The Construction Period & Periodization

Introduction

Periodization is the process of subdividing historical times into distinctive named blocks.
The approach helps facilitate the analysis and study of all the historical activities and the specific
causalities that may have linked the specific event at a specific period. The process creates a
descriptive abstraction that explains the particular periods based on specific characteristics
(Sobo, 2021). However, it may be challenging to identify the beginning or the end of a particular
epoch as history rapidly changes over time. History is constant, while the periodization systems
are arbitrary and effective in categorizing certain events within a specific time, preventing the
scattering of events without a clear framework that will help one understand them. Periodization
aids researchers in managing the historical evidence in standard characterized features without
overlapping or contradicting one another. Through periodization, it can be argued that the
Construction Era in the US occurred in four primary stages, starting with President Lincon’s
reconstruction in 1864 that supported the 13 th Amendment and abolition of slavery, followed by
the radical construction during President Andrew’s tenure between 1866 and 1867 that brought
forth the 14 th Amendment and rejection of Lincoln’s lenient policies, President Andrew’s
impeachment in 1868, and the rebuilding of the old order from 1869 and beyond.

Presidential Reconstruction

The presidential reconstruction occurred in 1864 after Abraham Lincoln elected Andrew
Johnson, a Democratic senator from Tennessee, as his Vice president (Hirschman, 2020). The
primary goal for Lincoln was to garner support from the southern states, and he hoped that
Johnson was the ideal candidate. Johnson, like Lincoln, had grown up in a dilapidated state of
poverty and did not know how to write well until he was twenty years. Andrew then aimed at

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helping the small farmers and vouched for ‘slaveocracy’ while impeding the southern aristocracy
that did not affect any working individuals (U.S. History 35 a, n.d.). The vice president’s opinion
was rarely recognized by society unless the president was incapacitated to deliver his mandate.
Later on, Lincoln was assassinated; hence, Andrew’s views and ideas mattered to everyone in the
state as he was the next in power. Andrew believed that the southern states could choose what
was best for them, but the African-Americans could not lead their own lives (U.S. History 35 a,
n.d.). He also believed that African-Americans did not deserve to vote, and on one occasion, he
told a group that had visited the white house that they should immigrate to another state. The
leader also provided a pardon and amnesty, where he returned all the people’s property aside
from the enslaved people to the previous confederates, who later pledged their loyalty towards
supporting the 13 th amendment.
Johnson’s reconstruction efforts were lenient while he prosecuted other confederate
leaders. Moreover, the owners of large taxable estates were expected to individual applications
for the presidential pardon, and most of the confederate rose back to power while some sought to
get the senior position (U.S. History 35 a, n.d.). By late 1866, over 7000 presidential pardons had
been provided to the leader (U.S. History 35 a, n.d.). However, the African-Americans were
tortured while the president subjected the freed group to harsh laws known as the black codes.
Other states demanded proof of employment from some enslaved people to be allowed to work
on the plantations. Some African-Americans in South Carolina were prompted to pay hefty taxes
to the government if they were not farmers’ servants (U.S. History 35 a, n.d.). The minority
group was not allowed to carry guns, own dogs, fish, or hunt in certain areas, or use public
facilities such as orphanages, schools, and parks. However, the Freedman’s bureau helped the

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people to transition from slavery to emancipation rapidly. The group wanted their freedom and
free everyone in slavery despite the political power in the offing.
Radical Reconstruction

