Tyler Gilbert 3rd Period AP US History 1/17/2012 Was the South Truly Reconstructed?

The Reconstruction of the South was a great effort to revitalize the economy and wellbeing of those indigenous to this area of the United States. Although on paper the plan for reconstruction seemed fool proof, the actual finished product of the South was anything but immaculate. Who could blame the northern army for completely obliterating the south? Had the North not implemented a total war, the south might have had a boost in morale, or been able to prolong the war for many more months or years. It would only make sense then, to completely crush the rebels spirits and war efforts, while burning much of the south. Although reconstruction following the war was a noble gesture by the government, it was far too costly and inefficient. The south would not completely be reconstructed and reunited with the union for nearly another century. Although Union officials were sent to the south to restore order, they were not there long enough to make much of an impact. Following the departure of the Union army, many white supremacists still found loopholes in the constitution, and blacks were denied many fundamental rights. Reconstruction failed because there was not enough emphasis put upon protecting the rights of African Americans, especially in the south. It is nearly impossible to change the opinion of a racist with what little time the US military spent in the south following the Civil War. Blacks in the South were taken advantage of by many whites, and in some cases, had better

living conditions before the efforts of reconstruction. Many African Americans were essentially homeless, and had little areas of land that were available to them. Despite government land grants and other efforts, life was extremely difficult for emancipated blacks. The South, from an economic standpoint, was left in shambles. The main source of income for many southerners was agriculture. Following the Civil War, there were few plots of land used for agriculture that werent completely burnt to the ground. For many years, southern plantation owners relied on slaves for much of their labor. Without labor, there was less income. The emancipation of the slaves left many plantation owners without the man power needed to successfully operate. This lead to much resentment of the emancipated slaves by the white plantation owners. For many years following reconstruction there was a social barrier, and bitter feelings between races in the south. The American Government following the Civil War was corrupt and incompetent to some extent. Radical Republicans urged for southern representation to be wiped out completely from the US Government. Many Southerners disagreed and felt that they had no representation in the American Government. Another problem with the US Government during reconstruction was the proposition of the 10% plan. If only 10% of the Southerners would pledge allegiance to the Union, then 90% of the South would be against the Union. It is absurd to be so lenient on the South when they clearly seceded and in doing so, started a war. The plan of Reconstruction of the South was poorly planned, and lacked emphasis on the newly-emancipated African Americans. The government of the US was becoming totalitarian, with a if you dont like it, hit the road mentality. The government did not fully understand the economic dependency on slaves, and did little to boost the economy of the South following the

Civil War. Reconstruction and modernization of the south did not fully come into effect until the era following the Great Depression, when organizations and plans such as the TVA came into effect. The experiment with the south proved noble, but lacked proper planning and had little effect on the economic and social problems faced following Civil War.