Reconstructing the Nation

These reconstruction projects that we have been working on in class have been quite tricky.  No matter what path we choose to take, there will always be complications and criticisms.  One of those big issues is money.  The country needs money for many issues, but there is very little extra money to throw around.  There is physical damage that has to be paid for.  Schools and other public institutions that have to be built and payed for.  Almost anything that might aid the country must be paid for somehow, so the question is: where do we get all of that money?


After the war, there were not a lot of sources to get money.  Since the South lost the war, it would make sense to get money from them.  Unfortunately, all  the rich Southern plantation owners had invested their money into confederate bonds, which were now useless.  Another option is to tax cotton.  But with slavery abolished, it was very likely that there would be a decline in cotton production, since the main labor force was slaves.  Another option was to subtract from the defense budget, since the war was over.  But after a war on our own soil, our country would be especially vulnerable, so subtracting from the defense budget may make us susceptible to attacks or wars from European countries.  Almost anywhere there was money, it was untouchable.  This lack of money plagued the country.


I wonder, though, if any of the lessons that we learned back during Reconstruction are applicable today.  Obviously the economy is weak, and we need to exit this depression.  Do any of you have plans on how to get money in your reconstruction project that you think would be applicable today? And do you feel that today's issue can be dealt with the same way as it was 140 years ago?