Part 1: Why did Reconstruction fail so badly? Was the failure primarily one of immediate political circumstances, or was it more deeply rooted in the history of American sectional and race relations?  

Part 2: How did freed Blacks react to the end of slavery? How did the northern and southern whites react?

The Reconstruction period following the Civil War addressed the difficult challenge of establishing peace and reuniting the country. Four key problems needed to be addressed in order to successfully complete the transformation. How to rebuild the physically, economically, and socially destroyed South; how blacks would fare following their emancipation; how to reintroduce the South into the Union; and who would direct the Reconstruction process. Finding a solution that would be capable of handling the situation soon became a difficult, as the flawed ideas of many resulted in chaos and significant setbacks during this crucial phase in American history. The entire fate of the nation was riding of the success of this project. Although the Union had won the war, and ended the threat of secession, making the South a part of the nation was not a done deal. Hard feelings still ran rampant throughout the country, be it against the freed blacks or the secessionist movement, ill will was felt throughout the country and was inhibiting the progress of reform.

            Failure of Reconstruction was due to numerous factors. Political circumstances combined with race and sectional conflicts. The combination of these challenges made the entire process more difficult and more dangerous toward achieving the ultimate goal of reuniting the country peacefully. Initially, the plan for Reconstruction was created and implemented by Lincoln. His “10 Percent” plan stated that a state would be reunited once ten percent of the voters took the oath of allegiance toward the Union and pledged to abide by emancipation. The rationale of this plan was the fact that the South never truly left the Union, so the reinstitution would be relatively simple. Following the reinstitution of the states, they would be once again able to resurrect a state government. Congress, namely the Republicans, were aroused by this claim and immediately passed the Wade-Davis Bill of 1864 to counteract Lincoln’s plan. It required that 50 percent of the voters needed to pledge allegiance. The differences between the president and Congress brought forth the factional differences within the Republican Party. Upon Lincoln’s death, a sympathizer and member of the anti-planter-aristocracy movement, Andrew Johnson took office.

            To the surprise of many within the Republican Party, Johnson reinforced the ideas of Lincoln. He immediately implemented the use of the “10 Percent” plan in several states. All Republicans were now extremely angry with their president, and they only grew angrier with the passing of the Black Codes throughout the South. These new governments, sanctioned by the President of the United States, were passing statutes that restricted the freedom of their once slave labor force. Ranging in severity, they aimed at ensuring a stable and subservient labor force in the South. Furthermore, they maintained strict control over the activities of the blacks. This aroused a horrible reaction in the North. The struggle within Congress continued. Following the arrival of Southern delegates at the capitol, the Republicans passed the Civil Rights Bill of 1866. Providing citizenship for the Blacks was a direct strike at the Black Codes. Instituted in the Constitution with the 14^th Amendment conflicted with the sentiments of the South. With the institution of black suffrage, Congress was now in a powerful position to direct the process of Reconstruction without the South interfering.

            Reacting to the end of slavery was quite different in the North and South. The North wanted to free those from bondage permanently, thus giving them a new lease on lives they had never had. The decision was clear cut and dry. Unfortunately, the decision was not as easy in the South, because they had been the backbone to their entire economic way of life. King Cotton was nothing without the labor force. The Black Codes and consequent Civil Rights Act [implemented by the 14^th Amendment] reveal the conflicting reactions to the new societal status of blacks free from slavery. Although Reconstruction saw the eventual success of implementing legislation that would protect blacks throughout the nation, white supremacist elements arouse, like the Ku Klux Klan. Nonetheless, the desire and dedication of the Republicans to achieve success provided a security blanket the blacks had never possessed before. The first step didn’t cover all the loopholes, as the persecution of blacks continued on in some areas, but the progress made by the nation allowed for blacks to evolve from property to members of society.

Chapter 22 Part 1:

             After the Civil War ended, the United States began to reconstruct its broken Union.  However this reconstruction failed very badly.  The primary reason for this was that the history of the United States was filled with American sectional and race relations.  Many white Americans were not able to recognize blacks as being equals since they mostly had considered them as being lesser beings.  This feeling caused the reconstruction to fail.

