describe the reconstruction period and how is happened and if it had any gains. i have to post this a paragraph at a time. sorry
The Reconstruction Period refers to efforts made in the US between 1865 and 1877 to restructure the political, legal and economic systems in the states that had seceded from the union. The civil war had ended slavery but still left one question unanswered. How would the 11 Southern states conduct their internal affairs after readmission to the union? Although some legal protections for newly freed slaves were incorporated into the Constitution by the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments, by 1877, conservative Southern whites had reclaimed power and had begun to disenfranchise blacks. Abraham Lincoln took the first steps toward Reconstruction in 1863 when he announced a post-war plan for the Southern states. Under these terms, a state would have to renounce slavery and agree to comply with the Constitution. Lincoln's assassination left the reconstruction uncertain until Andrew Johnson Became president.
Johnson quickly declared that the war goals of national unity and the ending of slavery had been achieved, so that reconstruction was complete.
Congress did not agree with this.
Radical Republicans became incensed when Johnson issued a general pardon for most Confederates and then issued proclamations that permitted the Southern states to rejoin the Union after holding a constitutional convention and agreeing to three conditions. Those conditions are repeal of the secession laws, repudiation of the Confederate debt, and ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment, which ended slavery in the United States. The 14th ammendment was passed which extended due process and equal rights. Over time, this amendment would be used to apply most of the Bill of Rights to the states, but, during the Reconstruction period, it was used as the basis of additional statutes that imposed federal control over the Southern states.
Alhough Congress passed and the states ratified the Fifteenth Amendment in 1870, it had very little impact in the South. The amendment prohibited voting discrimination based on race, but blacks were intimidated by the KKK and local employers and stayed away from the polls. Congress passed three force acts in 1870 and 1871. Several parts of these Force Acts remain in effect. These laws had some effect, but they required federal officers to enforce them. Reconstruction has come to be regarded as a missed opportunity for U.S. society. Many of the issues that concerned political leaders of that period returned a hundred years later in the modern Civil Rights Movement. The Fourteenth Amendment would be revivified by the Supreme Court and surviving parts of the Force Acts would be used again.
It looks reasonable to me. You do not explain what the "Force Acts" were. One can guess from the context but it would be nice to have some explanation of them.
You do not mention that Congress impeached Johnson but failed to get the votes together to evict him from office.
Try:
http://www.answers.com/topic/force-acts
ok, thanks that was my rough draft. I did mean to explain the force acts but will def go back and add an explanation.
The Reconstruction Period happened in the United States between 1865 and 1877. It was a time where efforts were made to rebuild and restructure the political, legal, and economic systems in the states that had seceded from the union during the Civil War. After the war ended, slavery was abolished, but there was still the question of how the 11 Southern states would govern themselves once they were readmitted to the union. To address this issue, the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments were added to the Constitution to provide some legal protections for newly freed slaves. However, by 1877, conservative Southern whites had regained power and began to disenfranchise black citizens.
The Reconstruction period began with President Abraham Lincoln, who laid out his plan for the Southern states after the war ended in 1863. His plan required states to renounce slavery and adhere to the Constitution. Unfortunately, Lincoln's assassination in 1865 left the future of Reconstruction uncertain. Andrew Johnson, who succeeded Lincoln as president, took over the responsibility of Reconstruction.
In short, the Reconstruction Period was a time of rebuilding and reestablishing order in the Southern states after the Civil War. Although there were some gains made, such as the abolition of slavery and the incorporation of legal protections for freed slaves, these gains were ultimately undermined as conservative Southern whites regained power and disenfranchised black citizens.