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The effects of Lincoln's assassination
Similarities and differences between radical republicans plan and the final reconstruction
The effects of Lincoln's assassination
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At the end of the Civil War congress was under the control of the "Radical Republicans." Lincoln was able to handle them and had devised a plan for reconstruction that would treat the South better and in a friendlier way. However, the Radical Republicans saw reconstruction in a different light. They saw it as a way to get back at the South for what they've done. If Lincoln had lived, there is no doubt that history would have been different. However, the assassination of Lincoln left Andrew Johnson as President. Being a Southerner and former slave owner did not help his circumstances with the Radical Republicans. Immediately after the Civil War, the South passed numerous laws called the "Black Codes." Theses laws restricted the rights of black
people. It did things such as restrict interracial marriages, areas of which they could live in and their basic rights. The purpose for these codes were to undermine the efforts made by the government to give them rights. These rules made the Radical Republican filled congress angry. In retaliation to these codes, Congressmen Charles Sumner and Thaddeus Stevens tried to create the Freedmen's Bureau to provide black's with education and training, during their transition from slavery to freedom. However Andrew Johnson tried to stop all legislation to assist blacks, but to no avail, several significant bills were passed and the Radical Republican congress had enough votes to override Johnson's vetoes. Later, congress passed the Civil Rights act of 1866 and the 14th Amendment. All Southern states refused to ratify the amendment except Tennessee. Congress then passed the Reconstruction Act, which restricted these states from participating in Congress until they revised their state constitutions.The passage of this amendment and the Reconstruction Act made Southerners angry. Whites went on rampages murdering, burning, beating and eliminating any Blacks they could get their hands on. In 1870, yet another Civil Rights Act was passed, and so followed the 15th Amendment. The lack of harmony between Johnson and the Radical Republicans made Johnson an ineffective President and therefore strengthened the power of Congress. If Lincoln had lived, his control over them would have made all of these events go smoother and with out much conflict.
During the time period of 1860 and 1877 many major changes occurred. From the beginning of the civil war to the fall of the reconstruction, the United States changed dramatically. Nearly one hundred years after the Declaration of Independence which declared all men equal, many social and constitutional alterations were necessary to protect the rights of all people, no matter their race. These social and constitutional developments that were made during 1860 to 1877 were so drastic it could be called a revolution.
How did the election of Lincoln to president in 1860 lead to civil war in the United States of America?
President Lincoln was succeeded by his vice president Andrew Johnson. Johnson was a southern democrat who believed in the union, however, he did not believe in black equality. Johnson believed that the planter class in the south had led their section of the country to ruin. As far as blacks were concerned, they were an inferior race to be held in some sort of subjugation to the dominant white population of the south. His attitude ran into a head on collision with that of the radical republicans in congress led by Thaddeus Stevens.
His actions brought about great challenges for him, and the following fathers of our country. would go through the sand. The combination of both races and more freedoms would stir trouble for many years to come. Although his actions stopped slavery, it didn't stop the harsh treatment of the black race, which has been carried out for decades. Lincoln's Presidency was dominated by the war.
loyalty oath. If this happened then that state could setup a new state government. Under
Since the beginning of the Market Revolution, the institution of slavery became the leading factor that intensified the relations between the North and the South. Regarding the geographic differences between the North and South, the South was primarily agrarian and the North was mainly urban. Therefore, the North rapidly industrialized while the South remained relatively rural and cotton-slave based. As a result, the Market Revolution economically separated the North and the South and created a second party system. Thus, the issues of pro-slavery and anti-slavery arose between the Southern Democrats and Northern Republicans in the 1850s. The North desired to halt the expansion of slavery into western territories while the South strongly opposed. These two opposing parties led to radical abolitionism in the North, William Henry Seward and John Brown, and extreme secessionism in the South, James Henry Hammond, and South Carolina Ordinance of Secession. Due to their strict ideologies regarding slavery, both parties could not compromise on the issue of the expansion of slavery. Therefore, according to Americans in the years prior to the Civil War, conflict was inevitable.
...ights for African Americans as well as a political rights for the people, his goal was to abolish slavery and felt that “all men created equally” should uphold for everybody, everybody that was man at least. Johnson the president, in the beginning proved to be loyal to his radicals by chastising the confederacy making sure there would be repercussions for their actions. Also his amnesty plan to reinstate the south states was far harsher than that of Lincoln's. Johnson’s sanctions deprived confederacy officers, people in high power, and anyone who owned valuable assets could be subject to confiscation. The purpose was to shift political power in south and reward it to freed blacks and white southerners who stayed neutral during the war. Hahn states in his article that, “During reconstruction, black men held political offices in every state of the former confederacy”
As President, Johnson decided to follow Lincolns plans by granting amnesty to almost all former confederates; establishing a Provisional government; and ratifying the thirteenth Amendment to abolish slavery. However, Johnson was not the same man as Lincoln for he was quite unpopular, especially with Congress. As the south was in a transitional period, its politics were changing as well. First, the Reconstruction Act allowed blacks to v...
