The Progress of Reconstruction...

Reconstruction was a debated issue after the war. By some it was believed to be grand step into the future, while others fought the idea Reconstruction. When searching for a primary source to blog about I came across an article in the New York Times, simply titled “Progress of Reconstruction.” The article made an argument that though it may seem there has been only a small amount of progress; Reconstruction has actually greatly impacted and will continue to impact the nation as a whole.

To begin discussing the article, I will say it was somewhat dry. It was consumed by many straight facts-which made it difficult find intriguing. However, there were a few comments wrote in that I found to be interesting. The article begins by explaining that many people do not realize the progress that Reconstruction has actually made. A point to remember though- during 1867, when this article was written, the idea Reconstruction was still uneasy with many states. The was a clear distinction that this article came from a Northern newspaper, because it seemed as though it was a bragging piece to justify Reconstruction-or at least that is how I took it. The article “bragged” that one of the excluded states would soon vote on the proposed Constitution, three other Conventions are in session, the holding of five Conventions has been formally carried, and in the tenth state the preliminary business of registration has just been completed. All of these facts were included just in the introduction! If that isn’t justifying the idea of Reconstruction, I don’t know what is.

The thesis I took away from this article was a remark made by a member of the Senate. (Also one of the comments I found to be interesting.) He stated, “Reconstruction is sure to triumph,” and this whole article argued that point with supporting facts and material. He was sure that Reconstruction was sure to triumph because he was a believer in the idea of Reconstruction. It was not that easy for some, many of the excluded Southern States found it hard to wrap their minds around the idea of Reconstruction-and because of that many just simply refused to participate. The article did state, only after including all the positive statistics, that maybe in one or possibly two of the excluded states the Convention’s work will be defeated by the ratification of the people.  It is explained that the idea of States participating and agreeing with the idea of Reconstruction benefit them more than these States that are “causing trouble.” (Again, this was written by a Northern paper.) They commend the states that have participated and gave them praise. The article specifically discusses the outcomes of Virginia and Alabama. The article reported that Virginia Conventions gives promise of moderation and discretion, which the Union hoped to also get out of other Conventions. Alabama also got a little shout out in the article- they were said to have drafted an ideal Constitution and it was ready for the final vote.

This article definitely focused on the positive aspects of Reconstruction, and by reading this, a reader can definitely assume this is written by a Northern supporter of the idea of Reconstruction. The article gave praise to the former excluded states that were partaking in the idea of Reconstruction and encouraged them to keep doing so. It discussed the advantages of states compelling to the idea, and also discussed the problems that what occur if they did not. The sole purpose of this article was to inform the people that Reconstruction was well on its way and it was working.

“Progress of Reconstruction.” New York Times, December 12, 1867, New York.