Reflection,Module 2 : Politics of Reconstruction
The picture above is a political cartoon from “American Yawp” textbook edited by Joseph L. Locke , Ben Wright to interpret the view point of Lincoln and Johnson stitching the union back together
https://www.americanyawp.com/text/15-reconstruction/
For those who don’t know Reconstruction consisted of effort to restore the South and also give African Americans an area to where they would fit in American society. Abraham Lincoln created a plan for reunification in the Fall of 1863 in the United States. When the Civil War ended, Lincoln would son send off a proclamation allowing people of the South to take an oath of allegiance. Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation committed the United States to the abolition of slavery. The problem was the proclamation freed only enslaved people in areas of rebellion and left more than seven hundred thousand in slavery. Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri as well as in Union-areas of Louisiana, Tennessee, and Virginia.
The Congress Soon passed the Thirteenth Amendment on January 31, 1865. The amendment stopped slavery “except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.” State ratification followed, and by the end of the year the three fourths of states had approved the amendment, and four million people set free. Reconstruction soon changed on April 14, 1865 when John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln during a performance of Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theater.
Lincoln’s assassination pushed Vice President Andrew Johnson into the executive office in April 1865. Johnson, a states’-rights, strict-constructionist, and unapologetic racist from Tennessee, offered southern states a quick restoration into the Union. His Reconstruction plan required provisional southern governments to void their ordinances of secession, repudiate their Confederate debts, and ratify the Thirteenth Amendment. On all other matters, the conventions could do what they wanted with no federal interference. He pardoned all southerners engaged in the rebellion with the exception of wealthy planters who possessed more than $20,000 in property.
The idea of the American dream has been interpreted in many ways. For some people the American dream was based on having a nice home and nice family. But due to some of the history of the US many people could not pursue their American dream due to captivity of generations and also lack of help. Many African Americans in the late 1800s experienced slavery and other harsh realities such as not being able to even read without being punished.It wasn’t until later in time where they could live free to even experience pursuing their “dream”. The American dream was only valid for some people but not for everyone.
Treasure, I enjoyed reading your post. I think it was great emphasis on how you described the meaning of the American Dream. I agree with you when you said how some people reflect on the American dream in relation to having materialistic things, or even a family, and that can relate to marriage, having children and more. In my experience, people reflect on a lot of the things they don't have rather than things they do. And I'm not ashamed to say that I have to. It's important that we accept and value the things we have, and work for the things that we want, and if we are unable to get them, be satisfied with our outcome.
ReplyDeleteTreasure you worded this great. I enjoyed reading your post. I do agree that people thought American dream was based on having a nice home and family, because in reality it wasn’t. I also agree on the American dream was valid for for some people and not others. People are not getting treated equally.
ReplyDeleteHello Treasure, I agree wholeheartedly agree with the first par of your blog, that the American dream was not founded in reality. I felt that your post was valuable because it was informative. You provided a thorough in-depth history of the reconstruction. To this day I still find it ironic that people spoke of how the confederate only lasted for 4 years.
ReplyDeleteHi Treasure! I think you did wonderful with explaining your points. I agree the American dream, was based on something that was not a reality for most if not any. I agree that what the dream was believed to be for some people it wasn't for other and the ability for people to be treated fairly was thrown out the window. The American dream wasn't universal and I believe it still is not universal or even obtainable.
ReplyDeleteTreasure, I like how you started the post with an explanation of what Reconstruction is and ended it with an explanation of what most people thought the American Dream was vs what it actually was. I have to agree with the comments above, you made your points very clear and I can tell that you really took a deep understanding to what you read.
ReplyDelete