The American Civil War was the deadliest war in American history, caused 620,000 soldier deaths and an undetermined number of civilian casualties, ended slavery in the United States, restored the Union by settling the issues of nullification and secession and strengthened the role of the federal government. The social, political, economic and racial issues of the war continue to shape contemporary American thought.
Northern leaders agreed that victory would require more than the end of fighting. It had to encompass the two war goals: Secession had to be totally repudiated, and all forms of slavery had to be eliminated. They disagreed sharply on the criteria for these goals. They also disagreed on the degree of federal control that should be imposed on the South, and the process by which Southern states should be reintegrated into the Union.
Reconstruction, which began early in the war and ended in 1877, involved a complex and rapidly changing series of federal and state policies. The long-term result came in the three "Civil War" amendments to the Constitution: the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery; the Fourteenth Amendment, which extended federal legal protections equally to citizens regardless of race; and the Fifteenth Amendment, which abolished racial restrictions on voting. Reconstruction ended in the different states at different times, the last three by the Compromise of 1877.
After you look at the different plans for reconstruction I would like you to compare them to each other. In your opinion, why were some plans better? Why were some bad? What are some problems people might encounter with the different reconstruction plans? These are a few of the questions that you will answer throughout your webquest. For the second portion, you will be looking at the lifestyle people lived during this point in our history. The point of this section is for you to understand what it was like living through the reconstruction era. Once you have gained a good understanding on the four different plans and lifestyle, I want you to use that information to create a new plan for reconstruction. One that you believe to be better than the one that was actually put into place. Good luck and pleasant searching! If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States of America. America was not very united at the time of his presidency. Lincoln held office from 1861-1865. He was assassinated less than a month after the end of the Civil War.
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson was the 17th President of the United States of America. He was Lincoln's Vice President before he was assassinated. Johnson's presidency lasted from 1865-1869. He was the only southern Senator not to quit his post upon secession, and became the most prominent War Democrat from the South, supporting the military policies of US President Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War.
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was an American general and the 18th President of the United States of America. His presidency lasted from 1869–1877. He achieved international fame as the leading Union general in the American Civil War.
