American History

Christopher Jordan Hooker  

                                                      History 2020-201

                                                  Mon/Wed. 9:10-11:40

                                                              Essay # 1

  Following The War for Southern Independence the radical Republicans of the North took unjust

measures over the conquered and impoverished social structure, economy and governments of

the defeated southern states. In fact, the whole idea of “reconstruction” was in fact

“deconstruction”. Reconstruction was not to “heal the nation’s wounds” or to economically

revitalize the South(which it did not). Reconstruction was economically destructive to the South.

The purpose was to continue the economic plundering of the Southern states for as long as

possible, and to establish a national Republican party political monopoly.


    On March 2, 1867, Congress passed the Reconstruction Act and thus abolished local civil

government in the Southern states. It divided the Southern states into five military districts, each

commanded by a battalion of Federal troops to insure that Southern whites were held in total

subjugation to every radical Republican policy of the northern politicians.

    During this reconstruction period many Northerners came southward to take unfair advantage

of a destroyed economic and governmental structure in order to gain political and or financial

advantage over the people in the southern states. These greedy opportunists were self-seeking in

their quest to exploit the Southern states. With no regard what so ever to the quiet, peaceful

Southerners, the Northerners attempted to implement their beliefs and ways of life upon the

grieving people of the Southern states.

    Many Northern Republicans, such as Thaddeus Stevens, felt that the Yankee rule over the South

was to: hang the leaders-crush the south-arm the Negroes-confiscate the land...Our...