Magical+Ninja+Narwhals



In order to stay true to the original reason for fighting the Civil War, the focus of Reconstruction will be on Reunification. Although Civil Rights will also be emphasized, there is no way these values could be upheld in a broken nation so it is proper to first address the topic of reunification. Punishment is not the goal, but there will be certain requirements that Southern States must meet before officially being recognized. The overall goal must be to reunify the country as the United States without losing what was fought for. The punishment of ex-Confederates will be very limited. Their land will be returned to them as soon as their state agrees to accept the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendment. It is understood that they were fighting for what they believed was right, and what most of them had always believed to be true. It will take time for them to realize that slavery, an instatement they depended on, is wrong. At this time it is pointless put more salt in their wounds than necessary. The freedmen must be protected, but punishing all Confederates will not accomplish this goal but instead lead to more violence. If they feel that Africans are helped at the whites’ expense, it will most likely lead to more hatred toward the Freedmen.

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The Freedmen are also in a difficult, though much better than before, position. They have gained their freedom but not the knowledge of what to do with it. They lack jobs, homes, and in many cases knowledge of the condition of their family members. If African Americans are wandering around all the time, it will definitely be turned around by bitter Southerners. They may make claims that they are “endangering their people.” Truly, most of them are simply trying to stretch their legs and find their loved ones. In order to help the freedmen and put overreacting Southerners more at ease the Freedman’s Bureaus will be expanded. Large refuge homes will be set up in each Southern town and in Northern cities in which African Americans were held in bondage. Freedmen, as well as whites devastated by war will be offered an education as well as a place to stay (how will these establishments be funded?). They may also register their names, these lists of names, along with the names of those they search for, will be periodically sent out to the other refuge homes so that the location of family members may be revealed without aimless wandering. As was previously mentioned, the doors of these establishments will also be open to whites in need of assistance. The hope is that by offering aid to both of these groups, those involved will see the similarities they share and maybe begin to understand the people they were once so detached from (who will make sure no conflict between black and whites occurs here?) =====

So, this brings us to the question of who may hold office in the state governments of the South. Because there is still a great deal of tension due to the war that has just ended, it is best to give the Confederates a break from national office in hopes of letting them calm down (take a breath and count to 10). This probation will only last 1 year (wait, was it 2? (what?) ), and if the Confederates "behave" in a sense, then they will be given back their right to hold national office. Though this probation may be harsh for them to accept considering how many were used to holding so much power, it is only a short time and it is necessary. We need to gauge how cooperative these former rebels will be once readmitted to the Union in order to determine whether they can be trusted in higher places of power (how will we ensure loyalty?).

Before gaining their full rights and representation as states of America, the Confederate states must meet certain requirements. First and foremost, they need to comply with the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. This may be a challenge considering those are the amendments which give rights to their former slaves. Racism will be a huge obstacle for the South to overcome, but it must be overcome if they wish to rejoin the Union. Also, they need to accept the terms of their probation as mentioned above. Undercover white supremacy terrorists will not be tolerated. In order to control the potential mayhem, Union troops will be sent in small numbers to areas suffering the most devastation or unease (is this a military occupation?). The purpose of this is not to aggravate the citizens, but rather to act as a police force in maintaining order and defending the rights of the newly freed African Americans. Police from the South, or anyone qualified are welcome to join so long as they do not abuse their power. Unfairness will not be tolerated on this force, but hopefully it will not be an issue. The goal is to have Northerners and Southerners working together harmoniously. The will be each other's peers. We recognize that a lot is being asked of the South, especially after such a horrific war. So to close this compromise, the Union will reduce the reparations that the South has to pay  Such an enormous task of restoring the Southern economy will certainly not be achieved overnight. Instead, it must be done gradually within the next few years. The taxes currently being paid by loyal Americans will be diverted to the South and invested in a fund that will extend the Transcontinental railroad to the South (then what what about the causes that the northerners were paying taxes towards?). After this has been established, people from all over the country will be encouraged to commute to the South and form a large work force. A large work force consisting of blacks and whites is the prescription for "king cotton", and in effect, will rebuild the economy. In addition, educational reforms will be made to teach young kids the skills and knowledge they need to enter other professions that will benefit the economy. (military occupation ?)Union troops will be employed throughout the South, but concentrated in areas where there is the most violence and uproar. The intents of the troops are not to abuse power, take advantage of the South, or help blacks wreak havoc; it is simply to maintain order and peace. Their main role will be a policing one, one that will work //with// the people, not against them. It will be assured that the presence of troops will continue in the South if African Americans are not safe to utilize their rights guaranteed in the agreed amendments. In addition, more troops will be sent to areas leading up to and following important elections. Southern men wishing to find jobs may join the army and assist in defending equal rights and keeping peace in the South.  In conclusion, our plan is to have the North and South reunified so as to regain the sense of nationalism in the United States. African Americans will be given the same rights as whites, and have a chance to be educated as well. With the taxes and railroad, the increased work force should aid the wavering economy. Ideally, order will be kept by the combination Union soldier and southern police force so that corruption is kept to a minimum. These factors are all necessary in the revival of the postwar south. good job! - jake