Kelly, Martin. Overview of the reconstruction period. About.com. Web.
The author observes that reconstruction is the period between 1865 and 1877 in the United States history. It was the time when the central government made an effort of acquiring the seceded territories. The process was never an easy one since many people lost their lives and properties while the government had to readjust its structures to fit into the new system. For instance, the government was faced with the greatest challenge of ensuring that all parties were satisfied to prevent further conflicts that had divided the nation into various factions. During the time, the demands of the southern states were many and the central government never had a specific policy on how to handle this section of the population. Again, there was an issue of slaves, as the constitution demanded that each person in the country enjoys his or her right and freedom without interruption. In this regard, the state had to protect the slaves, which was never an easy task given the fact the whites were unwilling to incorporate them into societal activities fully. The author goes on to explain how the president, Lincoln, developed various strategies to deal with the issue at hand. Unfortunately, the government’s program on reconstruction was rejected in congress because the president refused to appreciate the fact that the states had seceded. For instance, the head of state suggested that all southerners who took part in the war be pardoned after taking an oath of allegiance to the nation.
Additionally, he proposed that only ten percent of the whites in the south had to take oath in order to accept back all the states. This arrangement was considered radical forcing the extremists to develop plans on how to get rid of the president. With no time, the president was murdered, but this did not end the reconstruction process because his successor, Andrew Johnson, pledged to fulfill Lincoln’s plans. All whites in the south were forgiven for violating the country’s constitution. The new president reorganized the government by appointing new governors and facilitating the passage of various acts.
Dictionary of American History. Reconstruction.Encyclopedia.com. Web.
On the site, it is underscored that reconstruction entails the acquisition of the seceded states after the Civil War. The author observes that the issue of reconstruction dominated political debates long before the government developed the plan to reunite the nation. For instance, the passage of the Crittenden-Johnson Resolution in 1961 signified the government’s effort to bring peace in the country because dignity, equality, and the rights of states were some of the major tenets of the act. Even though Congress was reluctant to support the executive in initiating change, the military generals volunteered to serve as governors in the affected states. The president seized the opportunity to detach southerners from the confederacy because this was viewed as the first step towards reconstruction. The author proves that reconstruction was never an easy task because prominent people, including President Lincoln, had to sacrifice their lives. The conflicts had divided the country into various factions based on ethnic, racial, and tribal lines, and getting things back on track was an uphill task. The congress was rigid because southerners dominated it while a few northerners never wanted to participate in the debate because they supported racism.