One of the major reasons why the Reconstruction failed so badly is because the North did not fully recognize what freeing the slaves would do to the power of the south.  Before the Civil War slaves were considered to be equal to three-fifths of a person when determining how many representatives could be sent to Congress for each state.  Now, after the black saves were given their freedom, they would be counted as a full person, rather than three-fifths of one.  This gave the “rebel” states twelve more votes in Congress and an additional twelve electoral votes.  The states that previously seceded from the union now had the opportunity to take control of the government.

            The history of American sectional and race relations played a major part in the failure of the Reconstruction.  In 1865, Congress created the Freedmen’s Bureau, which was designed to assist the blacks in their struggle to live as free people.  It provided food, clothing, medical care, and education to freedmen and even to white refugees.  However it did not give the freedmen the promised forty-acre tracts that were formerly owned by the Confederacy.  Instead blacks were persuaded to sign labor contracts to work for their former owners.  The Freedmen’s Bureau was very helpful, especially in education, for the former slaves.  However President Andrew Johnson believed that whites were superior to the blacks, similar to the view of the south.  He continually tried to destroy the Freedmen’s Bureau, and it was terminated in 1872.

            American sectional and race relations also contributed to the creation of the Black Codes, another factor that caused the reconstruction to fail.  The Black Codes were a collection of laws that were created by southern states.  These laws were brought forth in order to keep the newly freed slaves from feeling total freedom.  They also caused the freedmen to be, in a way, enslaved once again.  They were not allowed to serve on juries, rent or lease land, or to vote because of these codes.  Since the Black Codes took away many freedoms of the blacks, the recently freed slaves were forced to become sharecropper farmers.  The Black Codes caused the North to feel as if the Civil War was not actually won by the North; freed blacks were being forced to obey their white masters once again.

            The reconstruction of the American government after the Civil War was a failure.  The rebellious people of the South were gaining power with the freedom of the slaves.  Also throughout the history of the United States most whites felt that the black slaves were an inferior race.  This racist feeling caused the freedom of the slaves to have many problems and to also cause the reconstruction of the government of the United States to fail.  

Chapter 22 Part 2

             With the abolition of slavery came different reactions.  The Blacks who were freed were undoubtedly, grateful and extremely happy.  With their freedom they began to search for other ways to feel more like a free person; for example they found their own names that were different from the ones given to them by their masters.  The Southerners reacted with the Black Codes, a set of laws designed to keep the freed slaves from rising in higher in states than they already were.  The northern whites reacted with pleasure, since they won the war and freed the slaves.  However, they at first did not give the freedmen the right to vote.

            Slaves reacted in different ways when they were given their freedom.  Some of the slaves who still felt that they should be loyal to their masters resisted the Union Armies who came to free them.  Other slaves reacted violently, joining the Union troops who plundered the possessions of their masters.  Slaves reacted with suspicion and uncertainty when first told that they were free, however, when they realized it was true, the majority celebrated.  Many freed slaves acquired new names to replace those given to them by their masters; they required whites to address them with “Mr.” and “Mrs.” Altogether, the freed slaves reacted with the desire to feel free.  They searched for their loved ones who were taken from them and legalized their marriages.  Freed blacks went searching for better opportunities.  They formed their own churches, which became the center of the black community.  These churches led to the creation of aid societies, designed to protect the freedom of the blacks.  The freedmen also became educated, with the help of whit societies and the Freedmen’ Bureau. 

            When the slaves of the southerners were emancipated, the white southerners certainly did not react with joy.  Most likely they were extremely unhappy with the result of the Civil War; the slaves, a key factor in their farming, were being set free.  The southern plantation owner could no longer have someone do the work without pay.  The first action the southerners took after this was to pass the Black Codes.  These laws, first of all, kept “a stable and subservient labor force” in the southern society to help the Cotton Kingdom rise again.  The Black Codes also forced blacks to honor their labor contracts, or else they would be caught by a “Negro-catcher” and sent back to work.  Southerners wanted to maintain the race relations that existed before the emancipation of slaves.  These codes allowed this desire to be fulfilled by not allowing a black to serve on a jury, to rent or lease land, or to vote.  Blacks could also be punished for idleness and could then be sent to work on a chain gang.  Ultimately the free blacks were forced to work as sharecroppers since they had no money and were only skilled in labor.  The Black Codes took away aspects of free life from the freed slaves, causing blacks to. In a sense, be slaved once again.

            Although the North gave the slaves their freedom, they, similar to the South, did keep something away from the former slaves.  They did not want to give the freed slaves the right to vote.  Eventually the freedmen were given this right.