archieclement
Colonel
- Joined
- Sep 17, 2011
- Location
- mo
was reading a bit about reconstruction this morn and came across this statement.
"The only consensus that existed among northern politicians during Reconstruction was that white southerners should not have a free hand, as they had in late 1865 and early 1866, to impose their will on the South. "
Which seems to me to be somewhat true.............The more I read of the post war period, I have no idea what was exactly the North's goal with reconstruction?
Reunion- would be an obvious choice and appears to have been Lincolns and Johnson's position, but as the above quote says........imposing ones will on the south, and denying white southerners a role, is more punitive and not exactly a course to foster feelings of union
Punitive- at times seems to have been the goal, but other then a short term feel good for the north, not seeing where it would be a worthy long term goal aiding either white southerners or ex slaves, or the north for that matter............
Civil rights- The whole premise that one can force ones morality on another seems fundamentally flawed to me, so not sure how to judge the North's failure here...............
I have seen people say " the North won the war, the South won reconstruction" however what was the metric of success for the North in reconstruction? There doesn't appear to even be one to me.....they seem to flip-flop mostly and finally appear to just give up seemingly conceding they had no real plan or goal all along................
Curious as to what others would say was the goal of reconstruction from the North's perspective, and if they were realistic?
"The only consensus that existed among northern politicians during Reconstruction was that white southerners should not have a free hand, as they had in late 1865 and early 1866, to impose their will on the South. "
Which seems to me to be somewhat true.............The more I read of the post war period, I have no idea what was exactly the North's goal with reconstruction?
Reunion- would be an obvious choice and appears to have been Lincolns and Johnson's position, but as the above quote says........imposing ones will on the south, and denying white southerners a role, is more punitive and not exactly a course to foster feelings of union
Punitive- at times seems to have been the goal, but other then a short term feel good for the north, not seeing where it would be a worthy long term goal aiding either white southerners or ex slaves, or the north for that matter............
Civil rights- The whole premise that one can force ones morality on another seems fundamentally flawed to me, so not sure how to judge the North's failure here...............
I have seen people say " the North won the war, the South won reconstruction" however what was the metric of success for the North in reconstruction? There doesn't appear to even be one to me.....they seem to flip-flop mostly and finally appear to just give up seemingly conceding they had no real plan or goal all along................
Curious as to what others would say was the goal of reconstruction from the North's perspective, and if they were realistic?
Bringing the