Create a better post-Civil War Reconstruction. I'm looking forward to read robertp6165's ideas, but everyone is welcome. If this has already been done before, I'd appreciate some links to the best proposals.
AH Challenge: Better Reconstruction
- Thread starter Strategos' Risk
- Start date
In OTL there was corruption in the reconstruction governments, but then there was in all state governemnts at that time. The key reason they were overthrown was racism and weakness on the part of the Federal government and the vulnerability of former slaves.
A better reconstruction simply needed the destruction of the Planter class by mass confiscation and giving former slaves just compensation in the form of land.
A better reconstruction simply needed the destruction of the Planter class by mass confiscation and giving former slaves just compensation in the form of land.
Derek Jackson said:
The reason that reconstruction ended was because of the hotly contested election of 1876, which the Democrat, Tilden, most likely actually won. Several Southern states turned in 2 sets of electors. Some for the Republican, Hayes, and some for Tilden. Guess which ones were the authentics.
Anyway the ones for Hayes were counted as the real ones and in the compromise that ensued, reconstruction ended.French language in America...legal and primary
I say, to keep southern whites happy, the Union allows Louisiana, and former West Florida, re-secede, and they form the Monarchy of American Orleans. The US wants to re-capture it, after they declare a monarchy, it is backed by France, Britain, Spain, Russia, and...Ethiopia. The Bourbon princess Marie is proclaimed 'Princess of American Orleans.' White southern planation owner all flood into the country. With the aide of France, a slave trade begins and is legalized in Orleans.
Meanwhile, Mississippi voters vote to secede, and join Orleans as the 'Province of New France.' The Union begins to put tight border control on the MOnarchy of American Orleans. Princess Marie Bourbon gives birth to a daughter, who is given the title 'Grand Duchess of New France.' This is the title all heirs to the throne will hence be given.
So, you like it?
I say, to keep southern whites happy, the Union allows Louisiana, and former West Florida, re-secede, and they form the Monarchy of American Orleans. The US wants to re-capture it, after they declare a monarchy, it is backed by France, Britain, Spain, Russia, and...Ethiopia. The Bourbon princess Marie is proclaimed 'Princess of American Orleans.' White southern planation owner all flood into the country. With the aide of France, a slave trade begins and is legalized in Orleans.
Meanwhile, Mississippi voters vote to secede, and join Orleans as the 'Province of New France.' The Union begins to put tight border control on the MOnarchy of American Orleans. Princess Marie Bourbon gives birth to a daughter, who is given the title 'Grand Duchess of New France.' This is the title all heirs to the throne will hence be given.
So, you like it?
Aussey said:
This is absolutely implausible. The French were the 1st country to end slavery (1st Republic, if I recall). They would never help another country set up a slave trade.
It is possible that the French could have aided the CSA -- just because they wanted to violate the Monroe Doctrine and keep Mexico, but no way would they go in and help an already independent country start a slave trade.
Spartan
Banned
Congress should have set up created one large military district from South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana with the Freedmen’s Bureau working to bring about five things.
1. Confiscate the land of white Southerners in this new military district.
2. Offer free homesteads to all the newly freed slaves consisting of 40 acres and a mule. Offer homesteads to Blacks in the remainder of the United States, Liberia, and Canada. Prohibit the selling of land to whites.
3. Forcibly remove all whites from said military district without compensation for their lost.
4. Establish a basic educational system in the military district.
5. Give “Homeland” status to the five states of the said military district making this the homeland for the American Negro with is regional government in Atlanta. This status would make it autonomous and exempt immune to Congressional and presidential control. This would allow for the cultural, political, and economic development of Blacks. The Negro Free State (the said military district) would by like a territory in that it’s not represented in national government except by non-voting delegates and its citizens can not participate in presidential elections.
6. Prohibit the entry Southern white adult generation of 1860-1865 from voting and suspend all their civil liberties and require them to apply for citizenship.
The South started the war and should have been punished according.
1. Confiscate the land of white Southerners in this new military district.
2. Offer free homesteads to all the newly freed slaves consisting of 40 acres and a mule. Offer homesteads to Blacks in the remainder of the United States, Liberia, and Canada. Prohibit the selling of land to whites.
3. Forcibly remove all whites from said military district without compensation for their lost.
4. Establish a basic educational system in the military district.
5. Give “Homeland” status to the five states of the said military district making this the homeland for the American Negro with is regional government in Atlanta. This status would make it autonomous and exempt immune to Congressional and presidential control. This would allow for the cultural, political, and economic development of Blacks. The Negro Free State (the said military district) would by like a territory in that it’s not represented in national government except by non-voting delegates and its citizens can not participate in presidential elections.
6. Prohibit the entry Southern white adult generation of 1860-1865 from voting and suspend all their civil liberties and require them to apply for citizenship.
