Post-Civil War Growing Pains

Brooke Price
HIS 105
April 25, 2013

There are many turning points during the time period 1865-1900. However, there are a few the stick out more than others. Events that affect us still today in our current society. For example, the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, and the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Things that we don’t really think about in our day to day life; but maybe we should be.
The 13th amendment was passed by Congress January 31st, 1865 and ratified by the sates on December 6th, 1865. This amendment formally abolished slavery in the United States of America and all of its controlling lands. The 14th amendment was ratified July 9th, 1868. This amendment granted all people who were born or naturalized citizens the right life, liberty, and property and forbidden states to deny anyone these rights. Then the 15th amendment which was ratified on February 3rd, 1870 but was not fully realized until about a century later. This amendment stated that no citizen’s right to vote should be denied due to race, color, or previous condition of servitude.
Furthermore, The Jim Crow laws where one of many reason the 15th amendment was not fully realized until about a century later. Jim Crow who was a Democrat to the fullest was very anti-black. In a sense he created segregation by starting what we called the Jim Crow Laws. These laws allowed states to skirt the 15th amendment and discriminate those who were not white. These laws made black separate from whites. They were separate but equal. Those allowing discrimination to continue.
These amendments affect us today not just because they are still a part of our constitution but also because if they were not in place what would it be like today? I’d like to say that we would be still be accepting to all our fellow Americans. However, I guess the world will never know. Just as we will never know how different we would be in Abraham Lincoln would not have been assassinated.
Think about it, If Abraham Lincoln were not assassinated would Reconstruction have been different? Would be different today? Would we not have suffered as much grief or bitterness? These are many questions that will never be answered. We can only guess and form our own opinions on the matter. My opinion on the matter is simple. I feel there would have been much less resentment from the South to the North if Abraham Lincoln were not assassinated. For Lincoln did not wish to punish the South but to get all of the citizens united. I also believe that things would have been pieced back together slower and more effectively. Instead of abruptly and more difficult for people to accept all at once. Thus, this is how it was done so we will not know if slower would have been accepted any better. From my observation it seemed Lincoln was taking everything one step at a time. Starting with reuniting the country and then slowly but surely getting us all on the same page.
On a positive note Industrialization and Urbanization allowed us to flourish and grow. Many factors fueled Industrialization. Such as cheap energy, new technology, and abundant amount of resources.
Because we had these things lots of Industries were born. Those creating jobs for the masses. Farmers were now able to work all year long versus just during harvest season. In result of Industrialization Urbanization happened. In your small town a factory may have appeared resulting in many moving to that location to receive work. That’s where Urbanization comes in. Once those small towns population got bigger they would form their own charters and laws but also made prime area for other business such as your local store or public facilities.

These things go together even still today. It’s something that if we stop and look around we see every day and everywhere we go. In city’s that are still flourishing you see new business and public activates appear all around. On the other hand if you going into a less populated city you will find less public actives available and maybe even business closing down or moving.
In conclusion, So many things may have been different if different people were involved or if different thing may have been implemented differently. But this is life. The only thing we can do is learn from our mistakes as a nation. We must always remember them because if history is forgotten it tends to be repeated.

References

"USA.gov: The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal." USA.gov: The U.S. Government's Official Web Portal. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2013.

Foner, E. (2009). IF LINCOLN HADN’T DIED.. American Heritage, 58(6), 47-54.