Reconstruction+Seduction

In picture from bottom left to bottom right: Brett Finlay, Addison Baitcher, Sarah Merkel, and Frank Fallon.

This awesome group includes:

Addison Baitcher Frank Fallon Brett Finlay Sarah Merkel This is written as a speech given by the President... Reconstruction Seduction

Friends, Coworkers, Loved Ones, and most importantly, fellow Citizens of the United States of America, This Nation is undergoing a time of great turmoil. We are amidst one of the most difficult times our country has ever had to deal with as an independent nation. Ladies and Gentlemen, this time is not a period to be taken lightly. The war is over, but there are harsh times ahead. We must, as one nation, come together and unify in order to be the best nation and power that we can be. If we are to be successful, we must find a way to allow our newly reacquired brothers and sisters in the southern states ways to become part of this great sovereign state once more. For once we do this, and only after this is complete, will we truly become the country that we wish to be. As a nation, we must work together with these southern states, not push them away from us with harsh punishment and debt! Fellow members of The United States, in order to achieve this unity, work must be done to insure the readmittance of these lost southern states back into this nation! This will not be easy for these states. For a southern state to be readmitted, it must achieve a male voter percentage of 55% not dependent upon the candidate voted for. This will insure that the southern states will participate in the election of officials to run this nation, as is asked of all states. Also, a state must oblige by the federal laws of taxation and pay taxes equal to those being paid by their fellow northern states. This insures that no favoritism is given to those states being readmitted.
 * Poor whites had never paid such "Northern" taxes before? Are they just going to consider this "carpetbagger" stealing? Is this realistic?** **What happened in real life?**

Another question that is begged is about the rights of the newly freedmen. Freed slaves will be given full suffrage rights, equal to those of the white man, and in addition to suffrage, they will be granted full citizenship in the new USA. To be sure that equal opportunity is allowed, these men will also be granted 5 acres of land per family in the unsettled territory of California to promote higher levels of business and promote economic success for all people. As the President, I am confident that these allowances will promote equal opportunity as well as many chances for growth among newly freed slaves in the southern states.

**Is this realistic?** **How are the freedman going to get to California? Do they even want to go? What do the people in California think about this? What about the large numbers of whites who would rather join the Ku Klux Klan and break the law rather than give full suffrage rights to black people? Will you use the US Army to inforce the suffrage laws on a largely hostile population? Are you just repeating the mistakes of the past?**

​ ** Wont many deaths happen due to the long trail to California, such as that which happened during the trail of tears of the Jacksonian era? Also, wouldn't a mass migration of African Americans cripple the southern economy even more and increase racism in California? **

Southern states will be allowed full sovereignty after admittance into the union, however, until then, they will be under the watch of Northern Ambassadors of Peace to insure the state heads in the right direction. Ex-Confederate officials will be restricted on their allowance to run for office, and in some cases be forever banned from public office. The Southern Economy will be reestablished through processes such as grants that will allow a jumpstart of an economy that is faltering. Friends, this time is difficult, but with cooperation and patience, we can become the great nation that I believe everyone desires that lives here, and our future generations will desire as we age.

​ **Won't Banning officers and former confederate politician's infuriate the south? Who exactly are the Northern Ambassadors of Peace and how will they ensure a state heads into the union. Where exactly will the money for these grants come from?** Now my fellow Americans, I will discuss the topic of what do with the citizens and officials of the no longer existing Confederate States. The common citizen is not to be help responsible for the actions of his or her state, for, many were loyal to the Union during the years of secession. The political officials are the ones who are to be the ones held responsible because it was their unsightly decisions that fueled the secession and disunion. Yet, we should not punish the South because even though we were once divided, we now stand as one country. The ex-Confederate officials will not be charge with treason, unless under the circumstance that the Southern states do not agree upon the requirements for readmission to the Union. Also, ex- Confederate officials will not be allowed to hold public office until all the Southern states are admitted into the Union. Ex-Confederate soldiers will be allowed to serve in the new Union army as long as the army is under control of a Union general. In order to recover from the atrocities that come at as a price with war, organizations will be established to help Southern orphans, widows and the disenfranchised veterans. Orphanages must be established in the major cities in order to help the children who lost parents. Homes must be founded in order to serve widows whose husbands were lost in battle. Finally, jobs must be created to help the veterans who are out of work after the war. What will help create jobs for veterans is the recent abolition of slavery. Planters will now be seeking a large work force to compensate for the lost of slaves. I believe these terms to be extremely generous due to the fact that the South instigated the war. Hopefully opportunity will arise from the ashes of this war and thus create a great nation.

