Martin Luther King Jr. Article Response

Martin Luther King Jr. has been a universally-known figure since his "I Have a Dream" speech in the 1960s.
In the article, one of the professors that was interviewed mentioned that nobody ever knew what his dream was, and I disagree with that. I believe that his whole speech and dream was having racial equality within the United States, and probably everywhere in the world. He wanted his children to grow up in a "racist-free" environment and for everyone to just get along. I believe that that's what his dream really was. I believe that he just wanted peace and equality for everyone. I also don't agree with the comment made by Hilary Clinton, where she said that his dream wasn't recognized until the Civil Rights Act was signed by Lyndon B. Johnson.
This article was interesting, but I didn't agree completely with all of it.

Was Reconstruction a "Splendid Failure?"

I agree with Eric Foner, author of the yes article, that said Reconstruction was a "splendid failure." During this time, blacks were given their first opportunities in experiencing free life. during Reconstruction, education was huge for the newly freed blacks. with help from the Freedmen's Bureau, some 200,000 blacks were educated, ranging in age from children to grandparents. Not only were they given education opportunities, but also future voting opportunities and jobs opportunities.
Reconstruction not only aimed to help the newly emancipated blacks, but also the South in general. The South was given the opportunity for the North to help them get back on their feet, both economically and socially. Whether they used that help was up to them.
Although the whole Reconstruction idea didn't work out completely, it was a good first attempt to help change the South.

Varying Viewpoints: What Were the Consequences of the Civil War?

No, I don't agree with the historians that believe the importance of the Civil War has been exaggerated.
The Civil War was a very important turning point in our history after those rocky years leading up to the war. After the war, the issue of slavery was figured out and was forcibly removed from the states where it was previously allowed. Also within that same issue, African-Americans were allowed certain rights that now made them actual citizens of the United States. Also after the war, the Union and Confederacy were "forced" to reconcile with each other...which ultimately led to a UNITED United States.
After the war, there was also an expansion of federal power. It protected rights, encouraged the development of the National Banking System, enforced laws, expanded industry, and new legal and government institutions were formed. Even though the institution of the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth amendments expanded the federal power, the expansion of federal power turned out to be a good thing. (The previous amendments had limited the governmental power.)
The importance of the Civil War has not been exaggerated.