Reconstruction After The Civil War Essay

Reconstruction after the Civil War was heavily depended on the use of Federal power. Many southern whites did not adjust well to being an equal to an African American, and in turn went on to create laws that restricted their newly gained rights. Reconstruction after the Civil War was a partial success because African Americans did gain some rights; but, it was a failure after the Federal Government decreased its hold on the southern states. African Americans gained the right to vote, be legally married, and hold offices in city. While on the other hand where they lived was regulated, and they could not gather without the permission of whites. The Civil War for the south was about much more than states rights; it was about maintaining order and the way of life for southerners that wanted to keep African Americans bond to the land. Reconstruction is the aftermath of the war, but the legislation that followed are just ways of maintaining control over African Americans. The first document to examine is Carl Schurz Reports on the Condition of the Defeated South, and in this document Carl Schurz reports the lives of southerners after the Civil War. In the document Schurz says that the south has become somewhat stagnant, and southern support for the Union is rare. Schurz goes on to say, “the people are not impressed with any sense of its criminality” (Schurz; page 314). He say that the whites in the south were more concerned with the idea of finding ways to get African Americans…