Professor HIST-1309-ONL2January 14, 2018 The Failure of Reconstruction In American history, the Civil War helped preserve the Union and free slaves. However, during Reconstruction there was a lack of political focus, and the elimination of freed slaves from newly won civil liberties failed to bring long-term racial integration. After the Civil War, the Union had to bring the South back into the country. They also wanted to ensure that the South was on a level playing field, meaning that the South's economy would be revived and would also help rebuild its landscape. Abraham Lincoln was the first to propose the 10% Plan, which offered Southern states a simple and lenient way to reenter the Union. Say no to plagiarism. Get Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get Original Essay However, when Lincoln was assassinated, Andrew Johnson, an accused former slave owner, became president and created his own reconstruction plan. His plan worked initially, but when he became president, former Confederates finally found their way in and were elected to the United States Congress. At the time, Congress, dominated by Republicans, refused to sit alongside the Southerners. Congress became more divided and because of this, tensions increased and this led to little progress in Reconstruction as well as the impeachment of Andrew Johnson. The Northern states bickered so much that it distracted the Union from any real progress and did little to bring the South back into the Union. Another cause of the lack of political focus during Reconstruction was the economic prosperity of the North followed by the Civil War. The Northern states failed to effectively reintegrate the South into the Union during Reconstruction. The first unsuccessful part of the reconstruction took place in 1880. The difference between the South and the Northeast was similar to that between Russia, which was at the time one of the poorest nations in Europe, and between Germany, one of the richest nations. Furthermore, “long after the 20th century, the South remained a one-party region under the control of a reactionary ruling elite” (Couvares, 410) who harbored hatred against the North. Even in fact, until the 1940s, Tennessee was the one and only state in the Confederacy to celebrate Lincoln's birthday as a legal national holiday. Another problem of Reconstruction was the integration of freed slaves into society, which was another failure of Reconstruction. At several points during Reconstruction, progress was made for freed African Americans. The first was the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments which guaranteed certain freedoms to African Americans. During this period, fourteen African Americans were elected to Congress and several others served in state and local governments. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay However, during this period, At this time, the rise of the Klu Klux Klan and other white supremacy groups began to intimidate freed slaves and push back against black freedoms. Reconstruction after the Civil War was a failure. The North was distracted and at odds over how this effort should be carried out, which failed to effectively rebuild the South or bring it back into the Union. Additionally, although for a time it seemed that freed slaves would become equal to whites and racism would end. Many efforts have been..