Team+Jacob



This war was not intended to be fought to abolish slavery. It was fought to preserve the Union, therefore our goal in reconstruction must be reunification of the Union. Although this war was not directly fought to abolish slavery, throughout its course, it became increasingly clear that the only way to keep the union together would be to free the slaves. Now that the war has been fought, it is clear that in order to preserve the Union for future generations, civil rights for black people is essential. During this period in time, we must forget our prejudices and hatred of the south and bind our nation’s wounds. We are one nation, under God. God created all men equal, so it is now apparent that we must reunify this nation and provide civil rights for the African race.
 * 1. What is the primary goal of reconstruction? Reunification, punishment, civil rights, other? (Thesis) - Jessica **

**We need to put the Confederates in their place. They need to understand that we are one Union, and if anyone tries to break the bonds of our Union, there will be consequences. The South needs to be taught that secession is wrong and must not happen again. Our proposition on what is to be done with the former Confederates is harsh, while forgiving. First of all, no former confederates will be allowed to hold office until they have earned a full pardon from the Union government. Such a pardon can be earned through good works and through the abandonment of confederate ideals. Secondly, high ranking Confederate officials will be tried for treason. It is necessary to keep the confederates fully aware of the effects of secession. But although what the confederates did tore the country apart, they have already suffered greatly and should not be put through much more hardship. All southerners should be returned all of their property, with the exception of slaves.
 * 2. What should be done to the ex-Confederates? ** ** - Jessica

**3. What should be done for the freedmen?  - Jessica ** Now that slavery is behind us, one prominent question has arisen: what is to be done with the freedmen? The war has put thousands of slaves out on the streets without a home, an education or any hope, but it is our nation’s duty to ensure their right. Due to the ratification of the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth amendments, black people have been given equal rights and the Union will make sure that these rights are enforced. Our proposition is to appoint officers to make sure that these new laws are abided by. Anyone who is caught trying to force blacks out of their town will be put on trial. In addition, black people will now be allowed not only to elect officials, but also hold office. They also have the right to an education. We will use a small amount of tax money to help pay for new schools made especially former slaves and African Americans. The Constitution states that all men are created equal, and we WILL follow the Constitution.

**4. Who should be able to vote and hold office in the new Southern state governments? ** **- Amanda** Due to the fact that one of our primary goals for reconstruction is Civil Rights, it is only natural that people of African descent, just as the Caucasian race before them, should be given the right not only to vote, but to hold office. However, in order to qualify for a position of political power, it is necessary for any person, black or whiter, to have an education. Since the majority of African Americans have not been educated in any way shape or form, part of the tax raise which we will discuss at more length within our economic solution will go towards their increased education. No, this measure will almost certainly not garner any form of enthusiasm from the more “traditional” southerners, but we must set a precedent of equality for future generations. Also, regarding former Confederate soldiers, we will allow them a vote; and a low-ranking ex-Confederate who officially declares his allegiance to the preservation and progression of the Union and who has earned a pardon as described earlier, can run for office. However, as we discussed before, a number of the higher ranking soldiers will be tried for treason, and for this reason, we cannot let them maintain a position in office, and if convicted, they will not have the privilege of voting in elections.

To regain the rights and representation of the Union, the southern states must acquiesce a few of our requests. To begin, each state must have a minimum of 25 percent of its citizens pledge its loyalty to the Union and vote to rejoin the Union. Though 25 percent is clearly a minority in the grand scheme of things, it is more than Lincoln’s original idea for 10 percent, ensuring at least a little more loyalty, while not setting too high a goal of cooperation in the in the midst of a people more than likely utterly bitter as a result of their war-time defeat. They must then ratify the 13th (banning slavery), 14th (ensuring the right of Due Process), and the 15th (prohibiting denial of suffrage based on race or previous state of servitude) amendments into the Constitution. Introducing these laws to the formerly seceded states is especially important to our steps towards Civil Rights for African Americans, and though most southerners will likely oppose these acts, they are essential not only to our fight for equality, but to a unified nation, not comprised solely of whites, but also blacks alongside those who had controlled the country for so long.
 * 5. What requirements must be met before states regain full rights and representation?  - Amanda **

After the devastating impact that the Civil War contributed to the fall of the South’s economy it is only fair for the North to help amend it, since the South has realized that it cannot create a country of its own. With its railroads, towns, and plantations destroyed during the war there is no possible way in which it can rebuild its economy by the profit that the picking of cotton could ever bring in, especially since its long absence made European countries find another cotton supplier, instead of the South. First and foremost the United States government will rebuild all the towns that were burned downed by William Tecumseh Sherman. The next priority will be to build railroads across the South that also connects to the Northern railroads so that it will make it easier for products to be transported and will lower the cost it takes to deliver and increase the profit gain. However, the South needs to realize that they will need factories or have to invest their money into something besides cotton because there is currently a low demand and they will not be able to make any money if they try to sell what the global market has a huge surplus already. As for the freedmen, they will have the option of moving to the west where they will receive a small plot of land and there will be a free schoolhouse for children and adults as long as there are ten or more families per community. The freedmen will not be forced to move, they as citizens have their say and it is up to them to decide what is best for them. Needless to say the United States will only help start to rebuild the South’s economy but it’s the South’s responsibility to continue the process and ensure their prosperity for the future.
 * 6. How should the Southern economy be restored? - Jocelyn  **

