Black Codes In The South example essay topic

Suggesting that the South won the War Between the States comes across as an appalling betrayal of American History as the American people know it. But do people truly know the nations history or just what they have been taught? Closely examining the goals of the Union versus the Confederacy people will come to find who really won the war. In the Civil War or as in any other war, either group, in this case the Union and the Confederacy, fights to restore a common goal as far as each side is concerned. In the case of the War Between the States the South wanted to continue slavery as the slaves provided cheap labor for the large plantation operations prominent in the Southern states at this time. In conjunction with keeping slavery alive they also wanted the slaves to "know their place" in society.

The North on the other hand had two separate goals in mind. First, was to preserve the Union. And second, was to abolish slavery. As a result of the war both the North and South remained victorious; each in only two of the four following areas; politically, socially, eco-nominally and morally. Politically the South won the war.

In the year 1865 the Freedman's Bureau was established in helping aid former slaves by providing them with food, fuel and clothing. The bureau also had acres of confiscated land that then could be leased to freed slaves or white Unionists. In addition, the 13th Amendment was drafted to further guarantee the end of slavery. Simplified it says that slavery, nor servitude, unless being punished for a crime, will exist in the U.S. The South, in an attempt to show their unwillingness for allowing and accepting the freedom of African Americans, passed "black codes" in South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, and other states. These codes were designed to restrict freedom and keep African Americans as close to slave status as possible, making Northern Republicans irate. In reaction to the use of "black codes" in the South, Congress passed two bills in 1866 to aid African Americans.

The first bill was the Civil Rights Act and the other bill the 14th Amendment. The Civil Rights Act made it so that all persons born in the United States (except Indians) were national citizens and then listed rights these people were now entitled to thus African American's were allowed full and equal benefit of all that the white men enjoyed. The 14th Amendment was passed due to the fact that President Johnson vetoed the Civil Rights Act. This Amendment made it clear that national citizenship included all former slaves due to the fact that they were either born or naturalized in the U.S. It also prohibited violating privileges of any citizen without due process. In this same year, 1866, the still prevalent Ku Klux Klan was founded as a Tennessee social club. Social they were not.

They terrorized black and white Republicans in the various forms of threats, whippings, or even murdering individuals. These and similar acts were committed prior to the 1868 election to prevent black and white Republicans alike from voting in favor of Ulysses S. Grant of the Republican Party. To the's dismay, Grant won the election despite the violence and terror they had caused. In 1868 seven former Confederate states had elected Republican governments, approved the revised constitutions, and ratified the 14th Amendment. Congress passed the 15th Amendment in 1869 noting that the right to vote could not be denied due to race, color etc. Fearing that the amendment would not be ratified on account of discriminating loopholes Congress enhanced the chances of ratification by requiring the remaining Confederate states approve the 14th and 15th Amendment in order to be readmitted to the Union.

Upon this final act Reconstruction was complete. However, despite each attempt by Northern Politicians and Congress to put an end to slavery in the U.S. Southern Politics were radically protected by the Ku Klux Klan. Though a withering organization, they are still a prevalent source of terror in America today. Morally the North won the Civil War. In life, much like in war, the better things are going the higher the morale of each involved, thus keeping that group in the positive light. On the battle field the North won a vast majority of the larger battles and the South conquered smaller battles, thus making up the war.

Most of the fighting also took place in the Southern states causing mass amounts of destruction to crops, homes, and complete towns as well as the families who lived there. Once the war was over the South trudged back home, at least to what was left of it, and the North triumphed, basking in the high spirits of the time. Economically the North prevailed as well. Due to the fact that most of the fighting had taken place in the Southern states, as stated above, much of the best agricultural land lay ruined. This included fields in northern Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley, and huge areas located in Mississippi, Tennessee, South Carolina and Georgia. Retreating Confederates had destroyed most of the cotton crops on purpose during the war to prevent its capture by federal troops.

What remained of the cotton was confiscated by the Union troops as war contraband. Richmond, Atlanta and other towns and cities were left in complete ruins. The destruction the Civil War had caused left the South in a huge economic set back that would take them more than a generation to overcome. Now that the war was over what used to be considered a measure of prestige and wealth in the South, cotton and slaves, held less meaning. In 1870 the South only controlled 12% of the nation's wealth, down 13% since 1860 when they controlled 25% of the nation's wealth. As for the Northern states, they returned to their factories thus retaining their industrial power and economic status.

Socially the South triumphed in the post Civil War era. In conjunction with the aforementioned political happenings between the North and South, the South was still able to keep up slave like conditions years after the war ended. The freemen of the South were now being transformed from slaves to wage laborers by a man named General Benjamin F. Butler beginning in the year 1862. This new policy of Butler's required that slaves remain on the plantation, where they would now receive very small wages for their work, while on a fixed schedule. Food and medical care was available for the old and or the sick. This system spanned throughout much of Louisiana and by 1864 there were more than 50,000 African American's laboring daily on more than 1,500 plantations and they were all under contract.

The contracts were required and supervised by the army and any wage laborer who did not sign one lost the ability of choosing where to work and would no longer receive pay. Instead the government relinquished the wages the laborer otherwise would have received at the years end. If one left before the one year mark from starting work was up they would not receive pay either. In other cases after the war, estate owners offered wages to the African American's and then made them pay for food and a place to stay.

These costs drove each who stayed on the plantation into debt, and they were not allowed to leave until the debt was paid off. Additionally, whites in the South banned together more than ever taking their "white pride" to a new level. At this point white skin had defined a social bond like no other making it so that even the poorest of the white men were superior to any black man no matter how prosperous or skilled he might be. After reviewing the four areas; social, political, moral and economical both the North and South each equally achieved their goals set prior to the war that no winner is definitive. This further exemplifies that a victory must consist of more than one aspect than just "winning".

In looking back at how shocking a suggestion the South having won the Civil War might have seemed at first, the question didn't change history, it has just changed the way you look at it.