Atlanta Reconstructed
Having been a gateway to and from southern economics and enterprise before and during the war, Atlanta seemingly sealed its fate by becoming a strategic target for a union offensive. In an effort to cripple the supply line to Confederate forces, General Sherman opted to finish destroying the already war wrenched city. When Union forces finally left Atlanta, it appeared little more then a desolate wasteland. Undoubtedly Sherman had achieved the Unions goal, as well as sending a clear message to the Confederates.
With the end of the Civil War, Atlanta served as a project and model for all the southern populous. Whites and Blacks alike quickly filled the city and rebuilding began at an astonishing rate. Southern whites, seemingly relieved at the end of the war, wasted no time in creating an environment to suite their needs. Four railways were the centerpiece to Atlanta’s new vibrant economy. Soon, Atlanta surpassed its pre-war status in both area and size.
The Reconstruction Act of 1867 offered a military presence in Atlanta that insured blacks safety. Like the rest of the southern Freedmen, blacks flooded the city to escape plantations and seek a better life. The white population took a different approach then other southern areas, seeming to ignore the ever-growing black population. Jobs were sparse for the Freedmen and although compiling nearly half of Atlanta’s population, blacks found themselves living well below the white standard of living. Owing to the military presents, whites simply concentrated their energies on making themselves and their city more comfortable and wealthy then ever before. In 1868, Atlanta became the new Capitol, further fueling the goal of making it the heart and soul of Georgia.
With the passing of the Fifteenth Amendment, Blacks earned the right to vote. This, although powerful in appearance, had little effect on the segregation that Atlanta’s white population had adopted. Black voters boosted the presence of the Republican Party, but not enough to over through that of the Democrats. As Atlanta’s growth subsided and the military presence was lifted, blacks left the inner city, taking refuge on the outskirts of town. Atlanta had seemingly succeeded in its goals. It welcomed northerners with open arms, but dealt with the blacks by simply shunting them to one side. Over time, blacks and whites simply lived life apart from one another.
As an unabridged version of his other book, Eric Foner sets out to accomplish four main goals in A Short History of Reconstruction. These points enable the author to provide a smaller, but not neglectful, account of the United States during Reconstruction. By exploring the essence of the black experience, examining the ways in which Southern society evolved, the development of racial attitudes and race relations, and the complexities of race and class in the postwar South, as well as the emergence during the Civil War and Reconstruction of a national state possessing vastly expanded authority and a new set of purposes, Foner creates a narrative that encompasses some of the major issues during Reconstruction. Additionally, the author provides
The collapse of the Confederacy in 1865 was due to a variety of reasons. These issues by and large involved the military along with a dire political and economic situation. The transfer of General Ulysses S. Grant, from the West, with his “aggressive” new war strategy, in addition to, Union General William T. Sherman’s "March to the Sea," and eventual capture of Atlanta, Georgia in the East, allowed the Northern military to strengthen the grip of their Anaconda Plan. The Confederate Gen. John B. Hood, pursuing his wasteful Tennessee campaign in the West and the eventual surrender of Gen. Robert E. Lee, would mark the end of the Confederate military. The reelection of Abraham Lincoln in 1864 and the prior Emancipation Proclamation further undermined the institution of slavery, while strengthening Northern support of the war. With incredible inflation, and a losing war effort in the South, 1865, would mark the official end to the short life of the Confederacy, and a new reshaping of the Union. (N)
This survey paper will explore the early events of Reconstruction during and immediately after the Civil War. The topics that will be addressed in this survey paper will be the Thirteenth Amendment, the Freedmen's Bureau, the Black Code, the Fourteenth Amendment and finally some political and social achievements of Reconstruction. Reconstruction to African Americans began as a feeling of joy and triumph for their freedom which was taken away quicker than it took to receive but it just wasn't called slavery anymore.
But once again America was reunited, but its economy was ruined, and was socially and politically damaged. After the Civil War, change was needed. The Civil War helped African Americans get their citizenships, rights to vote, and more importantly, their freedom. On April 11, 1865, President Lincoln introduced his plan for Reconstruction (“Cause”). The Reconstruction was meant to improve and restore America into a successful, united country while helping recently “free” African Americans in society. He warned people that the, years of the Reconstruction would be “fraught with great difficulty.” Three days later he was assassinated (“Cause”). The twelve years after the Civil War was called Reconstruction. The Reconstruction era was an opportunity of change and was an expansion of freedom for former slaves. It was a time where the North and the Republicans were attempting to fix the Southern economy, set up new governments and support the rights of freedmen. There were also many problems and resistance to the Reconstruction process. “…there were so many different views about how Reconstruction should be accomplished, and because so much...
Toward the end of the Progressive Era American social inequality had stripped African Americans of their rights on a local and national level. In the 1896 Supreme Court case of Plessey vs. Ferguson, the Supreme Court sided with a Louisiana state law declaring segregation constitutional as long as facilities remain separate but equal. Segregation increased as legal discriminatory laws became enacted by each state but segregated facilities for whites were far superior to those provided for blacks; especially prevalent in the South were discriminatory laws known as Jim Crow laws which surged after the ruling. Such laws allowed for segregation in places such as restaurants, hospitals, parks, recreational areas, bathrooms, schools, transportation, housing, hotels, etc. Measures were taken to disenfranchise African Americans by using intimidation, violence, putting poll taxes, and literacy tests. This nearly eliminated the black vote and its political interests as 90% of the nine million blacks in America lived in the South and 1/3 were illiterate as shown in Ray Stannard Baker’s Following the Color Line (Bailey 667). For example, in Louisiana 130,334 black voters registered in 1896 but that number drastically decreased to a mere 1,342 in 1904—a 99 percent decline (Newman ). Other laws prevented black...
