Write a report analyzing the effects of Reconstruction on the political, social, and economic life of the nation
Imagine that you are a northern Congressional representative who has gone South after the war to analyze the effects of Reconstruction. You are to write a report that analyzes the effects of the Civil War and Reconstruction on the political, economic, and social life of the nation.

As you research the effects, you may want to think about the following in the preparation of your report:

1. Economic difficulties faced by the United States during Reconstruction. Note the difficulties of the South in comparison to the North.
2. Social problems that faced the South during Reconstruction and the impact on various groups. Note issues like former slaves, the enfranchisement of Confederates, the federal occupation, and the need to adopt new state constitutions.
3. Political problems resulting from Radical Reconstruction replaced some white Southerners in politics with Northerners and blacks; this sparked controversy and resistance among many white Southerners.
Your report to Congress is to be typed using proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Politically--The South is now without many leaders from the Civil War period and before as Reconstruction will prevent those leaders from holding office during this period. This decreases the power of the Democrats in the South and will allow for more Republicans to take control. Some of those Republicans are from the North (carpetbaggers) and some are people who change parties after the war to gain power (scalawags). Many of the Republicans will be the newly emancipated black males who with the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments will gain freedom, citizenship, and the right to vote. Many of the states in the South will have to reorganize and rewrite state constitutions to reflect the changes in law taking place during and right after the war.
Socially--The biggest social change is the removal of the slave structure and freeing of blacks. Many plantations owners will lose status as a result of losing their land and slaves. Lower classes whites are now in competition with free blacks over low paying jobs which will lead to racist ideology and the rise of such groups as the KKK.
Economically--The South is war torn. The land is ruined, cities burned and destroyed, and transportation lines (what little they had) have been broken. In addition, the South has lost their backbone industry of slave plantations and slave trade. Many businesses were connected to this industry so the South is tasked with reinvention and rebuilding during Reconstruction.