Postbellum Policies

Postbellum Policies

Postbellum economic policies were implemented after the American Civil War, which aimed to rebuild the country following the financial losses and racial inequalities experienced during the War. Presidents Johnson and Lincoln presided over most of these reconstruction policies. One of the significant tasks post-war was to ensure the interests of African Americans were taken care of. There was a dire need to address the interests of formerly enslaved people. The first action by Congress was to set up the Freedmen’s Bureau in March 1865 to address the plight of formerly enslaved people and guide them toward self-dependence (Hamby, Neely & Clack, 2009). In December 1965, Congress ratified the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery (Hamby, Neely & Clack, 2009). Other political actions by Johnson designed to facilitate political freedom were appointing governors to former Confederate states and restoring political rights through a presidential pardon. These policies created an environment that encouraged the growth of the Southern States, devoid of political conflict.

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Restoring political rights to the South was another notable development during the period. Southerners were now allowed to elect Democratic Party members (Poulos, 2021). That allowed them to eliminate inept and corrupt leaders previously imposed on them by the Republican Party. Also, the agricultural sector benefited from significant reconstruction policies. The period between 1860 and 1890 is characterized by significant population growth (Woodman, 1979). To cater to the needs of an increasing population, the mainly African American farmers had to increase the production of wheat, corn, pork, and beef, among other American staples (Hamby, Neely & Clack, 2009). Two factors were responsible for the achievements made during this period: the technological revolution and the expansion to the West. The technological revolution reduced production costs, and farming was now more efficient.

Land distribution equity is another significant economic policy that positively contributed to the South’s growth. The Homestead Act of 1862 granted 64-hectare free farms to individuals willing to develop them (Hamby, Neely & Clack, 2009). By 1880, about 22,400,000 ha of ‘free’ land was in the hands of citizens. The policy contributed to discovering other opportunities to exploit, hence, economic prosperity.

In summary, the postbellum policies in the Americas were essentially practical. Success areas include political freedom for former rebels and African Americans. As the political space opened, Southerners got the chance to elect influential leaders. Also, land ownership policies contributed to prosperity since all could exploit opportunities availed by these policies.

References

Hamby, A.L., Neely, M.S., & Clack, G. (2009). Outline of U.S. History. New York: Nova Scotia SciencePublishers

Poulos, J. (2021). Amnesty Policy and Elite Persistence in the Postbellum South: Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Design. arXiv preprint arXiv:2103.14220.

Woodman, H. D. (1979). Post-Civil War southern agriculture and the law. Agricultural History, 53(1), 319-337.

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Postbellum Policies

Analyze the effectiveness of Postbellum policies by explaining if Reconstruction succeeded or failed in the areas of Economics – including the rebuilding of the Southern economy and improving the economic status of freedmen, and Politics – including the unification of the North and South, restoring Southern loyalty to the Union, and establishing political rights for African Americans. Include examples to support your claims of success or failure, and cite all sources used to develop your answer.