The Aftermath in Antebellum America

The American Civil War the bloodiest, most devastating conflict ever witnessed in the history of this young nation, with casualties surpassing one million overall, exceeding all other wars combined that Americans had been involved in, up to Vietnam. This war brought about base alterations to the way of life, and the very thinking of a nation, permanently changing the economic, political, and social structures thought to be secure at that time. Some of the changes were good, others not as much, but we as Americans are still feeling the impact from the Civil War to this very day, decades after the last surviving veteran of that awful, bloody clash passed away.

If you were to ask most people today what the biggest, lasting impact the Civil War had on America, they would most likely reply with something about freedom for the slaves. However, this is not the case, as this writer will explain later in the paper. Slavery was abolished due to the Civil War, yes, but it really was a minor player until the latter half of the conflict. Even without slavery being in effect, the amount of racism prevalent in the South after the war was as bad – if not worse – than before, since many of the plantation owners sought to reassert their control over the region, keeping the freed blacks on the bottom rung of the social ladder. Slavery had been such a pivotal part of the South's economy, that trying to cope without it was a struggle for many, so they fell into slightly modified versions of their old habits. This was only partially successful for them, as the very social system of the South was undermined by the Emancipation Proclamation and Reconstruction, and the social institutions that had long ruled the South were no longer pertinent. ("Race and segregation,") Eventually, the radical white supremacists would come to power in the South, leading to a civil rights battle that continued on to the 1960's, and to an extent, this very day.

An even bigger change brought about by the Civil War was that of economic control given to the Federal government. The National Bank Acts of 1863, '64 and '65 created a uniform currency, and forced any state-run banks to join the national system, something that former President Andrew Jackson had fought so hard against. These acts would eventually lay the groundwork for the private bank known today as the Federal Reserve System, or the Fed. The government, now with newfound control over the economics of the nation, began to pour money into businesses they thought fit, and to industrialize both the North and the antebellum South. A "Second Industrial Revolution" was sparked, with the Federal government rerouting money into public transportation – especially railroads – and also into communication, to allow for both easier and swifter transportation and contact with the Southern overseers. In addition, the government also strong-armed their choices for manufacturing and other businesses into power, mainly by tariffs, favorable loans and various subsidies. However, this did unify the recovering nation's economy, bringing the capitalist's market system into the South, finally doing away with their agrarian, semi-sustenance economy. The gears of industry had finally found their way into the South, and with the support of large, established economic enterprises, were there to stay.

 This industrialization of the South was primarily put into effect by President Abraham Lincoln, under his 10% Plan, but upon his assassination by John Wilkes Booth, Vice President Andrew Johnson – a Democrat from Tennessee – took over the Reconstruction process. Johnson seemed to take up the mantle of his predecessor well, but then seemed to give in to the radical Northerners by publicly attacking planter aristocracy of the South, and maintaining that those who participated in the rebellion should be punished. He decided not to enforce Lincoln's plan, instead implementing much harsher terms, disenfranchising all former military and civil officers of the Confederacy – not just the major players, as Lincoln's plan had – and anyone who owned Southern property worth $20,000 or more. To add seeming insult to injury, President Johnson made all of their estates liable to confiscation. (Weatherby, 2011) He justified this by saying it was to force a necessary shift in political and social power, from the old plantation aristocracy to smaller, localized artisans and farmers, and it would cause an essential alteration in Southern society.

So, with Congress adjourning from April to December 1865, Johnson implemented his plan using the interim governors he appointed. The Southern states were all required to hold conventions that either repealed or voided their declarations of secession, acknowledged the abolishment of slavery, and – with the exception of South Carolina – renounced all Confederate debts. The newly elected legislators from these states, excluding Mississippi, then ratified the Thirteenth Amendment, assuring freedom for all freed blacks. By the end of that year, every former Confederate state except Texas had reestablished a fully-functioning, autonomous civil government.

In short, the South would be a much different place, even today, if Booth hadn't assassinated Lincoln. The term "Reconstruction" implies that it was merely fixed, just put back together the way it was before. That, quite frankly, is not the case. The South was broken completely to its core, and was rebuilt from the ground up, forever changing a Southerner's way of life, even to this very day. Was it Lincoln's, or even Johnson's intention to fundamentally shift the groundwork upon which an entire region was constructed? Was it their wish to see a people have to completely start over with their way of living? This writer would assert both yes, and no. It was their intention to break the South's dependency upon slaves, and to begin the industrialization of the region; however, it was never their intention to crush the people in a way to make them resentful. Even to this very day, the flag of the Confederacy may be seen flying in various locations in the South, and an intense irritation when certain memoirs of the Civil War are displayed or played, proof of a deep-seated anger and resentment for what they consider to be a mishandling of the Reconstruction after the War. But it was merely the product of fallible men, doing what they believed was best for their country.