​**Wont the work force for planters be filled by former slaves or poor white farmers, perpetuating slavery in the guise of poor sharecropping?**

**The South is broke. Cotton prices are low. Is this realistic?** **How long do you wish to wait for these "opportunities"? Does the South, in fact, face an uncertain future of economic underdevelopment? Are you repeating the mistakes of the past?** I will now discuss the large problem of what to do with the now sizeable population of freed slaves. Freedmen are to be granted citizenship and by granting blacks citizenship, they will have to pay taxes like every other citizen. This new influx in tax revenue will hopefully aid in the reconstruction of the South. Black males are also to be granted the right to vote. As part of the new plan for reconstruction, the Bureau of Freedman’s Rights, BFR, will be created. This organization will help blacks both in the North and South, receive an education and create job opportunities. It will also fund for the establishment for all black colleges. Finally this group will protect freedman from violence from racial groups such as the Klu Klux Klan. In order to help our newly freedman start a new life, the government will give five acres of land in the states of California, Texas and Oklahoma. The purpose of this act is to help freedman assimilate into the economy. No land will be taken from current landowners from those states.

**Can black people vote? Can they be in political office? If no, how is it all that different than in slavery days? If yes, how are you going to protect freeman from Klu Klux Klan intimidation? The US Army? How did that work in real life? Will the South just consider all your BFR as just another Yankee intrusion that should be vigorously resisted? Are you going to find large numbers of white people in the South of 1868 who would be willing to risk their lives and carry a gun to protect black people? Is this realistic?** **What happened in real life?!?**

In my honest opinion there are many Ex-Confederates who should not be allowed to hold public office. Anyone who was in a high office and had notable contribution in the civil war on the side of the confederacy should not be allowed to hold office in the new Southern state governments. This precaution prevents former leaders from rising up again and restricting the rights that are to be given to the newly liberated Freedmen who will be citizens of this fair nation. Everyone else, who is not included in this group of former leaders, will be able to hold office in the southern states. They are possible candidates in an election that will be held in order to elect leaders to participate temporarily as office holders until the states’ re-admittance. Until the south has agreed to and carried out the terms of their admittance, they will be watched by northern ambassadors of peace who will report their findings and decide whether they have adequately met said requirements. Once a state has been admitted they will no longer be under the watchful eye of the ambassadors and will only be observed by the federal government as every other state of the union, and gain back their rights as a state. I look forward to the reunification of the United States of America and seeing this nation in all its former glory.

