The civil war and reconstruction were times of distress and embarrassment for the south. The north left the south in economic, political, and cultural disarray. This brought about great change for the United States, and southern culture. Northern influence during reconstruction is what helped shape the United States into what it is today. The effects from reconstruction are still lingering, haunting the moral of southerners. William Faulkner's "A Rose for Emily" is a short story that is placed in the post-civil war reconstruction era. It tells a story of a woman named Emily who becomes a recluse after her father dies and leaves her their gothic style home in Mississippi. Emily falls in love with a man from the north who comes down south to work on the reconstruction of the south. Although the story seems simple enough, there are some crucial parts to the story that may go unnoticed without proper background knowledge or research on the subject matter. From research on the history of southern culture, reconstruction, and Federal land policy, readers will have a better understanding of some of the things in this story like the setting. Specifically, from two sources stemming from the same journal. "Federal Land Policy in the South" and "One Hundred Year of Reconstruction of the South" from The Journal of Southern History can provide aid in understanding the story better. Outside resources and research are important to "A Rose for Emily" as they provide background knowledge which provides for a deeper understanding of the story.

In the journal "One Hundred Years of Reconstruction of the South" A. B. Moore outlines the struggles and humiliation felt by the south following the civil war as reconstruction began. The civil war in America was a platform for the north to reconstruct and reform the south. From the war, the north gained increased influence in the southern states. This brought about great change. Some saw reconstruction as the norths way of imposing gods will to help build rebuild the south to form a more centralized America. Although reconstruction was meant to renew the south, it has left long lasting effects on the south and national history. The war left the south in shambles, economically. It wiped out nearly 2 billion in capital and reduced that values of real estate. Reconstruction also put the southern political influence in the gutter. Never again would the south be able to retain the political influence that it held before the civil war. During reconstruction, northern educators and preachers relocated to the south the help influence the culture with northern ideals. Likewise, northern workers were sent to work on the reconstruction process. Impoverishment and debts caused by reconstruction impeded economic and educational progress in the south. The plan that the north had for the south was to destroy the culture, economy, and political endeavors, but most of all, to destroy the spirit of the ex-confederates. This put the north in a position of power over the south in all aspects.

In "A Rose for Emily", the setting is very important to the story. Therefore, in order to fully understand the story, readers must have a solid background knowledge on the reconstruction era in U.S. history. From this knowledge, many aspects of the story such as setting, characters, and themes are easily understood. For example, the town of Jefferson contracts workers to pave sidewalks. The workers were from the north and were under the direction of Homer Barron. This is significant because without prior research on reconstruction, it would be difficult to understand why Faulkner made a point to characterize Homer as a northerner. Also, there is a theme of change or reform. Likewise, reconstruction was about reforming the south after the civil war. Northerners intended to change the culture of the south. It could be difficult to find the reason for this theme without knowing what reconstruction was about. Being familiar with the effects, and intentions of reconstruction helps to understand the theme of reform. The information proposed in the journal "One Hundred Years of Reconstruction of the South" is important to the story because it enables readers to understand the importance of the setting, characters, and theme. Lastly, the setting plays a major role in "A Rose for Emily". Set in a fictional town, Jefferson, Mississippi is undergoing the plan that the north had in mind for reconstruction. Research gives significance to the setting of the story. Through research on the reconstruction period in U.S. history, it is easy to perceive the significance of certain aspects of "A Rose for Emily" such as setting, characters, and themes.

Similar to research on reconstruction, research of land policies following the civil war is supplemental to the story "A Rose for Emily". The journal "Federal Land Policy in the South" gives information on the policies enacted that suppressed the southern states and their ability to retain their land. Valuable information that can be used for research is found in this journal. Paul Gates explains in this journal that a lot of land in the south was federal public land. There was five states which held this federal public land. Mississippi is one of these states. Most northern radicals insisted that the federal government restrict public land entry to those who remained loyal to the union when the civil war arose. Also, they saw the public land as an opportunity for freedmen and homesteaders to move to. This would allow them to start a new life and work to break the impoverished cycle that they and their ancestors were once a part of. Later on, the Southern Homestead Act was adopted by the U.S. which provided that the lands in the five southern states should not be subject to entry only by homesteaders and for a period of 2 years. Until 1867, only citizens whose loyalty had been unquestioned during the civil war could make entries (Federal Land Policy in the South 1866-1888). This ultimately led to the delayed recovery of the south and prevented land monopoly. 

