Rhetorical Challenges of the Reconstruction

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Although the Confederates surrendered and the Civil War officially came to the end, a great sense of unease and tension settled into both the Northern and Southern states. There was not only a discomfort between the two previously opposing sides; a rift grew between the various factions of Republicans and a shift in the power dynamic between blacks and whites resulted in violence. Because the war was difficult on everyone, the losses incurred by individual citizens created bitterness and resentment. The dissenting opinions were difficult, if not impossible to reconcile. In addition, uncertainty of the future forced people to scramble around, vainly attempting to maintain the vestiges of their social status. Competition between different groups of people created power struggles both within the government structure and the broader social structure. The enormous task of unifying the nation needed to come about through the use of communication and rhetoric. Rhetorical challenges of the Reconstruction era concerned definition: defining exactly what had happened during and after the war as well as articulating solutions acceptable to the majority; chilling the fervid animosity and carrying the founding principles of the Founding Fathers into this period of turmoil were essential to achieve a state of placid equilibrium.

In order to choose the best course of action, it was necessary for the citizens to understand exactly what had happened during the four year period of the civil war. Individuals sought answers to explain their new identity and circumstances, and politicians hoped to explain the war in ways that would support their preferred course of action. As seen within the two opposing speeches given in Congress by Thaddeus Stevens and Henry Jarvis Raymond, the suggestions as to how to proceed in the period of Reconstruction depended heavily on the interpretation of both Northern and Southern actions during the war. A large portion of both of the speeches debated whether or not the confederate states had every truly left the Union and was subject to whims of Congress or whether the confederate states had only attempted to secede but failed when their troops surrendered. The ultimate interpretation, as persuaded by rhetorical acts, would shape the way in which the states would interact for years to come.

The rhetoricians of the 1850s also needed to define the values which were most important to their country; they needed to refer back to the Founding Fathers’ documents and decipher the true intent of the Declaration of Independence. The honored document raised questions about principles that shaped the country. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” The documents begged the question, “Who is included in the category ‘men’?” Many scoffed that surely black men were not included in this category, that even though they were freed from slavery they could never be equals in society. Applying the document to the period of Reconstruction required a close inspection of the terms ‘man’, ‘citizen’, ‘rights’ and ‘freedom’. To hold in line with the great tradition of the first Americans, the citizens needed to understand these key aspects of their national identity to pave the way for a successful future. This understanding arose through the arguments thrown around in the public sphere.

The constantly shifting reinterpretation of revered American documents continues into the present. For instance, what rights enable “the pursuit of Happiness”? Or, conversely, what actions prevent “the pursuit of Happiness”? Another question arises when one’s “pursuit of Happiness” infringes on another person’s quest for fulfillment. It remains a necessary task to establish the important values to uphold as American citizens to unite as the entire American nation with common shared ideals. Values give direction and guidance to the shaping of policies – both domestic and foreign. Questions are most easily answered when information is presented clearly and precisely. Rhetoric attempts to define the world in order to sort out various problems. Rhetoric constantly seeks to explain nature and can be used to find solutions to all sorts of quandaries.

A second dilemma faced by the persons living during the time of Reconstruction was determining how best to make amends for injurious deeds. Rhetoric was an essential tool in shaping the argument for giving assistance to blacks. Although the black people had at least been delivered from bondage, a majority was flung into society still uneducated. The “forty acres and a mule” was, in a sense, part of the “American Dream”. The land symbolized their ability to work and gain profit for themselves, but the land with which they were presented was taken from white Southerners. While it was clear that the displaced blacks needed a place to go, the redistribution of land was deemed unfair by those whose land was taken. While it was clear that the blacks needed some help getting up on their own legs to support themselves, how to go about assisting them until they were capable of independence from whites remained a mystery. The Robin Hood style land redistribution did not fare well, and the hopes of blacks to remain separate from whites was shattered when property was returned to the whites who had fled, forcing blacks back onto the farms – working, again, for their ex-masters, but with a minimum wage. It seemed as though the institution of slavery had slightly changed and continue to shackle thousands of blacks to an unjust system. Rhetoric was required to illustrate the necessity of lessening the huge disparity between black and white citizens.


The question of assisting minorities, those who have been wronged, remains a heated issue today in the form of “affirmative action”. While affirmative action gives access to people who grew up with difficult conditions, attempting to correct for societal disadvantages, those who grew up with privilege see their seats at universities and job offers being snatched away from them. There is an ongoing debate about how to right injustices without providing a constant crutch. How much assistance is sufficient to rectify past crimes and current prejudice? The attempt to ensure fairness and equality for all entails multiple complexities, stemming both from present issues and historical origins. To sort out possible procedures, the goals and consequences of each such action must be firmly established with rhetoric so that an educated decision can be made.

Rhetoric establishes a situation, marking the conditions of a certain location and point in time. Although many individuals will cling to opposing views and will therefore contribute to public discourse with opposing rhetoric, rhetoric is always used to sway the opinions of others and rally people towards a certain cause or solution. The power of definition involved in rhetoric plays an integral role in debates, seeking to illuminate the true nature of each situation. Rhetoric conveys perceptions of some and alters the perceptions of others. While rhetoric can be used to muddle and confuse, it can also be used to clarify, and that is when it is most useful – generating solutions to overcome problems.