In order for the southern states to regain their rights within the Union and earn their right to representation in the federal government, they must rejoin the Union. This re-admittance can only be made possible when the state has met the requirements put forth by the Union. Northern ambassadors will be sent to the survey the running of the governments of the southern states and will report to the Federal government as to whether the terms of their admittance have been met. All representation within the Union will not be recognized until admittance is finalized. The former Confederate states will not regain rights within the Union until after admittance, though rights within their own states will be upheld. Although this might be repetitive, I would once again like to reemphasize that we, as the government of the Union are not attempting to punish the south, rather our goal for reconstruction is to assimilate the Southern states back into the everyday affairs of the Union, and for once let our country be truly called the United States. While debating over the issues of the reconstruction plan, we, the government came across the question of what to do with the southern economy, and in fact what should be done with both economies, and what procedures should be taken to reenergize these vital economies. Economic life in the south has come to a halt. The banks and the businesses have closed, and were ruined by the inflation. Factories are smokeless, silent, and dismantled. ( **(How many factories did the pre-war South ever have? Is this realistic?)** The transportations system has broken down completely, and the nearest railroad to previously large hub, Columbia, South Carolina, is now twenty-nine miles away. We have come to our census, and we have agreed that in order for the South to return to its pre – Civil War economy there is much to be done. First in order to ensure that the economy does return to its pre – Civil War status, and to ensure that the Southern states are aware of the necessity to return to the Union, the Union government has agreed to reward Southern states, who complete all requirements for entrance back into the Union, a monthly stipend of $500,000, in order to begin reconstruction processes. **. Who will pay for this? Northern voters? Are you serious? Is this politically feasible? The North already taxed itself heavily to fight and win the war, and new taxes (for the rebels? the traitors? so soon after the war?!?) are not going to go over well. Is this realistic?** Although we are being very lenient with the South about the requirement to re-enter the Union, the government will need to increase taxes, not a whole lot, but enough so that inflation does not occur, and so that the government is able to reward all states money to continue the reconstruction processes. As well as ensuring that the states have the money to begin reconstruction processes, the government is also going to help in the re-opening of factories, banks, and businesses, in order that Southerners can return to their jobs that were lost, and continue making money. Our greatest concern coming off of a Civil War, like the one this country just dealt with, is the fact that to other countries, the United States will seem very vulnerable, at a time of separation. In order to stop this vulnerability, we are trying our best to restore the economies of both the North and the South as quickly as possible, in order that we may return to our pre-Civil War state in the eyes of the other countries of the world.

Finally, I would like to address the issue of the interference of the Union government in the lives of the southern people. We have agreed that for the most part we will not have northern troops lodged in the southern states. We will however, have northern ambassadors present in the southern states, and until the southern states fulfill the requirements necessary for entry into the Union, a northern official will be in charge of governmental affairs. We are not trying to punish the south by taking away their right to elect their own leader, we are simply hoping that this will create an urgency for the southern states to fulfill the requirements to enter back into the union, and there after obtain the rights of a state that is part of the United States. The job of the presence of Union “troops” in the south will simply be to make sure that the southern states are aware of the requirements for entry back into the union, and to make sure that the states are rebuilding, but the “troops” are not there to make the decisions of the southern states for them. We sincerely hope that the Southern states do not view this reconstruction plan as punishment towards the south; because it no ways was it meant to be punishment.

**Is this realistic?** **Who will protect black people who try to vote? Can the "black Republican" south protect itself? What about the Klu Klux Klan and other such organizations? Is this realistic? Are you placing all your hope in "hope"?**

So, as the leader of this great nation, I say that with unification, organization, and adaptation we will piece this country back together and once again become the nation that every other nation will envy and model themselves after. We must attempt to unify, through readmittance of these states, attempt to insure the rights of man, by issuing proper civil rights **. (How exactly are you going to insure civil rights? Have you come up with a serious proposal to get racial reconciliation and a biracial democracy in the South of 1867 Is this realistic?)** and insure domestic tranquility through proper action of government in the southern colonies. Through these policies, and through cooperation of all those people in this great nation, we will become a force to be reckoned with, and be the nation of the future!

Thank You,

The President



Its 95 Californians versus 25 Georgians...these are not the best odds are they...good luck Georgians!
 * RESPONSE(S) TO TEAM PLAN:**

**Hello from California -- this is Team Jello representative True Randall speaking, and the first thing that I want you to hear from me is that I thought that your plan was very solid; it was firmly grounded in reality (more so than our plan, I dare say). I say that is the first thing I want you to hear from me because the rest of my discourse will be aimed at invalidating your plan. After all, that is my job. So, before I start, I would like for it to be clear that there are no hard feelings -- you seem like very nice people, and not lacking a sense of humor. With that said, here I go.

