Sunday, July 21, 2019

Think about the 6 roles in the civil war: Radical Republicans, Moderate Northerners, Moderate Southerners, Northern Business Leader, Southern Business Leader, and Freeman, answer this question based on the 6 roles above---Under what social, economic, and political terms, should the Union be put together after the Civil War?

This is actually a tricky question, because you need to consider an array of different perspectives and experiences, viewed within the context of the highly destructive and divisive experience that was the American Civil War, and then determine a path for rebuilding. With that in mind, consider that these different groups will not be in agreement—in fact, some will conflict quite vociferously with one another—which means you will have to prioritize, just as the politicians of real life Reconstruction ultimately had to. So, what is the best plan here? Rebuilding Southern Society in such a way as to address and ultimately confront the inequalities of the past (which would mean siding with Radical Republicans and working for the benefits of Freedmen, even as it alienates those among the more Moderate Republicans and large segments of Southern whites)? Bringing the country back together, even if it means forgiving the act of secession, or abandoning the Freedmen? Should the goal be to find some kind of middle ground between the two, or something else altogether? Ultimately, that's the real question your answer has to address.
So, let's talk about the perspectives of some of these different groups. The Freedmen are the former slaves within the South, recently freed by the the Thirteenth Amendment. Uneducated, poor, recently released from slavery with an uncertain future, they represent a legitimate humanitarian crisis. Here, consider the existence of a group like the Freedmen's Bureau, as well as the hostility the freedmen face across the South.
The Radical Republicans are, as the name says, the most radical wing of the Republican Party, and their main goals are to punish the Southern Confederates, break the power of the Southern aristocratic class, and advance the interests of the Freedmen.
Next there's the Moderates to consider, both for the North and the South, especially from the perspective of the Civil War which had just divided the country. Many in the country would prefer a policy of reconciliation, and furthermore, and consider that there's still a lot of racism within the country. Even among those who had opposed slavery, there would still be opposition to racial equality. Now, consider what that means when it comes to those who had never been abolitionists to begin with, or had been active defenders of slavery.
As far as business leaders go, consider that their primary interests would probably run along economic lines: maintaining economic growth and stability, as well as pursuing opportunities for personal profit. Northern business leaders would primarily be looking to restore economic stability in the south, and look for opportunities to further advance their own economic interests in the rebuilding process.
Finally, I am not sure what you mean by Southern business leaders, which in its own way could reflect several different perspectives. For example, there were Southerners who would align with Northern interests to rebuild the economy. On the other hand, we might also talk about the former plantation owners and the aristocratic class which had dominated southern society and politics, and there you should expect extreme hostility should you make even a hint of siding with the Radical Republicans for example. In any case, I'd suggest that a lot of the most powerful and influential voices in the South would be interested in restoring economic stability, and in the case of the aristocratic class especially, trying to restore as much of the status quo as they possibly can.
There's a lot of different perspectives to navigate and address. You're task is to keep this wide range of perspectives in mind, while creating a functioning plan for Reconstruction that can accurately address the realities and advance the vision you have in mind.

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