The South started the war and should have been punished according.
Brilliantlight
Banned
Spartan said:
IOW you want the Civil war to continue another 20 years and cost another few hundred thousand lives. I am one of the most anti-Confederate members of this board and even I wouldn't do something THAT draconian.
What about, in addition to allowing all freed blacks a share in owning their own land as per the '40 acres and a mule' promise by the Union govt, instead of having poor freedmen cont'd to be virtually enslaved under the sharecropping system, having a militia, police and judicial system comprising both blacks and sympathetic whites which was strongly supported by federal govt authorities and troops after 1877, which could take effective action against the KKK and other white supremacist groups and enforce all the civil and political rights guaranteed to blacks under the Amendments to the Constitution ? What about the establishment of special zones as autonomous black homelands, such as the Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia ? Plus the passing of federal legislation to outlaw lynching, the enactment in Southern states of discriminatory laws (the OTL Black Codes) and racist propaganda which legitimises these extralegal practices. Perhaps freeborn blacks from the North, esp vets from outfits like the 54th and 55th Massachusetts, could also take a key role in being appointed to relevant positions of authority in the occupied South to assist their brethren in such things as providing basic education and helping them to organise an effective militia and law enforcement apparatus.
BTW, we've already discussed these issues in previous threads, haven't we ?
BTW, we've already discussed these issues in previous threads, haven't we ?
I'm inclined to think that a better Reconstruction would leave the black militias with all their arms (and regular shipments of new ones).
In OTL, after having most of their weapons taken away, the black militias were overrun and slaughtered by the state militia forces. Had they been better-armed (POD) and organized, this might not have happened.
In OTL, after having most of their weapons taken away, the black militias were overrun and slaughtered by the state militia forces. Had they been better-armed (POD) and organized, this might not have happened.
Okay, I'm inclined to think that there are four general paths which post-ACW history could have taken (as I've mentioned before):
South wins; short-term emnity
South wins; long-term emnity
North wins; short-term emnity(OTL)
North wins; long-term emnity
Everyone seems to think that North wins; long term emnity would be a "better" reconstruction. I would think that a better reconstruction would be one in which there was little if any emnity after the war at all, where the Radical Republicans didn't take over and didn't break the peace agreements that (starting with Grant and Lee) every Union commander made with every Confederate commander.
I don't see how instilling hatred and emnity among the conquered will do anything to make reconstruction "better." If anything, it would eventually cause an international outry for devolution, as happened other places where the conquerers were not as benign, in the long run, as the United States were.
As a POD for a reconstruction that would have actually been better, maybe Lincoln avoids being assassinated and lives up to the promises he made in his inauguration
South wins; short-term emnity
South wins; long-term emnity
North wins; short-term emnity(OTL)
North wins; long-term emnity
Everyone seems to think that North wins; long term emnity would be a "better" reconstruction. I would think that a better reconstruction would be one in which there was little if any emnity after the war at all, where the Radical Republicans didn't take over and didn't break the peace agreements that (starting with Grant and Lee) every Union commander made with every Confederate commander.
I don't see how instilling hatred and emnity among the conquered will do anything to make reconstruction "better." If anything, it would eventually cause an international outry for devolution, as happened other places where the conquerers were not as benign, in the long run, as the United States were.
As a POD for a reconstruction that would have actually been better, maybe Lincoln avoids being assassinated and lives up to the promises he made in his inauguration
csa945 said:
At some point, said states could no longer be treated as occupied territory and then the Feds would have to give all the weapons back.
Spartan
Banned
And once the weapons were given back the South would turn on the Blacks. The white Southner was inherently racist. He was raised to believe that Black were inferior to them and the racial pseudo-science further reinforced the idea of Black inferiority by saying Blacks were not eve of the same species as whites. You can't free slaves and leave them to the mercy of a society of people with that type of thinking its madness. Organizing Black militias and keeping them well armed would be the only way protect them. This is why I support a Black homeland in my proposal because whites in the South were one of the greatest barriers to Black economic development.
I think that the economic security which land reform would bring would mean that African American voting rights would have been retained.
I believe that there are racists North and South. However politicians deal in realities. In OTL for a long period black people were denied voting rights over large parts of the South. Keeping things that way was a major theme in white politics.
But also in OTL once voting rights were secure a poitician like George Wallace shifted his ground A LOT
Maybe this could have happened 90 years earlier
I believe that there are racists North and South. However politicians deal in realities. In OTL for a long period black people were denied voting rights over large parts of the South. Keeping things that way was a major theme in white politics.
But also in OTL once voting rights were secure a poitician like George Wallace shifted his ground A LOT
Maybe this could have happened 90 years earlier
Brilliantlight
Banned
Spartan said:
Which would have NEVER happened, the shot wasn't even on the board. The people in the North wouldn't have allowed it not talking about the South.