Regarding your federal tax: what will it be? An income tax? A property tax? If it is an income tax, will it be graduated so those with lower incomes pay lower taxes? If it is a property tax, how do you expect Southerners who have plenty of land and no money to pay it? Also, what will the tax be used for? Rebuilding the South? Providing schools and/or protection to blacks? Industrialization? And most importantly, especially if it is a flat-rate income tax, why would poor Northerners feel any obligation to pay it?

Regarding your plans to cart blacks off to California: how could you possibly get them there? A second Trail of Tears? Why would African Americans, who have no money and little job training, want to travel to a hostile geographical location with little potential for economic prosperity? And how is moving blacks to their own areas any different than creating Indian Reservations or instituting segregation?

Regarding your treatment of ex-Confederates and the revitalization of the Southern economy: Who would be prevented from holding offices? Who would receive lifetime bans? How would your federal "grants" help the Southern economy? What would these grants be? Who would fund the grants?

Regarding your leniency towards the South: the North will be enraged by your lack of action, especially in the cases of former Confederate leaders. Why not try them for treason? Who could it hurt?

Regarding your handling of the Freedmen: how can African Americans pay taxes??? THEY HAVE NO MONEY!!! How will your Freedman's Bureau protect African Americans from the Ku Klux Klan? Will there be military involvement? Who will be expected to pay for the Freedman's Bureau? The Freedmen?? Also, do you mean to say that you will simply give to African Americans more land than many poor whites have FOR FREE? Will that not enrage the entire white population beyond measure?

Regarding the 'monthly stipend': I would love to hear a scenario which does not end in the NORTH seceding from the SOUTH! $500,000 per month, per state equates to 72 MILLION dollars per year! Who is going to shell out $72,000,000 every year?

Regarding the reopening of Southern "factories, businesses, and banks": What factories, businesses, and banks?

It seems like you just 'hope' everything goes alright. You've got to get down and dirty! You've got to play some hardball! At this point, it seems that your plan would not only bankrupt the country but also damn the African American race to sure failure and infuriate the North.

Again, no hard feelings. With all due respect,

TEAM JELLO**

From Sherman's Advocates - member: Ashish Patel

First off, since you have so thankfully responded to my page first...I will rebound as to the points you made... "First off, I think the problem of what to do with the civilians that have lost theirs hoes in the South should be addressed." Comments: Indeed the civilians have lost their hoes...we should have thought of that :)

"Also, I believe the punishment for Ex-Confederates is too harsh." Comments: The Confederate forces of America have committed high treason against the Union. By the Constitution, if one were to betray his or her own country, then they would be committing treason. Imagine an American giving valuable information to the terrorists that bombed the Twin Towers... should that American be jailed if not EXECUTED for the 3,000 lives lost? Similarly, it only goes to show that for 600,000 American lives lost, someone has to pay...

And now for your very well written response to the questions: "For a southern state to be readmitted, it must achieve a male voter percentage of 55% not dependent upon the candidate voted for." ^That is almost what we decided to do...except ours was more of a 60% plan rather than a 55...

"Freed slaves will be given full suffrage rights, equal to those of the white man, and in addition to suffrage, they will be granted full citizenship in the new USA. To be sure that equal opportunity is allowed, these men will also be granted 5 acres of land per family in the unsettled territory of California to promote higher levels of business and promote economic success for all people." ^Hey...we wanted to push the Freedmen west. Also, unsettled?! By this time the population of California was decently high... Overall a good plan here...

"Southern states will be allowed full sovereignty after admittance into the union, however, until then, they will be under the watch of Northern Ambassadors of Peace to insure the state heads in the right direction." ^If I was a Southerner, I would certainly NOT want to dress up in bedsheets and assassinate members of the Northern Ambassadors of Peace...

