Reconstruction :: essays research papers fc

The Civil War was the bloodiest state of war to be fought on American soil. Although both sides expected the conflict to be over in a matter of days, it lasted four tumultuous years, from 1861-1865. The war pitted brother against brother, populate against neighbor. The period of Reconstruction, the time when our nation attempted to mend its broken dealings with the South and rebuild after the destructive war, lasted until 1877. What many people dont know is that the original intent of the Civil War was to conserves the coupling. galore(postnominal) factors went into Lincolns decision to also address bondage through this war. For one, the number of men enlisting in the war was dwindling, and it became seeming that black manpower would be absolutely necessary to win the war. Also, the progressively upset Radical Republicans and abolitionists let their beliefs be known and persuaded the citizens of the North that the war could not be won without attacking the issue of thral dom. Finally, Lincoln believed that transforming the gainsay from a conflict to preserve the Union to a crusade against slavery would dissuade the threatening British and French from supporting the Confederacy. With its new utter purpose, the Civil War would now have huge societal repercussions.The largest and to the highest degree complex issue of Reconstruction was how to go about admitting the Confederate states patronise into the Union. President Lincolns plans were quite lenient, accepting the seceded states back into the Union even if by vote only a minority of a states white males took an malediction of loyalty to the United States. However, tush Wilkes Booth assassinated him before any of his plans could go into action. His replacement, vice chairman Andrew Johnson, a democrat, was left in a difficult predicament. Public opinion at the time favored that the South should face some break of retribution for their past acts, and promise loyalty for the future before they were to be pardoned. At the time, many Northerners were Republicans Southerners were largely democratic.The biggest supporters of an extreme Reconstruction process were the Radicals. Many of them argued that the confederate states had lost their constitutional identity however the Republicans would only go so far as to say that by seceding the southerners had forfeited their rights. They were to be kept out of the Union until they had demonstrated a proper aroma of repentance. Radicals convinced enough moderate Republicans of this that Congress passed the Wade-Davis bill, which postponed Reconstruction until a legal age of a states white males (not just 10%) took an oath of loyalty.