Childish+Gambino

** What is the primary goal of reconstruction? Reunification, punishment, civil rights, other? (Thesis) ** Our plan for the reconstruction of this great nation will be on a platform of civil rights. We will forgive, but not forget the harsh intolerance that the Southern states have thrust upon their lowest class of black slaves. The treatment of African Americans as second class citizens and their unlawful, immoral captivity and enslavement must end to pave way for a stronger and united America. As the victors of the war, we disallow secession and we will stay unified with far less lenient civil rights laws. We will respect our fellow countrymen, as they are a strong cornerstone for the economy and an important asset to Westward expansion; however, we will not stand by passively as they disregard their country’s laws and act in ways that do not satisfy the country’s civil code of society. Talk of slavery as a temporary, yet necessary evil shall not be uttered. The peculiar institution must be removed forever and along with it shall be the bitter racism and disgraceful social structure that it has shaped in the South. Political power will be redistributed to the Southern states, but their compliance with the current Constitution and the new laws will be obligatory. Strict measures will be taken to keep order and peace, and a new structure of economics must be erected that will be up to par with the rest of the country. The South shall be regarded with grace and honor, as the defeated side of the war; however, it is expected that the South will also accept the Constitutional guidelines upon readmission. It is time to put sectional differences aside and unify the country on the grounds of civil equality, economic prosperity, and political stability as we move towards to future.


 * What should be done to the ex-Confederates?

2. Perhaps any form of extreme punishment would have been counterproductive (omit members of the Ku Klux Klan), but allowing the ex-rebels back into Congress was a costly blunder. Four Confederate generals, five colonels, and various members of the Richmond cabinet and Congress were reinstated, thoroughly shocking Republicans. With the eleven southern states in secession, the North had enjoyed virtually free reign to pass acts that would benefit America: the Morrill Tariff, the Pacific Railroad Act, the Homestead Act, etc. But with the newly elected Southern delegations, the rebels states were entitled to twelve more votes in Congress as well as 12 more presidential electoral votes than they held before. This raised the disturbing question, Who really won the war? Ideally, Ex-Confederates would not be allowed a seat in Congress, or at least held out for a certain period of time. Their decision-making processes are obviously inadequate, and they need to be reigned in for a while. President Lincoln's 10% Reconstruction plan should also be enforced, and even raised to a higher percentage of voters. The Wade-Davis Bill of 50% may be too high for acceptance, but a happy medium could certainly be reached. Somewhere around 30-35% would be appropriate.

Extreme punishments such as lynching or banishment for rebels would only cause further resentment towards the Union, and would be stooping to their level of intolerance and disunity. They should, however, be aware of who won the war and for what cause, and the Union should not be declared "fully restored" until Southern states have accepted that. Known members of the Ku Klux Klan decidedly deserve some form of punishment for their crimes against humanity. Nothing cruel and unusual, but most certainly heavy jail time.


 * What should be done for the freedmen?

3. Freedmen, first of all, should not be subjected to the heinous Black Codes. If the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments were not specific enough, there will be laws against such discriminatory loopholes. White men are no longer superior to black men; they are no longer entitled to act so. The Black Codes should undoubtedly be completely outlawed, so that freedmen may be freed men.

In accordance with the Freedmen's Bureau, former slaves were authorized to settle on forty-acre tracts confiscated from the Confederates. This plan was foiled, however, when local administrators collaborated with planters in expelling African Americans from towns and manipulating them into signing labor contracts for their former masters. This cruel mistreatment should never have occurred; there should be laws implemented that make this sort of manipulation of a freed man illegal. The Freedmen's Bureau was a wonderful idea, though primitive it may have been. The education department taught 200,000 African Americans how to read. If it could have been better protected in the areas that suffered Confederate manipulation and defended upon its expiration in 1872, then perhaps the Union's loss of the Reconstruction would not have been such a horrible tragedy for former slaves.

Every free man, save the ex-Confederate leaders, should be able to vote and hold office. We're going to keep the Union army down South to ensure that nobody loses out on the rights promised to them by the 13th-15th Amendments, also known as the Civil War Amendments. (see our Union Troops section for more details.) Since the Southern states now have more votes in the electoral college, it is ridiculous to deny a large segment their population a voice in elections and government. Despite this, because of the extreme fragility of the state of the Union, we are not in a position to let women exercise their right to vote at this time.
 * Who should be able to vote and hold office in the new Southern state governments?

