Introduction
The period between 1867 and1877 was termed the reconstruction era, which was marked by the readmission of the Southern States, the assimilation of blacks into political activities, the abolition of slavery, and the dissolution of the Confederacy. Failure of the Reconstruction was worsened by the assassination of President Lincoln whose proposal provided useful guidelines that would positively impact on economic revival and political stability. Regardless of the improvements made to ensure the success of the era, reconstruction still suffered a monumental failure for various reasons analyzed in this paper.
Reasons for the Failure of the Reconstruction
The main reasons that have been highlighted as significant contributors to the failure include an ineffective execution of the 13 th and 14 th amendments, the integration of released slaves back into the society, poor political concentration, and the mismanagement of reconstruction reforms.
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The inclusion of slaves back into the society highlighted the ineffectiveness of reconstruction. The 13 th and 14 th amendments intended to alleviate issues with the integration of slaves were instead applied to frustrate reconstruction efforts as influential political and legal figures established convict leasing practices. Also, power factions including the Klu Klux Klan intimidated the civil liberties enforced by the 13 th and 14 th amendments.
Secondly, reconstruction was compromised by insufficient political focus. Following the Civil War, outstanding developments including industrialization, the completion of the continent-wide railroad, and increased financial stability redirected political attention to other “more important” issues. These inadequacies demonstrated the wanting political focus needed to heal the civil war wounds.
Conclusion
While many issues contributed to the failure of reconstruction, the main problem arose due to the inability to integrate freed slaves into political, social, and economic plans and institutions. Supremacy politics and factions caused significant divisions in the country’s governance during the reconstruction era. After the swearing in of a former slave owner, Andrew Johnson, as president, past reforms saw notable reorganization that would later cause political divisions.
