Reconstruction era removed civilian governments in the South, and placed the former Confederacy under the rule of the U.S. Army. The army conducted new elections in which the freed slaves could vote, while whites who had held leading positions under the Confederacy were temporarily denied the vote and were not permitted to run for office. In ten states, coalitions of freedmen, recent black and white arrivals from the North (carpetbaggers), and white Southerners who supported Reconstruction (scalawags) cooperated to form Republican biracial state governments. They introduced various reconstruction programs including: funding public schools, establishing charitable institutions, raising taxes, and funding public improvements
What a Way to Live (song) What a Way to Live (song) "What a Way to Live" is a song written by country music singer Willie Nelson. He recorded the song on his second session with D Records, after moving to Houston, Texas. Produced by Bill Quinn, it was cut at Gold Star Studios in March 1960. A cover version by Johnny Bush was recorded in 1967. Bush's version became a success, peaking at number twenty-nine on "Billboard's" Hot Country Singles. In 1959, Nelson moved from Fort Worth, Texas to Houston. Just arrived in town, Nelson visited the Esquire Ballroom, where he tried to sell his