Civil War Reconstruction

9/22/12

Prompt 5:

It has been wryly observed that “ the North won the Civil War, but the South won Reconstruction.”

Many claimed that, “the North won the Civil War, but the South won Reconstruction.” There are many ways to interpret this statement and unvarnished its truth.

The North had several advantages that resulted them to win the Civil War. New technology were used and discovered. Some beneficial technologies were the telegraph, steamboats, and railroads. Factories produced many weapons, such as rifles and ammunition. The North invested more money than the South by factories and manufacturing, so this enabled them to buy more equipment and supplies. The North’s population was twice the size of the South’s population. For this advantage, there were plenty of more soldiers that volunteered and enlisted to fight in the Civil War. New technology and an abundance of supplies for the North helped managed them to be victorious in the Civil War.

Two thirds of the South’s land had been demolished and thousands of miles of railroads were highly damaged. In addition to farmland and farm buildings, factories and ports were wiped out.

After the Civil War, the South needed to restore the states and rejoin to become a Union. President Abraham Lincoln was very lenient with the idea of restoring the states with the Union. He developed a plan called Ten Percent Plan. This proclaimed that ten percent of the southern states’ population needed to pledge and be loyal to the United States. After Lincoln’s murder, President Andrew Johnson came to power. He gave the South the right to regulate their actions. For example, African Americans can be controlled but can not be bought or sold. President Johnson restored a majority of the land to its past owners. African American clubs, organizations, and different societies were formed.

The South won in Reconstruction in many ways. Rebuilding and extending the railroads in the South was one of the major focuses. A transcontinental railroad, which stretched from coast to coast, was built. A few cotton factories were produced. The Republicans who conducted Congress agreed with southern legislatures on how important business was. For this, a large amount of money was gathered to help the South’s reconstruction. Several canals, bridges, and railroads were rebuilt with Reconstruction funds. There were several people who helped the South raised money. Private investors, heavy taxes, Congress, and Reconstruction legislatures contributed largely. Reconstruction legislatures donated a handful of money for rebuilding the South.

In conclusion, the South won Reconstruction, while the North won the Civil war. Many new creations in technology helped the North become victorious. Different people and groups lended a hand and helped rebuild the South.