Reconstruction

It took many years of reconstruction to move forward after the Civil War. Presidential and Congressional Reconstruction had different views on how to handle rebuilding the nation. African Americans were socially and economically disadvantaged. Reconstruction did result in free slaves and equal citizenship among race and color. WIth that said, negative effects like black codes and the Panic of 1873 also were part of Reconstruction. All of these events from Reconstruction resulted American society today.

Presidential and Congressional Reconstruction had different ideas to rebuild the nation. Andrew Johnson’s solution to accepting former Confederate states back into the Union was a failure. He wanted to treat the South with respect but wanted them to pledge allegiance to the Union and rejoin the nation as soon as possible. Andrew Johnson had no plans for helping former slaves and just left them stranded. Congress had different ideas to help make the South rejoin the Union. Congress thought southern states needed a new state constitution. They also ratified the 14th amendment, a law legalizing all former slaves as citizens of the United States. They also broke the southern states into 5 military districts led by Union generals. They became Virginia, North and South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia and Florida, Arkansas and Mississippi, then Texas and Louisiana. Congress also had plans for former slaves, unlike the president, Andrew Johnson. They set up the Freedman’s Bureau and the Civil Rights Act. The Freedman’s Bureau was a service that provided food and medical care to the former slaves. The Civil Rights Act declared everyone in the United States a citizen without regard to race, color or background. The Presidential and Congressional Reconstruction had different views on rebuilding the Union.