Restoring the Union is a Reconstruction goal of immense priority, however not at the expense of the Civil Rights of freedmen. The power that previously belonged to the Southern states will be restored as soon as those states comply to the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments in addition to a policy similar to Lincoln's 10% policy, however the percentage will be raised to 20%; the less willing the state is to cooperate the more difficult Reconstruction will be. The states must replace any ex-Confederate leaders holding positions in office before being permitted back into the Union. Leaders must be elected by the people, meaning every state must provide government inspected voting booths that allow citizens, both Black and White, to vote freely and safely without literacy, economic, or ancestral stipulations. The voting booths will be guarded by the U.S. Army and there will be different designated voting booths in an attempt to protect Black voters and reduce predicted acts of political  intimidation. Through these steps we hope to reinstate a Union that can accept laws as they are and seek legal, constitutional ways in which to change the governmental aspects that they are adverse to.
 * What requirements must be met before states regain full rights and representation?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> Southern economy will be restored through a tariff on international sales, and slightly raised taxes. This extra money will be put towards restoring the damage of the war in the South, a railroad, and an overall economy boost for the United States.
 * <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;">How should the Southern economy be restored?

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;"> The tariff will be placed on southern goods, like cotton, which will raise and stimulate the economy by providing the government with more money directly. The reconstruction tax will be slightly higher (3%) than the current tax, which will be in effect for seven years, and will help fund the new “Southern City Reconstruction Group”. This group is designed to employ Freedmen at a minimum wage of 30 cents an hour (money from the tax and tariff), to help rebuild the southern town, which were pillaged by Sherman and his troops, as well as supply jobs for those without them. This group also provides structure and a purpose for the Freedmen, so the Southerners should have no problem with lawless, loitering blacks “destroying” their towns. Another project this funding will partly go to is the construction of a Transcontinental Railroad in the South. During the Civil War, the North was able to build a railroad, now we need one closer to the South to unite the country as one again. The southerners who lost their slaves due to the war, can re-hire their slaves, but only if they agree to pay them at minimum wage.
 * <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">What role should Union troops play in policing, governing, or rebuilding the South?

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; display: block; font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Union troops, now taking the position of the U.S. Army, shall act as an armed police force in the South. With the legal suffrage of African Americans, granted by the new amendments to the Constitution, polling places shall now be under government regulation and they shall be protected as such. Voting will be a safe and secure act for all those who are legally permitted to do so. The army will relentlessly serve to protect all citizens of the Southern states. All political and social organizations that promote or partake in unlawful hate crimes shall be dissolved. Legal restrictions on candidates from these parties will be set to ensure the safety of opposing candidates and citizens during and after campaigns and elections have concluded. The heinous acts of intimidation and execution will not be dismissed or overlooked. The U.S. Army will remain in occupation of counties that do not oblige to racially equal regulations. Southern regions that act in accordance to the new laws will be aiding in the prosperity of the country and are acting in their best interest.

<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">** Re-state the primary goal of reconstruction. (Thesis re-stated) ** <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The South is not undergoing reconstruction. It is merely being remodeled to reassume the important role it once played in the unified nation’s glory. The South, upon reunification, shall work towards making their society up to the respectable code of society in all regards. The social order will be at an equal level of the rest of the country’s, with African Americans legally equal to whites in the eyes of the Constitution and the White House. Their economy will be rejuvenated and well on its way to benefiting the country’s economy as a whole, as it will be built upon a foundation of minimum wages and fair working conditions. Politics will be a regulated, police-occupied action and it shall be eased back into a free-functioning system when the society has achieved full statehood and adapted to social adjustments. The aim is for the South to be returned into the nation, adhering to the same social standards and legal guidelines as the rest of the United States. All aspects of the Southern society will be refurbished to incorporate the nation’s high regard for civil rights. Time and patience will be necessary to adjust, as with any social change, but swift ratification and cooperation are strongly urged for this change will improve the country in every aspect of society. Sectional differences and steep political disagreements must be suppressed for the advancement of the country. These social issues must not me delayed, as they will amount to further conflicts in the future. America must reunite in peaceful agreement to venture on with power and poise.