Political, Economic, and Social Impact of the War

and Reconstruction

South After the War

Lincoln’s Plan

Political Effects

Lincoln’s view that the United States was one nation indivisible prevailed.

He believed that Reconstruction would quickly restore legitimate southern state governments that were loyal to the Union

Lincoln also believe in not punishing the South

The government should act “with malice towards none, with charity for all…to bind up the nation’s wounds.”

President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater in Washington just a few days after Lee’s surrender at Appomattox.

This enabled the Radical Republicans to punish the South

Lincoln’s Assassination

Radical Republicans

Got their name because they were strongly antislavery and, unlike Lincoln, not willing to forgive the Confederates

Clashed repeatedly with President Andrew Johnson

The states that seceded were not allowed back into the Union immediately.

Put the South under military occupation (martial law)

Divided the South into 5 military districts, each under command of a general

Radical Republicans aggressively pursued voting and other civil rights to newly freed slaves

Three Civil War Amendments

13th – Slavery was abolished permanently in the US

14th – States were prohibited from denying equal rights under the law to any American

Black Codes

15th – Voting rights were guaranteed regardless of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude” (former slaves)

Compromise of 1877

An extremely close race for president between Samuel Tilden (Democrat) and Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican).

Tilden won the popular vote but Southern Democrats offered their electoral votes to Hayes if would end military occupation in the South.

The results of the Compromise of 1877 was the end of the Reconstruction Period.

This opened the door to the “Jim Crow Era” and began a long period in which African Americans in the South were denied full rights of citizenship.

Economic and Social Impact

Southern states were left embittered and devastated by the war.Farms, railroads, and factories destroyed throughout the SouthRichmond and Atlanta were in ruinsSouth would remain backwards for decades

North and Midwest emerged with strong and growing industrial economies

Laid the foundation for sweeping industrialization of the nation (except the South)

The nation would emerge as a global economic power by the beginning of the 20th century

Completion of the Transcontinental Railroad intensified the westward movement of settlers in the states between the Mississippi and Pacific.