Free «Life after the Civil War» Essay

After the Civil War, the necessity of implementing profound changes to the United States emerged. Reconstruction brought some changes, although it was not substantial in terms of social equality and political turmoil. Despite the attempt of the government to establish black suffrage, it failed as the term resulted in being insufficient in terms of reconstructing South or guaranteeing human rights.

The end of the Civil War caused the emergence of two crucial problems. Firstly, it was essential to reconstruct the previously rebellious states of South in order to integrate them into the Union again. Secondly, there was a need to incorporate nearly five million of freed slaves into a democratic society.

The era was crucial not only in the history of the region, but also the whole nation. The consequences of emancipation and reassertion of control by white Southerners were confronted by both races. Reconstruction marked the number of challenges faced by the society of those times. The Southern economy was undergoing a difficult period of its development. There was a desperate conflict in terms of politics. People of both races were redefining their relationships and attitudes towards each other. Moreover, slavery was ended abruptly and violently to a considerable degree in the Southern states. Consequently, the overall situation had caused the emergence of necessity to build and maintain an exceptionally new society.

The emergence of the New South was inevitably connected to the continuous redefinition and renegotiation of tensions that were not resolved, of consequences that were scarcely foreseen. The ambivalent nature of changes put obstacles in the way of meeting the aspirations of people. The society was split not only in classes or races, but also in minds. Despite the desire to acquire the benefits of progress, the perspective was unexpected and, therefore, frightening; in its turn, this contributed vastly towards hindering the developmental processes within society.

The life of Southerners comprised mainly of limitations. The economic growth stalled; the politics lacked alternatives; relations were strained among the races; the role of women was confined to a considerable degree. Nevertheless, the new era gave the promise of a radiant future. It gave the South ability to start all over again, overtake and even surpass the rest of the nation while avoiding the mistakes of the North.