References

Discuss the Political, Social, and Economic Impact of the Civil War on the US. (2010, 12). StudyMode.com. Retrieved from http://www.studymode.com/essays/Discuss-The-Political-Social-And-Economic-521346.html

Race and Segregation in Post Civil War America. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://instruct.westvalley.edu/kelly/Distance_Learning/History_17B/Lecture02/Lecture02_p01.htm

Weatherby, E. (2011, December 19). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://pipenslippers.wordpress.com/2011/12/19/social-and-economic-reconstruction/

The Ten Percent

The "10% Reconstruction Plan" was introduced by Abraham Lincoln in December 1863. It was essentially a pattern to restore the Rebel states back into the Union, once the fighting had ceased and the Union declared victory. Under this plan, Lincoln laid out how the South would be rebuilt, physically, economically and socially, and then eventually bring back the rebellious states back into the fold of the Union. Unfortunately, this plan would never get the chance to be put into effect, since Lincoln's assassination by John Wilkes Booth thrust Andrew Johnson into power, and gave Johnson the ability to implement his own plan.

President Lincoln's design to rehabilitate the South began with the decree that would give it the nickname "10% plan": if 10% of the population of a Rebel state – according to the 1860 voter roll – would take an oath of allegiance and pledge to abide by the Emancipation Proclamation and 14^th Amendment, they would be repatriated into the Union. (Mintz) That 10% would then be allowed to elect delegates to craft new state constitutions and governments, provided they recognized the abolition of slavery, and anyone save Confederate government officials and high-ranking military officers would be eligible for a full pardon from the President. One of the most attractive – to the Southerners – yet controversial – to Congress – moves by Lincoln was to guarantee that all of the South's citizens would have their private property protected, with the exception of slaves. (Foner) Most of the more moderate Republican in the Senate and House of Representatives supported this whole-heartedly, since they wanted to just end the conflict, much to the chagrin of the more hardened partisans, who wanted to punish the South with an iron hand.

It was primarily a political move, and in Lincoln's eyes, it would bring about a faster end to the war, by encouraging the populace of the South to abandon the rebel cause, and strengthening the North's resolve by giving them the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. However, Congress wanted citizens to take an oath of loyalty before being repatriated, and said that not just 10%, but 50% of the voters should be required to take this oath before being allowed statehood again. This clash of ideas begged the question: who should make the policies for the Reconstruction? Congress, or the President? The Democrats in the Congressional houses, who were clamoring the loudest for a truce and peaceful solution, were initially unopposed to Lincoln's plan, but then claimed that the Legislative Branch should be the ones to create the terms of Reconstruction. Hardline Republicans agreed with this, but only because they felt the terms needed to be stricter, to punish the South for seceding. They feared the rise of the plantation aristocracy once again, and that blacks would be forced back into slavery or virtual slavery, by being kept on the bottom rung of the social ladder. Because of this, in spite of Tennessee, Louisiana and Arkansas electing officials and ratifying constitutions that met all of Lincoln's requirements, Congress rejected them, even though the received presidential approval. Those self same hardline, radical Republicans presented the Wade-Davis Bill as an alternative to the 10% Plan, and it was strong armed through both houses of the legislature. They had hoped to wrest control of the restoration process, and fundamentally transform the society of the South, disbanding the established plantation aristocracy, redistribute the land, develop industry, and guarantee civil liberties – though not a vote – for former slaves, and in spite of being a minority in the Republican party, managed to sway enough of their fellow GOP members to pass the Wade-Davis Bill. This bill incorporated the 50% requirement thought necessary, and the so-called "ironclad oath" swearing allegiance to the Union of the United States. But thanks to the system of checks and balances integrated into the framework of our nation, Lincoln pocket-vetoed the bill, letting it simply expire on his desk. It is interesting to note that if Congress had waited until after the election to pass the bill, Lincoln might have possibly considered it. As it stood, however, he would've appeared as a uncompromising, partisan radical who wasn't interested in ending the war quickly.  (Phillips)

The 10% plan had begun to be implemented under Lincoln, with certain aspects of it being run by the military, and some from the civilian sector, as Lincoln authorized several of his wartime generals to resettle former slaves on confiscated lands. For example, General William T. Sherman’s Special Field Order No. 15 set aside land in South Carolina and islands off the coast of Georgia for roughly 40,000 former slaves. To counter this, and in retaliation for the veto of the Wade-Davis Bill, Congress established the Freedmen's Bureau, and it was only slightly more successful than the failed bill. Many in the South regarded it as little more than a nuisance, and most considered it a threat to the very way of life in the recovering states. The southern aristocracy saw the bureau as a northern attempt to redistribute their lands to former slaves and resisted the Freedmen’s Bureau from its beginning, and more than a few plantation owners intimidated the former slaves into giving up their land, while others bribed the Bureau officials, who would then turn a blind eye to the abuse of the freed blacks. Despite the debauchery to be found in the department, the Freedmen's Bureau did manage to establish schools for the blacks, giving nearly 250,000 freed slaves access to education.

Unfortunately, the crazed, deranged schemes of John Wilkes Booth never gave the country a chance to see Lincoln's 10% Plan to be fully implemented, even though Lincoln and Congress were heading to a political showdown. After Lincoln's death the day after he was shot, it vaulted Vice President Andrew Johnson – a Tennessee Democrat who didn't care for Lincoln's plan at all – into power.

References

Foner, Eric. Forever Free: The Story of Emancipation & Reconstruction. New York: Vintage Books, 2005.

Mintz, R. (n.d.). Oracle thinkquest. Retrieved from http://library.thinkquest.org/J0112391/reconstruction.htm

Phillips, B. (n.d.). Spark notes. Retrieved from http://www.sparknotes.com/history/american/reconstruction/section1.rhtml