The Reconstruction-era offered numerous opportunities to African-Americans, by attempting to secure the rights for ex-slaves, but the opportunities presented even more obstacles to them. The thought of freedom intrigued the African-Americans at first, but many of them quickly changed their minds after experiencing it. Henry William Ravenel, a slaveowner, proclaimed, "When they were told they were free, some said they did not wish to be free, and they were silenced with threats of being shot (Firsthand 24)." The Reconstruction-era effected the white settlers and their crops, as well, posing yet more obstacles for the already-struggling African-Americans. The hardships endured throughout this period of history were very immense and the struggle toward freedom and equality held a heavy price for all.
Lincoln’s assassination damaged the north’s and south’s relationship, increasing the north’s hate toward the south. His death gave the Radical Republicans more freedom to punish the south. And it put Andrew Johnson in charge who also wanted to punish the south and had a very bad relationship with the Congressmen. Without President Lincoln, the process of reconstruction took 12 years. If Lincoln were still alive during that time maybe many of the things that happened wouldn’t have. He could’ve controlled the Radicals, saved the relationships of the north and south, stopped much of the racism and racial groups like the KKK, and President Johnson wouldn’t have been in charge. In conclusion, Lincoln’s untimely death had a massive impact on slowing down reconstruction.
The Civil war could very easily be known as one of the greatest tragedies in United States history. After the Civil War, the people of The United States had so much anger and hatred towards each other and the government that 11 Southern states seceded from the Nation and parted into two pieces. The Nation split into either the Northern abolitionist or the Southern planation farmers. The Reconstruction era was meant to be exactly how the name announces it to be. It was a time for the United States to fix the broken pieces the war had caused allowing the country to mend together and unite once again. The point of Reconstruction was to establish unity between the states and to also create and protect the civil rights of the former slaves. Although Reconstruction failed in many aspects such as the upraise in white supremacy and racism, the reconstruction era was a time the United States took a lead in the direction of race equality.
The majority of speculations regarding the causes of the American Civil War are in some relation to slavery. While slavery was a factor in the disagreements that led to the Civil War, it was not the solitary or primary cause. There were three other, larger causes that contributed more directly to the beginning of the secession of the southern states and, eventually, the start of the war. Those three causes included economic and social divergence amongst the North and South, state versus national rights, and the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Dred Scott case. Each of these causes involved slavery in some way, but were not exclusively based upon slavery.
Contrary to what today’s society believes about Lincoln, he was not a popular man with the South at this period in time. The South wanted to expand towards the West but Lincoln created a geographical containment rule keeping slavery in the states it currently resided in. Despite his trying to rationalize with the South, Lincoln actually believed something different ”Lincoln claimed that he, like the Founding Fathers, saw slavery in the Old South as regrettable reality whose expansion could and should be arrested, thereby putting it on the long and gradual road ”ultimate extinction” (216). He believed it to be “evil” thus “implying that free southerners were evil for defending it”(275). Lincoln wanted to wipe out slavery for good and the South could sense his secret motives. By trying to trick them, the South rebelled as soon as Lincoln became president and launched what is today known as the Civil war.
...ust and lasting peace among ourselves, and with all nations.” Lincoln was focused on his main goal of improving the status of our country and how to achieve the peace he wanted as quickly and efficiently as possible. Lincoln would have been more lenient with the south; therefore, would have prevented the anger which was caused after Johnson's Reconstruction plan was in place. Furthermore, if he would have lived, he would not have put up with the violence, especially related to supremacy and racism. He would have ensured the security and protection of the slaves before any negative events could happen. Unlike Johnson, Abraham Lincoln would not have placed the blame on a certain party. He would have found a way to create peace so his plan of reestablishing the union would be quicker and he would have made decisions based on the fairness and equality toward Americans.
Abraham Lincoln (12 Feb. 1809-15 Apr. 1865) the 16th president (civilwar.org) of the United States of America was one of the main public persons that influence the civil war in many aspects. Even though the civil war may have been the last resource the nation had, it could be argue that Lincoln’s governments try its best to find a different solution. The civil war was a conflict that destroyed the nation; it perhaps could have been avoided if the second party had work for a solution. But it is true that maybe both parts could have looked out for the benefits of the people as a whole instead of their personal benefits. Lincoln principal positive effect on the civil war was actually before and during the war when Lincoln’s government had many attempts to prevent the confrontation, and when this one began he took the right decisions to win the war. One of the biggest effects on the civil war was the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, which gave the slaves their liberty. Many would agree is that Abraham’s Lincoln effect on the civil war was positive but Lincoln made many mistakes or misjudgments during the war as well. Perhaps the biggest mistake Lincoln did was underestimating the South what caused many unnecessary deaths. He also did had misjudgments that cause many causalities. Since the beginning of time humanity has fought for what they thought was right. In April 12 of 1861(civilwar.org) The US would begin a fight for civic and moral rights, a civil war that perhaps was the last option for a country to reunite its values. Abraham Lincoln was the president of the time and the person the influence the most the course the war took. I strongly believe that Lincoln’s decisions influence or had more positive effects on the country. Being the president at times like the civil war is without doubt it is one of the toughest jobs, and one way or another there is going to be correct and incorrect decisions but I can agree president Lincoln did what he thought it was the best at that moment.