7 ** .<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> ****  What role should Union troops play in policing, governing, or rebuilding the South? - Jocelyn ** Union troops belong to the Federal Army and will by no means make amends to state laws that are broken, that will be left to the responsibility of the South’s own state law enforcement. Union troops will only be responsible for ensuring that Freedmen have the right to vote without having any requirements made by the South. Any change made in the amendments will result in punishment of state legislature since each state had to ratify the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendment in order to officially re-enter the Union, and we will not tolerated any offences against the Civil Rights of Freedmen. Union soldiers will make regular visits to the South and check that there is no violence, if however there is a town with a high rate of violence geared toward the Freedmen then the Union troops have the support and permission of the Federal Government to take whatever means necessary to ensure that terrorist attacks are not conducted. Southern states have the rights to take action into their own hands and by their means of justice, however if justice does not prevail and the violence rate is not lowered then that will be when Union troops must step in immediately to ensure that each individual’s rights are protected along with their well being. All federal laws that are broken will result in going to the decision of the Union troops and will take into consideration what the final verdict shall be. And as promised the South will be reconstructed, and troops will be sent to help with the restoration and well as volunteers and other people of the government since we are now the United States of America, and should not just portray the image but also act untied towards our fellow States.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 150%;">Our main goal of reconstruction is to preserve the union and that is what we must do. Even though the abolition of slavery became an issue during the civil war it is not why the war occurred; the war occurred to preserve the union. We must achieve unity if we are ever to become a strong nation again. In order to become unified we need civil rights for all men, no matter what color his skin is. Our nation needs to forget its sectionalism of the North and South and become one, without this our nation will surely fall apart. Our country was torn apart by this war waged by the confederates and they must pay for their treason but while also staying a part of the union and giving up all their old ideals. We must also restore our nation’s economy to what it once was so that people can provide food and shelter for their family. If we achieve our goals this nation can become strong, it can become the nation that we have come to know and love only better. With our reconstruction plan this nation could become unified once more and become a more ideal nation with pride and unity.
 * 8. Re-state the primary goal of reconstruction. (Thesis re-stated) - Skylar**

====1. I think your group has a good goal, but when you say " it became increasingly clear that the only way to keep the union together would be to free the slaves" I must respectively disagree, it became increasingly clear to the UNION that the only way to keep the union together would be to free the slaves. I agree that civil rights laws should be put in place, but I must caution that radical civil rights laws will infuriate the south. The laws will need to be subtle yet effective for the time being, fresh wounds need time to heal. I completely support your final statement in the last paragraph.====
 * Plan B:** **Werewolves.***
 * RESPONSE(S) TO TEAM PLAN:**

====<span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 17px;">2. I do not understand how the treatment of the Ex-Confederates can be "harsh, while forgiving." The majority of the Ex-Confederates are very mad, and some may not want their state to be reunified with the Union. If you are too harsh prior to a state choosing to rejoin the Union, it may choose not to rejoin at all, and afterwards you could face riots and uprisings, possibly southern v Union violence or southerners v African American violence. What would the "good works," necessary to receive a pardon, include? How do you know that someone has abandoned Confederate Ideals? What do you consider Confederate Ideals? Slavery? Secession? States-Rights? Traditions? Would our chief Founding Father, George Washington, have abandoned ALL of these ideals? Would Thomas Jefferson? James Madison? I am confused by the discrimination between low-ranking officials and high-ranking official. Robert E. Lee, the highest ranking official in most people's minds, did not have an eight of the sympathy for the Confederate cause as many of his low-ranking officials, he chose to go with his state, if Virginia chose slavery, then Lee chose slavery; if Virginia wanted to secede, then Lee wanted to secede. How does this make him more treasonous than the people underneath him who actually wanted to continue the wrongful enslavement of black, and who were not willing to change their economic means? Whereas Lee was willing to end the wrongful enslavement of many black, and who was willing to change his economic means? Lee filled the deed of manumission of his slaves on December 29, 1862, before the prelimanary Emancipation Proclimation was signed. How will you ensure that the land is returned to the rightful owner, how will you settle land disputes between to white men both clamming the land is theirs? ==== <span style="font-family: Calibri,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"> ====3. " Black people will now be allowed not only to elect officials, but also hold office. " Black people or Black MEN? The South, along with the rest of the country, would be livid if black women had the right to vote and white women did not have this same right.====

====4. Where and what courts will these so called "high-ranking official" be tried for treason? How will you guarantee a fair trial, seeing as above the Mason-Dixon Line they will be automatically convicted, and below the Mason-Dixon Line they will be jugged "innocent"? If they are not convicted will they be able to vote or run for office?====

====5. If reunification of ALL the previous states is the goal, 25% is too high. If one state can only muster 21% rather than 25% will it be readmitted, especially if it is an important and influential state like Virginia? or will exception be made? What if no states have 25% approval?====

====6. How do you propose that all of these plans of reconstruction of the Southern economy is paid for? I support you idea, I am just curious how you propose a country that is fresh out of an expensive war pay for all of these provisions.====

7. Will the Union troops try to work in accord with the southern police forces?
Overall I thought ya'll had a good goal, but there were just a few technical things, hope I wasn't too critical.

-McCauley