To+Reform+or+Not+to+Reform

> ====== ====== > ======Rewriting the past and what the Civil War brought upon the South is an impossible test that has no right answer. Most can deem it as a war of destruction; a fight for the states as a whole and their individual rights, but in the end the North won. Reconstruction after the war to reunify the North and South was a desperate and pointless effort. In our opinion, the best way to reunify the South with the North is to do it slowly over the course of a span of years in the hopes of not overwhelming the South with new laws and regulations that would cause them to revolt. To become part of the United States again, each individual state must agree to a list of terms and if they are not followed, an appropriate punishment will be granted. As for the government of each state, anyone can run for office, with the exception of ex-Confederate leaders and African Americans (until the law that states that they can passes in time). Not being able to hold office is the major punishment instated upon ex-Confederate leaders. African Americans will get all of the same rights as white people, but over the span of 40 years in order for southerners to have time to adjust to the social changes. Union troops will stay in the South for five years after the war to maintain order. If rebel groups begin to appear in the South thereafter, the Union troops will be reinstated to maintain the peace. As for the economy of the South, railroads will be made to increase agriculture and industrial transportation, while also increasing the amount of jobs and connecting to the North. Finally, a tax will be issued that will increase by one percent every year until the taxes in the South are equal to those in the North. These changes will help to cool the tempers of Southerners while making a new reconstructed United States.======
 * 1) ====== **What is the primary goal of reconstruction? Reunification, punishment, civil rights, other? (Thesis)** ======
 * 1) ====== What should be done to the ex-Confederates? What should the United States of America do with the ex-Confederates? Throw them in the gutter? Put them to work in the cotton fields? Put them on the bottom of the food chain? No. We shouldn’t throw them in the gutter. We shouldn’t put them to work in the cotton fields. We shouldn’t put them at the bottom of the food chain. We need to make sure that the ex-Confederates don’t get their hands on a couple of things. One, ex- Confederates such as Robert E. Lee can’t hold office. We don’t need secessionism holding the reins for the country. We also have to make sure we don’t use the death penalty on these secessionists. We need to make sure we don’t have any runaways. We need to make sure that Lee and others don’t run over to Europe or Asia. We need to make sure the harsher Confederates get fair trials and jail sentences. If these guidelines check the Confederates in place; there shouldn’t be any future problems. ======
 * 2) ====== What should be done for the freedmen? During the American Civil War African Americans were granted their freedom and were liberated by General Sherman, but now what is the right thing to do with them, while at the same time try to build up an African American community? Do we give them all of their right at once and shell shock the South? No. We break it down. We will gradually build up into what will become the newly reconstructed South. African American’s rights will be declared throughout a span of time, giving the South more time to adjust to the changes. African Americans will still be receiving the rights they deserve; the only difference is they will be claiming additional rights each decade. As of now the slaves are free, but for a period of ten years that will be the only law passed on their behalf. They have the right to live in the United States, own property, and make a living, but they do not have the right to vote or hold office yet. Ten years later we would give them citizenship that includes the rights to a trial by jury, rights to call a trial, and all other rights included in the Bill of Rights except the right to vote or hold office. After another ten years, everything that is segregated is by law to become integrated. The last ten years all African Americans have the right to hold office and vote. Having the laws broken up into ten year spans gives the people of the South time to acclimate to the changes being made before another law is instated. If any rebel groups arise the Union army will be sent back into the South to control order and peace. If needed, officers will be stationed outside of the houses of those who are threatened by the rebels. This process will hopefully help make a more peaceful transition into a new unified America.======
 * 3) ====== Who should be able to vote and hold office in the new Southern state governments? In order to prevent future wars and civil unrest, former confederate commanders and political leaders shall not be allowed to hold office. This is meant to keep anti-United States leaders from regaining control and creating future uprisings and chaos. However, these ex-confederates will still be allowed most other rights including the right to vote. As for African Americans, they shall not be given the right to vote or hold office right away but these rights will be eventually granted to them. They will get the right to vote and hold office in 40 years. The rights of African Americans will be slowly implimented to prevent rebellion from white Southerners. All other Southern men will retain their rights to hold office and vote as long as they are lawful in their actions. These changes will be instated immediately and any violators will be punished accordingly.======
 * 4) ====== What requirements must be met before states regain full rights and representation? ======


