Was Reconstruction a noble experiment that failed, a vengeful Northern punishment of the South, a weak effort that did not go far enough, or the best that could have been expected under the circumstances? What has been the historical legacy of Reconstruction?

Reconstruction on one hand was considered failed attempt by certain groups such as the military rule. The assessnation of Lincoln was a very hard incident, that complicated more things to the south.

By the other hand, history recalls the reconstruction as something good that allowed rights to me equal both in the north and south of the country. The south had to ratify the forteenth amendment in order to be admitted to the union, which allowed black people to have a citizenship, this protected the black people.

Explanation:

Other view of the effects of Reconstruction was that "the Reconstruction experiment in racial democracy failed because it began at the wrong end, emphasizing political means and civil rights acts rather than economic means and self-determination." This was another point of view made by Booker T. Washington who was a black educator that was around the Reconstruction time.

i believe it is capitalists.