempted to rebuild. However, the North too had to deal with the consequences of the Civil War, as they were as much transformed as the South by the Reconstruction Era.
The key issue about Reconstruction was how the South would be treated by the North. Lincoln had favored a moderate and lenient policy Continue reading...

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Race and ethnicity are important aspects of an individual’s personality. These two aspects along with other demographic data such as age, physical features, and gender describe an individual. From a psychological perspective, it is important to understand the racial and ethnic background of an individual. This is because race and ethnicity impact the physical and mental well being of an individual. According to a report published by the Department of Health and Human Service, mental disorders like schizophrenia, depression, and panic can affect all individuals irrespective of their race or ethnic identity. However many minorities do not have Continue reading...

Prior the American Civil War of between 1861 and 1865, the government of the United States saw a secession of its southern states to form the Confederate States. Consequently, as the war commenced, the Union based its reasons for the battle on the secession and in turn, sought to reunite all of the states. However, by the end of the War, slavery emerged as a significant reason behind the Confederates and the Union’s decision to take up arms. Accordingly, the ideologies and goals of the Reconstruction Act of 1867 revolved around the causes of the Civil War. In Continue reading...

Once the civil war has finished, the country faced the problem of national unity restoration and the lifestyle reorganization in the South. The complete abolition of slavery was the first step to the Reconstruction. In February 1865, the Congress passed the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution, which prohibited the slavery throughout the country (Campbell & Fraser 137.) However, there were many other unsolved problems, such as the admission conditions for the former Confederation states, the status of former slave owners and slaves, and the organization of power in the South. The US ruling circles could not obtain a consensus Continue reading...

1. Prior to the Civil War, American society was a bifurcated society along racial lines built primarily along the lines of an agrarian entity. Indeed, the United States during the 1850s was a polarized nation according to specific regional idiosyncrasies and identities. In the South, a pro-slavery identity was carved out, as those living in south supported the expansion of slavery to states in the West, which abolition sentiments dominated in the North. Up until the 1850s, the slavery issue had been predicated on balance, per the stipulations of the Missouri Compromise of 1920. Newly acquired territories posed the Continue reading...

The definition of a constitution is “The system of fundamental laws and principles that prescribes the nature, functions, and limits of a government or another institution” (Dictionary.search.yahoo.com, 2015). In the context of the various Constitutions of the State of Texas, they reflect the growth of the economy and politics of the area from the time when it was a part of Mexico into statehood in the United States of America. Seven different constitutions were created in the time period between 1827 and 1876. As they evolve toward the present Texas Constitution, they retained some of the elements of the Continue reading...

The Fourteenth Amendment was a landmark change to the US constitution. Adapted on July 9, 1868, this was in response to the recently finished Civil War, and was one of the Reconstruction Amendments. It granted citizenship to all people born in America, as well as equal protection under the law. As this was done with slavery in mind, there were many reactions around the nation. This amendment had been suggested by the Radical Republicans in the north, despite the wishes of President Andrew Johnson, and in the end, the Radical Republicans got what they wanted by passing the amendment.
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The civil war remains as one of the most significant events in the history of United States of America. The war that started in 1861 and ended in 1865 involved the union forces and the confederate states that were propagating for secession and the spread of slavery (Masur, 10). It was similar to the American revolution of 1776-1783 based on its contribution to the country’s sovereignty. While the revolution led to the declaration of independence, the civil war sought to resolve some of the fundamental issues that had not been dealt. What makes the civil war a crucial Continue reading...

Eric Foner’s lecture on “Reconstruction and Citizenship” revolves around the origins of birthright citizenship in the United States and the concept of freedom before and after the country’s Civil War. In each time segment, ideologies of white supremacy controlled the country, and black persons remained at the mercy of established social hierarchies. For this reason, racism and slavery hindered the integration of blacks as free nationals even after the war and efforts of reconstruction. However, the refusal to provide blacks with citizen rights did not emerge overnight, rather such beliefs evolved with time, as evidenced by ratified Continue reading...