Talk:Reconstruction era

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Reconstruction era was nominated as a History good article, but it did not meet the good article criteria at the time (June 19, 2017). There are suggestions on the review page for improving the article. If you can improve it, please do; it may then be renominated.

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40 acres and all that

There is full coverage at Forty acres and a mule -- Congress did pass such a bill but it was vetoed and nothing like it became law. According to historian John David Smith:

"What does this history teach us? Yes, the historical record disproves assertions that the federal government reneged on promises to grant the freedpeople "forty acres and a mule." But the fact that the government never made such a promise in the first place tells us something about how black people were treated in 19th-century America. Moreover, it is important to remember that the freedpeople desperately wanted land, believed that they had been deceived, and felt betrayed. The legacy of that sense of betrayal lingers on. After 138 years, the stubborn myth of "forty acres and a mule" remains a political football and a sober reminder of the ex-slaves' broken hopes and shattered dreams." John David Smith, "The Enduring Myth of 'Forty Acres and a Mule'" Chronicle of Higher Education 2/21/2003, Vol. 49, Issue 24. Rjensen (talk) 00:22, 14 December 2021 (UTC)[reply]

This needs to be re-worded Sherman issued Special Order 15 and was approved by President Lincoln. After Lincoln's assignation it was retracted by Andrew Johnson. So it was promised and was eventually withdrawn. Robjwev (talk) 13:48, 15 December 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Racism in introduction

I'm not well versed enough in editing Wikipedia, but wanted to raise for someone who is. The first line (typically the intro) is currently "The Reconstruction era was a period in American history where black people go die."

Not sure how to see who did that and what else they did, but raises concerns for the integrity of the whole article. Anyone able to address this or is it time for me to learn? 50.237.235.187 (talk) 14:09, 14 September 2022 (UTC)[reply]

Figured it out. 50.237.235.187 (talk) 14:15, 14 September 2022 (UTC)[reply]

What if eminent domain had been used by the federal government to "buy out" the South regarding their soon to be freed private property?

"nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation." (Source: US Constitution, Fifth Amendment.) - Promoting and providing for the general Welfare could have involved the federal Government to resort to eminent domain to abolish slavery in our federal Republic. 2601:204:E97E:D80:D4C8:E058:99A3:9C65 (talk) 22:30, 31 December 2023 (UTC)[reply]

Let's add a lead section

I think this article could benefit from a lead section as a introduction/summary of the article's most important contents. Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Lead section

Also, the first six paragraphs before the first section break are really dense and informative - all excellent information, but I think breaking those up with another header or two will help with readability for the masses. I'm going to boldly work on this but if anyone is watching this talk page and would like to comment on your thoughts or suggestions, I absolutely welcome them. Sergeant Curious (talk) 19:13, 11 February 2025 (UTC)[reply]