"The ex-Confederate officials will not be charge with treason, unless under the circumstance that the Southern states do not agree upon the requirements for readmission to the Union." ^This will make the Union officers that lost thousands of men very, VERY angry. This means that the only thing the Southern states have to do is say "Yes we will pass all the requirements" But they will secretly have their hands crossed...

"Also, ex- Confederate officials will not be allowed to hold public office until all the Southern states are admitted into the Union" ^copycat ^_^

"organizations will be established to help Southern orphans, widows and the disenfranchised veterans." ^You once asked "who will fund the industrialization of the south?" To this I simply answer "Who will fund this? The same people that fund the industries..."

I'll keep the rest open to my fellow...20 or so students that will nitpick your page...have fun ;) ASHISH PATEL

This is David White coming at you from California. I believe that you guys have a good plan over all, but many things look good on paper. For one thing your plan to give black people equal rights right away is un realistic. The southerners will not here of being equal with their former slaves and the northerners also like being to superior to black people sp where is your support coming from. The plan to move the freedmen to California is also a problem, for one you have to cross thousands of miles of dangerous terrain; two most of the freedman are from the south and will not want to leave. Also the idea of integrating confederate soldiers into the union army would not wok, because the confederates still think they where right. I’m not going to pick on you Georgians much you are a bit out numbered (just like in the civil war) and I don’t think its right to nit pick someone’s essay.

Sincerely Sherman’s boy 66, David E. White Go Dogs!!!

Thank you Mr. President for you inspiring speech. I just have one or two or ten questions about your plan, although I do agree with your treatment of the Ex-Confederates and not allowing them back into office for forever. That is a good thing because they committed treason and treason is bad and punishable under the US Constitution. Presidents may be impeached for treason, mind you, and Johnson was almost impeached because the Union did not like him -he did not even commit treason.

" For a southern state to be readmitted, it must achieve a male voter percentage of 55% not dependent upon the candidate voted for. ” When you say a male voter percentage of 55%, are you allowing blacks to vote as well? A mere office BFR cannot protect the freedmen from the assailers of the night. Would you feel safe if there were assassins prowling the town and you had a “bureau” for protection? “Also, a state must oblige by the federal laws of taxation and pay taxes equal to those being paid by their fellow northern states. ” What would happen to the states that do not comply to pay the full taxes but have already been readmitted?

“Southern states will be allowed full sovereignty after admittance into the union, however, until then, they will be under the watch of Northern Ambassadors of Peace to insure the state heads in the right direction. ” How long will the un-readmitted Southern States be under the watch of the Northern Ambassadors of Peace? Who are these ambassadors, the Union Army? How long will both the army want to stay and the funds last to keep them there? “The Southern Economy will be reestablished through processes such as grants that will allow a jumpstart of an economy that is faltering. ” Where will these grants come from? Who has the money to pay for these grants at a time directly following civil war? “Freedmen are to be granted citizenship and by granting blacks citizenship, they will have to pay taxes like every other citizen. This new influx in tax revenue will hopefully aid in the reconstruction of the South. ” Slaves have never before earned a dime. It seems as if you are forcing citizenship upon them so that they can pay taxes to add to the federal revenue. Where do you expect them to obtain this money? “In order to help our newly freedman start a new life, the government will give five acres of land in the states of California, Texas and Oklahoma. ” What happens if the freedmen wish to stay in the Southern states and not move to California, Texas, or Oklahoma? What if the current citizens of these states do not allow them to assimilate into their country side? If all you are giving them is the land, will they still have to pay taxes? If so, where will they get the money? What happens when they simply cannot pay? Will they be kicked off the land? “First in order to ensure that the economy does return to its pre – Civil War status, and to ensure that the Southern states are aware of the necessity to return to the Union, the Union government has agreed to reward Southern states, who complete all requirements for entrance back into the Union, a monthly stipend of $500,000, in order to begin reconstruction processes. ” Are you forcing this upon the North? Do they even agree with this statement?

