"A sincere and steadfast co-operation in promoting such a
reconstruction of our political system as would provide for the permanent
liberty and happiness of the United States."
- James Madison
Reconstruction, in American history, is the period (1865–77) that
followed the American Civil War and during which attempts were made to redress
the inequities of slavery and its political, social, and economic legacy and to
solve the problems arising from the readmission to the Union of the 11 states
that had seceded at or before the outbreak of war. Long portrayed by many
historians as a time when vindictive Radical Republicans fastened black
supremacy upon the defeated Confederacy, Reconstruction has since the late 20th
century been viewed more sympathetically as a laudable experiment in
interracial democracy. Reconstruction witnessed far-reaching changes in
America’s political life. At the national level, new laws and constitutional
amendments permanently altered the federal system and the definition of
American citizenship. In the South, a politically mobilized black community
joined with white allies to bring the Republican Party to power, and with it a
redefinition of the responsibilities of government.
Encyclopedia Britannica Online, s. v. "Reconstruction", accessed May 29, 2013, http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/493722/Reconstruction.
Discussion Questions:
(Respond
to each question with a minimum of 150 words)
1. In what ways was Reconstruction a success? A failure?
Explain.
2. Some historians have suggested that had Lincoln not been
assassinated, Radical Republicans in the House might have impeached him instead
of Andrew Johnson. Defend this argument.
3. What effect did Reconstruction have on blacks? Were they
better off after Reconstruction than they were before the Civil War?
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