The reconstruction was the reintegrating of the Confederate states after the Civil War, along with the rebuilding and renovation of war-torn industries (such as the cotton industry). With these repairs and reintegration came the adjustment of blacks into citizenship (14th Amendment) with the abolition of slavery (13th Amendment).

Former slaves found themselves with no work, and therefore no income, and so they had to take whatever jobs were available, in many cases even from their former masters becoming what was known as sharecroppers as a result. With the 15th Amendment, they were granted the right to vote. They also had to deal with attacks from the newly formed Klu Klux Klan, who caused untold damage for six years until they were put down by federal troops. One positive initiative included the Freedmen's Bureau founded in 1865 by General Oliver Howard, which was formed to provide for and educate freed slaves.

Andrew Johnson, the President at the time, would issue hundreds of pardons to soldiers who served in the Confederacy. He also wasn't in favor of Congress demanding that the Southern States endorse the 14th Amendment as a condition for being allowed back into the Union. This was done against his wishes; he wanted to go easy on the Southern States.

There were also plenty of negative changes during this period. For instance, what were known as Black Codes; one-year labor contracts that carried with it tremendous fines and punishment for being “idle.” While the males of all races were allowed to votes, women still wouldn't get the vote for another 60 years. Northerners who arrived to help in reconstruction were called carpetbaggers, while southerners who cooperated were called scalawags.

There was also the advent of the Radical Republicans in 1866 who demanded that the South and former slave owners be punished, and who advocated the use of federal power to directly protect the freed slaves.

The Southern States also acquired greater control of Congress due to the granting of full citizenship to former slaves. Before the abolition, they were counted as three-fifths of a person. Having gained citizenship, Southern states could exert more voting power. Still, many blacks were blocked from voting in the South with things like poll taxes and rigged literacy tests.

Other interesting developments of the Reconstruction was the widespread acceptance of paper money instead of coins, increased immigration from Europe, the birth of worker unions (Knights of Labor were one).