Reconstructing US from the Point of Civil War, Essay Example

The onset of the civil war has caused the members of the southern region of the American society to draw away from the overall national union of the people. Relatively, this condition of falling off in the American nation is considered to have a definite impact on how the country is to actually regain its strength in becoming more able to handle the development that it wants to incur especially in the hope of progressing towards the future. The process of reconstructing the society is expected to become more evasive especially in shaping the being of the nation several years from this point of the history[1].

During the time of reconstruction, there was more than just the physical condition of the country that has to be refurnished. Other elements such as political structure and social relationships are both supposed to be the backbone of a country that is able to face the different challenges that the incoming modern era of development. Social and economic conditions need to be the source of national development. One specific matter to start with was the creation of a better behavior among the people. Putting them in a thinking condition that allows them to see their place and their role in the process of recovery of the country was an important aspect of the process[2]. During the time, it was hard enough to see any farm being properly tilled and specific places remain barren as their caretakers begin to live off from their work and try to realize another form of life. Helping the people see what they can do to help in the process of developing a better condition for the whole country is likely to create a difference on how the American society is taking their current responsibility of bringing life back to their country and practically the way it is managed. The civil war specifically caused so many losses to the country. It could be realized then that recreating the path for development might be considered to take a lot more than just simple approaches. Particularly concentrating on the situation of the southern regions, the reconstruction of the government is assumed to have a more defined focus to make sure that the nation will take on a greater step towards advancement.

During this time, Lincoln’s administrative approaches strongly affected how the reconstruction of the American southern community takes development. Particularly referring to the effects of the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction on the capacity of the rights of the people to be recognized under the principles of democracy and freedom that is promoted by the said administration. This particular proclamation specifically indicated that the direction of reconstruction should come from the administration and the way it recognizes its role towards the society and the people it is supposed to give attention to. Notably though, this particular condition of thinking and idealism was short lived at the point of Lincoln’s assassination. It was during this time that the division of the nation between the Republicans and the Democrats became more evident[3]. This part of adjustment on the political blueprint of America has become the basis of what has become of the government of the nation up to these years.

It is also a relative mark of this particular era of the US history that the increased violence and resistance in the South specifically showed how the republican sector of the nation’s power over the people became weakened through time[4]. Unions were stronger and several groups formed by local residents in the south became much effective in calling to the society of the possible ways by which they could get what they want from the government practically allowing them to become more effective in responding to their role of administering the nation. Due to this, the republicans knew they should be able to contain the situation through changing their strategy of governance. One of the said strategies is getting President Ulysses Grant into position. It was hoped and rather expected that his executive leadership would fix the situation in the southern regions. However, the said administration later on suffered because of the development of corruption, which ate up all the idealistic principles of governance that Grant ever had in his mind.

Historians then point out that the era of reconstruction could be specifically directed to the conditions on the national compromise that occurred in 1877[5]. At this point, politics has been seen to have played a great role on how the American society lets its overall considerations of social development be based upon the administrative strategies on how politics tries to manipulate the society at present. It could then be considered that the point of reconstruction brought about a sense of distinction on what path American politics is taking into account.

History teaches a nation and its people how they should face the different challenges that come their way. Relatively, in the case of America, such condition brought about a chance to develop a new sense of seeing the role of politics into how the lives of its people are directed. While democracy is what the nation is specifically based upon, its division between the republicans and the democrats make it harder for the country to face a new chapter in its history at a much unified state[6]. Then again, this particular aspect of social construction in America continues to play a great role on how the society is being directed towards development. It seems like as if the separation of the individuals and the political idealisms they believe in create a better sense of indicating a better path that they could embrace especially in relation to progress sand development as desired.

References:

Howe, Daniel Walker. What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815–1848;; (Oxford History of the United States) (2009).

Kennedy, David M. Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929–1945 (Oxford History of the United States) (2001).

Lancaster, Bruce, Bruce Catton, and Thomas Fleming. The American Heritage. History of the American Revolution (2004).

McPherson, James M. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States) (2003).

[1] McPherson, James M. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era (Oxford History of the United States) (2003). Page 102.

[2] Lancaster, Bruce, Bruce Catton, and Thomas Fleming. The American Heritage. History of the American Revolution (2004). Page 122-123.

[3] Howe, Daniel Walker. What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815–1848;; (Oxford History of the United States) (2009). Page 140-141.

[4] Lancaster, Bruce, Bruce Catton, and Thomas Fleming. The American Heritage. History of the American Revolution (2004). Page 111.

[5] Howe, Daniel Walker. What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815–1848;; (Oxford History of the United States) (2009).page 155.

[6] Kennedy, David M. Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929–1945 (Oxford History of the United States) (2001).