“Although we are being very lenient with the South about the requirement to re-enter the Union, the government will need to increase taxes, not a whole lot, but enough so that inflation does not occur, and so that the government is able to reward all states money to continue the reconstruction processes. ” Isn’t this how inflation starts? The taxes are raised, hence product prices are raised, which leads to the Government rapidly printing paper money to the point that it becomes worthless. Was this not how the Russian Revolution and Nazi Germany were fueled? “As well as ensuring that the states have the money to begin reconstruction processes, the government is also going to help in the re-opening of factories, banks, and businesses, in order that Southerners can return to their jobs that were lost, and continue making money. ” Where are these factories coming from? Did pre-Civil War South have any factories? “The job of the presence of Union “troops” in the south will simply be to make sure that the southern states are aware of the requirements for entry back into the union, and to make sure that the states are rebuilding, but the “troops” are not there to make the decisions of the southern states for them. ” How long will the army be stationed in the Southern states? What if the state never transitions into a desirable state for readmittance? Where will the money to keep them there come from? Thank you for your time. A concerned Sherman’s Advocate: Matt Woertink

From Dolce and the Gabannas, Colin Crilly (The one who looks like Ron Weasly)

Overall, you guys had a pretty good plan. There are only two things that I disagree with You stated that Northern Peace Ambassadors will be there to survey the Southern states and make sure they are heading in the right direction. However, I wonder exactly how willing the people of the South will be to have a Northerner trying to guide their state in a direction that they may not necessarily want. I agree with Ashish that without the prescence of Union troops, it may be difficult to to keep the Peace Ambassadors safe when they are creating tension with the South by making their decisions for them.

But my major problem with your plan was your idea of offering freedmen land in California, Texas, and Oklahoma. Unlike Ashish, I don't think this is a good idea, especially since so much of your plan is riding on the hopes that the freedmen will agree to move away (For example, the jobs that veterans would be taking from the freedmen). First of all, you're asking the freedmen to leave the only home land that they've ever been in to take a trek of potentially over a thousand miles to live a new life of hardship as they struggle to survive off farming in areas that could be filled with dangerous animals and hostile Native Americans.

Speaking of Native Americans, what you're proposing is basically the same thing as what led to the Trail of Tears during the Jackson Era. The Southern whites don't like the freedmen living near them, so your solution is to make them "go away" by sending them off far away, just like with the Native Americans in Georgia and Florida. But what happens when white pioneers start pouring more and more into Oklahoma, Texas, and California? Tensions build between the whites and the blacks once more, and nothing's changed in terms of racial tolerance. By moving the freedmen to a place where no one lives, you're ignoring the problem and further segregating the two races, just as we did with the Native Americans. But these African-Americans are supposed to be our people, right? The goal isn't to end up making African American Reservations, is it?

Besides that lengthy rant, I like your policy for readmittance (though I wonder how long it will take the deep south to get the majority of people to admit defeat...though maybe with the freedmen gone, they'll be more willing to do so...) And your idea of a monthly stipend appears realistic and could really help the states rebuild themselves. I think your idea of politically blacklisting the major ex-Confederates is good, and I can tell that you guys really thought about all aspects of what to do with the South (the idea of orphanages and specific details like that). So, overall, good job! I can tell you guys put quite a bit of work into it.

