The years after the Civil War were tough times for the Academy

Thanks to the roles its graduates played immediately following the Civil War, the institution attained an unheard-of reputation. The Academy, however, had tough times after the Civil War as it attempted to reintegrate and welcome students from the previous coalition nations. In 1868, the first cadets from the Southern states were re-admitted, and James Webster Smith of South Carolina, the first black practitioner, was accepted in 1870. Smith endured harsh treatment before being fired due to a lack of education in 1874. After a long period of rigorous training, George Washington Goethals and John J. Pershing, two of the era's most prominent alums, graduated in 1880 and 1886, respectively. Goethals achieved distinction as the head engineer of the Panama Canal, while Pershing became well-known for his exploits in Mexico against Pancho Villa and then for commanding the American forces in World War I.

In addition to integrating black practitioners and Southern states, bullying was another issue that the post-war Academy faced. For the first 65 years, bullying was not common beyond the small jokes for incoming freshmen, but this got worse when Civil War veterans began filling freshman classes. In particular, after former Academy cadet, Oscar L. Booz passed away on December 3, 1900, hazing at the school gained widespread notice. The circumstances surrounding his death and the regular habit of bullying among freshmen were looked at in congressional hearings, which included testimony from professional Douglas MacArthur. Therefore, after MacArthur took over as superintendent, he made an effort to stop the practice of intimidating incoming freshmen by assigning Army sergeants to oversee the summertime training of new cadets. And this brought positive results because statistically, the number of bullying incidents in the academy decreased significantly after applying his efforts.

To conclude, the Academy had tough times in the years after the Civil War, especially:

• Attempting to reintegrate and welcome students from the previous coalition nations.
• Bullying became acute after former Academy student Oscar L. Booz died as a result of being bullied.
• After MacArthur assumed the position of superintendent, he worked to prevent intimidation among freshmen.