Reconstruction

What was Reconstruction?

'Reconstruction' is the name given to the reunifying of the southern and northern states after the American Civil War. It dealt with issues of emancipation and the balance of federal and state power.

When did Reconstruction happen?

Reconstruction took place from the end of the Civil War in 1865, until its official end in 1877.

Who was in charge of Reconstruction?

Reconstruction was the responsibility of the federal and state governments. It was overseen by three presidents: Johnson, Grant, and Hayes.

What were the successes of Reconstruction?

Reconstruction proved successful in several ways.

• ❖ Education became available to 600,000 black students.
• ❖ Infrastructure in the South that had been damaged during the war - such as railroads and bridges - was repaired and rebuilt.
• ❖ African Americans received equality under the law (although this was often in theory rather than practice).

What were the failures of reconstruction?

Reconstruction can be seen as a failure in some respects.

• ❖ Former slaves became trapped in debt through sharecropping.
• ❖ Reconstruction failed to change the racist attitudes of many white southerners. The Ku Klux Klan was formed at this time.
• ❖ By 1877, the federal government had moved on to dealing with other issues, such as the Sioux Wars. As a consequence, old southern attitudes remained.