 * ======They must accept the rule that ex-confederate soldiers will not have the right to hold office.======
 * ======They must accept the rule that when new Amendments are introduced over time, it is essential that they ratify them.======
 * ======They must accept the rule that half of the union officers will be occupying the south for approximately five years. If rebel groups (such as the Ku Klux Klan) arise, the union soldiers have the right to make peace by any means necessary.======
 * ======They must agree to a formal contract, stating that being a part of secession was a faulty decision and that it will not happen in the future.======
 * ======They must agree to uphold all prior Federal Laws.======
 * ======Finally, they must agree to the 1% tax that is being issued. After a substantial amount of time, the tax being issued in the south will eventually subside when equal with the north for the costs of the war.======

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Finding a way to restore the Southern economy is like trying to fit a perfectly rounded circle into a square. Hard to accomplish, but not impossible. The Southern economy is in ruins due to the Civil War. Southerners are not exposed to the industrialized atmosphere, therefore they have no industrialized benefits such as factories, but yet they are in desperate need of money, and the Southern job market is slowly weakening. In time African Americans will be able to claim their own freedom, but then what, where will they go from there? The South has scarcely enough money to support them; Southerners can barely keep their own jobs. What goes on from there? Do we just sit and watch the South slowly deteriorate to the point where the cotton fields are the only dependent factor for survival? No, we gradually reconstruct their economic stance.======

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Realistically, the South needs to start all over; they are left with deaths from those who fought, and freedmen who have been dependent on their owners. First of all we would restore railroads across the South, but it wouldn’t connect with the Transcontinental Railroad because if it did the South would benefit from it and although we are trying to improve the South, since we won the war they don’t deserve to get benefits if the Transcontinental Railroad was built. The railroads will provide both agricultural and industrial needs. Agriculturally, goods will be transported to and from the South, enhancing the rural needs. Industrially, steel will be able to be transported to the South, leading to the building of factories and increase production. It will connect all ends of the country, allowing for more widespread jobs to both freedmen and Southerners, where they will be constructing the structure of the railroads. Managing the produce delivered and sent from, other states, as well as creating various future jobs. Now if you’re wondering, how are we going to build the railroads? Freed African Americans will be in need for jobs; they will be willing to take the jobs and be the first priority. The money that will come within the railroad trading will commonly come from trading cotton and that’s how the workers will get paid.======

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In order to create order and educate the African American children, the Northern Carpetbaggers will re-educate the South and slave children by teaching them the necessities of reading and writing and the principals of humanity and the North’s newfound principals of unity and equality. The schools will be built on Carpetbaggers land, they will be willing to help re-educate the minds of the Southerners and provide the African American children the education they deserve to get, while also reeducating Southern children calling for a more incisive environment. The possibility of tax incentives for those who help provide the needed land do complete the task of building school, will be an option. Ways to pay for the railroads built and schools created will come from taxpaying. Taxes will be raised slightly by at least 1% a year until taxes in the South equal, but do not surpass, taxes in the North. In order to keep the Southern economy from collapsing, raising taxes is an integral factor in order to move forward and begin to implement on the new Southern economy reconstruction plan. Change has to be admitted and applied.======

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7. What role should Union troops play in policing, governing, or rebuilding the South? Why should Union troops stay longer in the dying South? To help govern? No. To help rebuild the South? No. To hold peace? Yes. Union troops in the South after the war is over is not just a suggestion. It’s a desired factor into the new South. The troops can help hold peace in the South. One of half of the troops can stay behind an help in controlling the order and calm down the South. If any rebellious groups rise up to confront the new vision for the United States, how should the troops handle these groups? What if these groups attack at night? If these groups attack at night, the common answer is Night watch. Night watch will help will enlisting security in the hearts of the Southerners. It will also bring down the rebellion spirit of the new groups. The troops will help with protection for the worried plain folk of the South. Again, the spirits of the Southerners will be brought up with the Union troops playing a role in protecting the South. ======

**8. Re-state the primary goal of reconstruction. (Thesis re-stated)**
The goal of reconstruction is to re-unite the war-torn South with the victorious North into one strong undivided nation with laws that benefit all. The union army will remain in place to assure the transition is peaceful and new rebellions are not allowed to flourish. It must be done in a way that keeps the former secessionists in check, while allowing the freed slaves to integrate in a timespan that is acceptable to all.The ex-confederates will be held accountable for their actions and will not be allowed to hold office but will have other rights, including the vote. The African Americans will slowly gain rights, until they have all basic rights including being educated and eventually voting. The economy must be stable and new laws must be put in place. A 1% tax will help with the costs of rebuilding and creating financial security. With these actions, the United States will truly be united and better than ever before**.**