After reading your plan, it seems that you have a clear idea of where America needs to go. The problem, however, is that your plan just isn't realistic. Not many parts of your plan would be feasible in real life. There are definitely some good ideas, the issue is though that we don't live in a perfect world where everything works out according to plan. I think one of the biggest problems in the plan is that the southerners are going to be //extremely// angry about most of it. Seceded Southern states aren't going to want to pay taxes equal to the Northern states. In fact, I don't even think it would be possible for the Southern states to pay taxes that high. Their economy has been completely destroyed, and nobody is going to want to pay taxes. Obviously it would be ideal if they //did// pay equal taxes as the North, but they certainly will fight it with all their might. Another thing that Southerners aren't going to like is the fact that African Americans are going to have full rights as US citizens. Again, this would be the ideal situation; black people should have had full rights from the instant they stepped onto this soil. This is sure to cause the enactment of Jim Crow laws (as it did in real life), and the rise of racial hate groups like the Ku Klux Klan. Once these kinds of things are enacted, it's hard to do much to stop them when no one at the time was //really// willing to spend the time, money, and resources to halt them. Your idea for a Bureau of Freedman's Rights is a good one, but again, even Northerners aren't going to want to spend all that tax money to attempt to give rights to African Americans. Speaking of not wanting to spend tax money, I don't think the monthly allowance to Southern states would work at all. As True said, this works out to 72 million dollars a year, which is money that no one really has, or wants to spend. This is just unrealistic. ** Additionally, this idea will increase the amount of taxes that both the South and the North have to pay, thereby infuriating the south more, and creating animosity towards the north.- Loren ** ​ Finally, I'll address your idea for setting up land in California for African Americans. This would be fine if blacks //wanted// to move to California, but honestly, who is going to walk across the country, leaving their home and family behind, for a measly five acres of land? You would either have to increase the incentive for moving, or make it a much closer place. Even then though, I don't think many blacks would want to move.
 * Team Eastwood's Response:**

That's pretty much it. There really isn't a good answer to solve this scenario, so no hard feelings if I seemed a bit harsh. It was a tough time!

__**Ok, in response to your critique on our team, (reconstruction seduction), I would like to clarify some things. First off, I believe that after the war is won by the North, the northern citizens will actually be somewhat understanding of what our countries goals are and I have to believe that they would be willing to pay a little higher taxes to enlarge the country and help the northern economy in the long run. I see it more as an investment rather than a punishment. Second, We never said that we were //forcing// anyone to leaver their homes. All we said was that we were going to grant these people land in the western states if they wanted to move and have higher opportunity there away from much of the racial bias in the southern states. No I am not saying that there is no racism in the other states, but I do believe it was not as intense or heated as it was in the "deep south". We plan on reintegrating the south through expansion of their economy through raising taxes on the North somewhat and as i said before, I have to believe that would be willing to pay. I think that our monthly stipend might have been a bit high, but you are making inferences when you say that were are giving this amount to every state, and when you all said we were going to make a new trail of tears by forcing blacks to leave southern land, we never said that. that amount was to be divided among the states, not 72 million and we arent forcing anything... I think that your inferences about or plan hurt your critique somewhat, because you assumed things were happening without reading the "fine print". Reconstruction Seduction**__

**Ok, in response to your response to my response to your project, I would like to clear up some misconceptions that you seem to have about my critique. The first order of business is your gross miscalculation of Northern sentiment. The North is not only fed up with the South, but also fed up with paying taxes to support the war. To suggest that the North would acquiesce to paying taxes for the benefit of the South is preposterous. You may see it as an investment that will "help the northern economy in the long run," but the North will absolutely //not// see it that way. If your plan is to infuriate the North, than perhaps that is the best course of action. If not, you had better rethink your strategy.

You say that "we never said that we were //forcing// anyone to leave their homes." I would like to know when //I// said that you were forcing African Americans to leave their homes. But again, the issue of transportation still remains. How do you propose to help blacks (who were just granted, as I said earlier, more land than some //whites// have) move themselves, their families, and their belongings to the West?

"The Union government has agreed to reward Southern states, who complete all requirements for entrance back into the Union, a monthly stipend of $500,000, in order to begin reconstruction processes." If you did not mean that each state would be getting $500,000 per month, then why didn't you specify this in your plan? That sentence is ambiguous and can be interpreted several different ways.

Again, to reiterate, I never said that you were forcing blacks to leave their homes and move to the West. I only criticized the impossibility of moving the Freedmen safely and preventing poor whites from becoming enraged. Perhaps before you assume that we are making false inferences, you should take more time to read what I actually wrote. As I said earlier, no hard feelings.

Sincerely, True Randall, Team Jello**