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| Political cartoon depicting the tension of Reconstruction |
The period of Reconstruction was a time of growth, change, and rebirth in the United States. After a brutal war, the nation was torn apart, and it was time to build it back up. However, with the change also came anger, tension, and fear, felt by many throughout the country. The people of the south held resentment towards the Union, and the recently freed African-American population was in danger of constant violence and hate. The back-and-forth that would occur throughout the period of Reconstruction would leave a lasting impact in the United States, one that is still evident to this day.
Immediately after the Civil War had ended, the United States needed to come up with a way to reestablish a unified nation. Despite an end of battles, there was a large amount of animosity between the northern and southern states. Much of the north, and those who aligned with the Republican party, wanted to punish the south, due to a belief that the war was started because of them. The south on the other hand was angry with the destruction that was done to their states, and that their main economic system of slavery was abolished. A column we looked at, written by Thaddeus Stevens, suggested that the south should be punished by taking land and giving it to the recently freed African-Americans. Each freedman would receive 40 acres, and the remaining land would be sold back to the highest bidder. The money made from the sales would be given to southerners who had remained loyal to the union, and any remaining sum would be invested or go to paying off war debt, as a benefit to the nation. Stevens also stated in his column that the south should be treated as “territories”, and the citizens of the south would be viewed as "conquered people”. Southern states would only be granted return to full-statehood once deemed fit, essentially once they could be trusted again. These proposals upset many people in the south, only growing the already simmering resentment towards the Union.
Anger also grew amongst the south from General William T. Sherman’s Order 15. In 1865, General Sherman destroyed a path through the south, purposefully immobilizing southerners. Land was badly damaged or destroyed, and along with the loss of slaves to do unpaid work, southern land owners were struggling. The poverty created in this moment can still be viewed in the modern day south. There are areas that were so badly damaged from reconstruction that the towns are still working to be built back up. I do believe that Confederate states needed strict guidelines in order to be reincorporated back into the Union, but the government should have provided additional support in order for southerners to recover from the war and Order 15. This goes for support for African Americans as well though. Even though they were considered free, African Americans were not safe, especially in the south where many remained. There were high rates of violence, voter suppression, and laws purposefully instilled so that African Americans were still seen as inferior. Racism was so deeply seeded in the south that it is another instance where today, the south is often considered more prejudiced and even unsafe for people of color. I wonder if the south was provided additional assistance in rebuilding, and truly given an opportunity for rebirth, along with African Americans being provided more opportunities and systems to help them thrive, if we would not see as many systemic problems remaining today.
All that to say, Reconstruction did provide some good and lasting things. Not only were amendments added to the Constitution in an effort to further protect recently freedmen, but new opportunities were popping up. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) was formed, pushing for rights and equality, and are still an active force to this day. Howard University was also formed, providing a whole new generation of people of color to access the higher education that was previously unavailable. Howard is still a renowned school serving a predominantly black student body.
Overall, I believe that the United States will most likely see the reminisce of Reconstruction for years to come, if not forever. There are so many more examples I could have pulled to exhibit the lasting effects. The systems and attitudes built during this time were so deeply intertwined with daily life that it will be hard to ever fully unravel them. There are years of undoing mistakes in history, and opinions to be unlearned, that need to be done before we are fully past it. While Reconstruction may have been “cut off” in 1877, it is not fully gone and forgotten.
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