Before the Civil Rights Act of 1964, segregation in the United States was commonly practiced in many of the Southern and Border States. This segregation while supposed to be separate but equal, was hardly that. Blacks in the South were discriminated against repeatedly while laws did nothing to protect their individual rights. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ridded the nation of this legal segregation and cleared a path towards equality and integration. The passage of this Act, while forever altering the relationship between blacks and whites, remains as one of history’s greatest political battles.
Since the 1960’s, television has had a major influence on United States presidential elections; however, this influence has been mostly negative. While the introduction of the television allowed an abundance of people to get more information on elections and provided, “. . . a new, direct, and sensitive link between Washington and the people” (Source A), it had also started a shift of the focus of a president’s effort during his or her campaign. Television also has an influence on public opinion-meaning that the public will often believe what they hear from a well-known reporter or celebrity, regardless of its validity. People who are interested in politics have increasingly been turning away from it due to its often disillusioned view of the world. The introduction of television has had a negative influence on presidential elections because of the shift of focus of a candidate’s efforts, the discouragement of becoming invested in the political scene, and the propagation of bias and misinformation.
It is arguably one of the most debatable issues in sports today. “Doping” as it sometimes referenced as, refers to the use of a prohibited subst...
“Fans have created such high expectations for athletes that success seems to require steroid use for any sport requiring speed, power or a combination of the two.” (Schmidt) Doping in sports is when athletes use enhancement drugs to try to improve their performance in their sport they are in. If athletes believe they need to improve their performance, they should be able to use PEDs. Doping in sports should not be considered a transgression; it should be used to help improve sports to make them better for the athlete. In the past, doping in sports wasn’t frowned upon.
...Though there have been various laws and rules in the sports, athletes didn’t hesitate breaking those rules. Using drugs in the sports a favorable outcome (to win) and gambling have speeded to the maximum. Athletes are cheating in sports through drugs and gambling leads to cheat to get the name, fame, money and rewards and instead of using their own effort and ability to work. They cheat when they don’t have to and when they get caught it ruin their career. In addition, gambling itself is addictive and the athlete who begins losing the money can be dangerously vulnerable to different destructive behaviors. Drug use and gambling are harmful for the career. Finally, all cheating in sports has to eliminate to save the spirit of sports.
Blood doping is an action that speeds up the process, yet is looked down on in the athletic scenery. This action is when athletes feel the need to remove large amounts of blood from their body before any major competitions in order to perform better. Days before competition, as the body is trying to recover from the loss of blood, the athlete reinjects their blood to give their body a boost of red blood cells. With more blood cells in the body the more it creates oxygen, giving it a sense of adrenalin. Blood doping is a highly dangerous process that can result in many health problems such as heart attacks. The cardiovascular system is crucial for body. It gives the body the ability to stabilize homeostatic control
Over the last few decades, the use of cell phones has become a very common tool. Furthermore, Technology has certainly advanced, and the cell phone is becoming the most preferred mode of communication. The demand for a cell phone is growing every day. In addition, the use of wireless technology is affordable, and anyone can buy a cell phone at a reasonable price. They come in all shapes and sizes. They range from black to bright metallic white. American public use of cell phones is increasing everyday. As the number of people using cell phones increase, the use of cell phones while driving will also increase on our streets and highways. At the same rate, motorists still converse on cell phones and write text messages while driving. Motorist will also engage in other activities apart from driving. For example, drivers will text when driving, and they will dial numbers. Drivers will receive calls and converse with the recipient for long periods. Again, driving demands your full attention, and your concentration needed when talking on the phone. However, it means that the driver has to divert his attention to the conversation, which leads to less concentration on the road. On the contrary, one can therefore connect motorist’s accidents and cell phone usage while driving.
Because negotiations can have a major impact on business and personal decisions, gaining an understanding of negotiating factors and tactics is essential. Without understanding and knowledge of negotiation factors, one may not achieve a desirable outcome, or at least an outcome that will be acceptable. Obtaining a desirable outcome from negotiations is the goal for parties with a direct or indirect interest in the issue receiving consideration. Negotiating a desirable outcome may be dependent on two major negotiating factors, communication, and personality. The methods of communication and personality of the negotiators are influences on the negotiation process and outcome. Gaining an understanding of communication in the negotiation process and an understanding of personality i...
“What America needs is not closed borders or open borders, but smart borders” -Edward Kennedy. What Edward Kennedy was probably saying in this quote was that immigration is a good thing, our country was founded on immigrants. To let people cross our borders illegally and without regard to our laws, is not smart immigration. It is not smart for the country or for the legal citizens. Illegal immigration must be stopped and prevented. If illegal immigration is stopped then it would help the economy, help taxpayers, and the crime rate will go down.
The usage of performance-enhancing drugs in sports is commonly known as Doping. Doping is banned worldwide in every sports administration and competitions and doping gives an unfair advantage to those using illegal substances, such as steroids to boost their performance. It also puts at stake the integrity of those athletes who do not use performance-enhancing drugs also known as “clean” athletes. In fact it seems that we’re now entering the era of performance-enhancing drugs within professional sports. Doping rids the true athletes of what they truly deserve and is wrong; because why should those who put in a hundred per cent of their effort, be outshone by individuals who are choosing to use substances to enhance their physical and mental abilities? Doping damages the sports industry as a whole because it has a serious physical and mental effects on the athletes, as well as damaging the idea of sportsmanship and it also breaks the trust of the fans, as they realise their idols are hypocrites.