Download Fall 2011 Professor Hangen US History II

Fall 2011
Professor Hangen
US History II
Reconstructing Our Nation
After the end of the civil war, once African Americas were free there was a lot of work to
do in order to reconstruct the union. The issue discussed in Dueling Documents is how to
integrate freed people into society and establish their rights. The first document comes from the
view of African American men. It states that they felt, that as freedmen, they should have the
right to “appeal to the law for his equal right without regard to the color of his skin.”1 They felt
that this could be accomplished by granting them the right to vote, establishing them as equals.
The second document came from President Johnson. Johnson was making an attempt to reach
out to southern leaders, and convince them to set an example for other southern states, by
amending their constitution and granting freedmen the right to vote.2 In the third document
Thaddeus Stevens, the Representative of Pennsylvania, gives the viewpoint of the Radical
Republicans, stating that it is Congress’s responsibility to provide freedmen with shelter, food,
land etc. until they can provide for themselves. Without doing so, they will have nothing. This
will leave them under the control of their former masters, and it will be as if they were never
freed at all.
The most radical out of the three documents presented in Dueling Documents is the first
document, coming from the view of African Americans. After fighting a long, hard battle for
their freedom, they now feel most strongly about gaining equal rights, most importantly, the right
to vote. The least radical of the three documents is the second document coming from President
Johnson. As president he had to be more professional in his letter, trying to remain neutral and
appeal to both sides, and doing so in a proper manner.
1
Proceedings of the Convention of the Colored People of Virginia... in Philip S. Foner and George E.
Walker , eds., Proceedings of the Black State Conventions, 1840- 1865 (Philadelphia, 1980). II, 262-264.
2
Walter L, Fleming, ed., Documentary History of Reconstruction (Cleveland, 1906-1907), I, 177.
When Johnson refers to the adversary he is talking about the radical republicans. The
radical republicans are the enemy of the southern states, because they are trying to prevent them
from having any power within the union. The argument they have against the south is the fact
that the southern states have a different constitution. If they were to change their constitution to
match the constitution of the U.S. this would “completely disarm the adversary.”3 In other words,
it would leave the Radical Republicans with nothing to use against the southern states and keep
them out of Congress.
Johnson states that he plans to foil Radical Republicans by ruining their chances of
keeping Southern States from renewing their power in the union. This will only be possible if the
southern states establish the same constitution as the United States, giving equal rights to African
Americans that meet the proper criteria.
One topic that Thaddeus Steven does not discuss, which was discussed by both African
Americans and President Johnson, is attempting to get the southern states to give the freedmen
equal rights. Even though he is a part of the Radical Republicans he does not want to see the
southern states regain any form of power within the Unites States government. Therefore he does
not bring up this topic in his letter. Instead he focuses more on establishing freed men and
women into society and stabilizing their lives after the civil war.
In conclusion, the three documents both agree and disagree among certain views. Most
importantly the southern states wanted to regain acceptance into the union and the Radical
Republicans wanted to keep them from having any form of power.
3
Walter L, Fleming, ed., Documentary History of Reconstruction (Cleveland, 1906-1907), I, 177.