After the presidential reconstruction, radical reconstruction engulfed most parts of the
state. The majority of the Radical Republicans believed they needed equal opportunities and
rights with the white people (U.S. History 35 b, n.d.). They also believed that all confederate
leaders must be punished for participating in the civil wars. Leaders such as Representative
Thaddeus Steven and Senator Charles Sumner from Pennsylvania and Massachusetts,
respectively, opposed some of Johnson’s lenient policies, paving the way for political battles
(U.S. History 35 b, n.d.). The radical group believed that there should be laws that aimed to
protect the blacks and must be given a free-labor economy. Later in 1866, the activist Congress
created a bill to increase the Freedman’s bureau and later began to create the civil rights bill (U.S.
History 35 b, n.d.).
President Andrew dismissed the Freedmen’s Bureau Bill and the Civil Rights Bill,
claiming that they increased the government’s size and provided the African-American with
equal rights to whites. The Republicans were amused by Andrew’s racism and later joined,
forced to override the leader’s Civil Rights Act veto (U.S. History 35 b, n.d.). This period marked
a significant stage of history that primary legislation was overturned. Congress then turned its
attention towards amending the constitution, and later, in 1867, they approved the fourteenth
amendment, which banned the state from curtailing equality from the law (Sobo, 2021). The
second bit of the amendment proposed reducing the number of state representatives in suffrage.
The president was the main barrier for Congress to achieve its liberty; hence, an impeachment

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motion was set. The southern unionist later created an army to protect the black citizens and
property.

President Impeached

Later in 1868, Andrew became the first president in history to be impeached as the
Republican House of Representatives presented 11 articles that sought to impeach the president
(U.S. History 35 c, n.d.). The articles presented accused the president of bribery, treason, and
other crimes to the Senate for approval. Later in May 1868, 35 senators voted to remove Andrew
from power while seven senators found him not guilty (Galbraith, 2020). As a result, the motion
did not attain the 2/3 rule allowing Andrew to serve an additional term.
Rebuilding the Old Order

During the rebuilding order, there was a total paradigm shift in the order of performing
activities as the African-Americans were forced to go and work for those in power. The poor
Americans would compete with the African-Americans for jobs as the law unified everyone. The
reconstruction process gave the people hope, as those born in slavery could vote and own land
(U.S. History 35 d, n.d.). In the southern states, the African-Americans could interact with the
Americans, but their skills were best suited for the plantation. Sharecropping later became a
dominant way for poor people to earn a livelihood as they would work in exchange for the
harvest (U.S. History 35 d, n.d.). During this time, corruption was high, the economy was still,
and the taxes were increased. The carpetbaggers worsened the situation by seeing the south as an
opportunity to get rich and seize political office. The scalawags, the southern whites, later
collaborated with the carpetbags and utilized the political loopholes. Through fear and hatred,
several troops, such as the white brotherhood, the knights of the white Camelia, and the Ku Klux
Klan, emerged and aimed to control African Americans through intimidation and violence (U.S.

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History 35 d, n.d.). Massacres, pillaging, rape, lynching, and terror were expected, and the
groups would serve any person who supported American supremacy (U.S. History 35 d, n.d.).
The groups would murder anyone who interfered with the vision, and the black felt like they
were turning to the old world.

Conclusion

In conclusion, periodization helps one understand the scenarios that have occurred in the
past chronologically by defining each epoch individually. The study used the construction period
after the Civil War as an example of periodization. The first event occurred in 1864 after Andrew
Johnson was elected to be the new president after Abraham Lincoln. During his tenure, he made
significant contributions to the history of America but faced opposition from the African-
Americans. This followed the presidential construction era, where African Americans believed
they had equal rights to whites, leading to presidential impeachment. However, most low-income
families were forced to work for the elites during rebuilding while incurring hefty taxes.
Therefore, scholars can make sense of the data provided to help in event analysis.

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References

Galbraith, E. B. J. (2020). Contemporary Practice of the United States Relating to International
Law. AJIL (, 114, 2020.
Hirschman, E. C. (2020). Dismantling white supremacy from the inside-out: seven United States
presidents and a founding father have Jewish ancestry. Journal of Liberal Arts and
Humanities (JLAH). (2). 5.
Sobo, B. (2021). Presidents and populist politics.
U.S. History 35 a. (n.d.). Reconstruction: A presidential reconstruction.
https://www.ushistory.org/us/35a.asp
U.S. History 35 b. (n.d.). Reconstruction: Radical reconstruction.
https://www.ushistory.org/us/35b.asp
U.S. History 35 c. (n.d.). Reconstruction: A president Impeached.
https://www.ushistory.org/us/35c.asp
U.S. History 35 d. (n.d.). Reconstruction: Rebuilding the old order.
https://www.ushistory.org/us/35d.asp