The Civil War began in early 1861 after South Carolina seceded from the Union and lasted until 1865. Reconstruction began as soon as the war ended but was a slow and strenuous process. The North was faced with the dilemma of whether or not to punish the South. They hesitated to punish the South because their goal was to reunite the Union and punishing the South would not lighten the situation. On the other hand, the North …showed first 75 words of 890 total…

…showed last 75 words of 890 total…redistribution of income and land ownership. It also led to an improvement in the economic conditions of most blacks. Most of all, it gave them a chance to carve out a society and culture of their own within the American South. As much as some southern whites opposed black equality, the Reconstruction period was a great boost to propel the nation and blacks into a period where their conditions would only continue to get better.