Reconstruction was a monumental era for African-Americans, and for the U.S. as a whole. The Reconstruction era was initially created to gradually abolish slavery and eliminate the racist ways of the South. Even though this was the case, towards the end of Reconstruction, the South showed that Reconstruction didn’t help them develop from their cruel ways by returning to mistreat African Americans At the beginning of the Reconstruction era, African Americans started to have hope that they would finally have a say in the development of their nation. This was due to the fact that immediately when Reconstruction started, Congress sought to protect recently freed slaves by enforcing a civil rights bill and extending the establishment of the Freedmen’s …show more content…
This power was the right to have a say in politics and the decisions that had the power to define what type of nation the U.S. would come to be. This occurrence can be shown in the Student Resource Book where it says,” For the freed slave, Reconstruction offered a miraculous window of hope. Those born into slavery could now vote and own land. In parts of the South, blacks could ride with whites on trains and eat with them in restaurants. Schools, orphanages, and public relief projects aimed at improving the lives of blacks were emerging all over the South. Perhaps most stunning of all, African-Americans were holding political office. Blacks were becoming sheriffs and judges. They were elected to school boards and city councils. Sixteen blacks sat in Congress from 1867-77. HIRAM REVELS of Mississippi became the first African-American Senator in 1870. In December 1872 P.B.S. PINCHBACK of Louisiana became the first African-American Governor. All in all, about 600 blacks served as legislators on the local level." (Student Resource Book, 294). From this evidence one can conclude that the Reconstruction era opened up a lot of opportunities for black people that they had once had been excluded …show more content…
as a result. Although Reconstruction did immediately fill black people with faith that they would get to have a say that the U.S. would become, in the end, the Reconstruction led to segregation between African Americans and white people and the mistreatment of those who had hoped that they would finally be viewed as real people. The events occurring at the end of the Reconstruction era would lead to an increase in racism in the South, and eventually lead to lack of development in the South. This reveals that even though the Reconstruction era was used to help the U.S. thrive away from racism, it would just cause the next generations of African Americans to be once again mistreated and terrorized by
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois once said, “the problem of the twentieth century is the problem of the color-line.” He refers “color” as race and how race is a social category used to assign human worth and social status using whites as the superior race and the minorities as the inferior. That’s what America is facing during Reconstruction. When the Reconstruction Era transitioned into the New South Era, the lives of Freedmen changed socially, economically, and politically for the worse. Although southern whites were still unpleasant to African Americans during Reconstruction, it got more severe socially in the New South Era.
Before the Civil War, there were slaves, racism and white supremists, the U.S allowed it. Reconstruction was the era after the Civil War which was made to reconstruct the country but equally. Reconstruction has many factors that lead to its failure, and the solutions are impeaching the president and treating racism more seriously. Reconstruction failed because of the racist president after Lincoln.
A major part of the Reconstruction Era was The roaring 20’s, a time period of economic success and prosperity for many. It’s a time period where numerous people wish they were alive to experience, but those people were not people of color. Sadly, the roaring 20’s was not all that roaring for African Americans who were just recently emancipated. After liberation, a vast wave of African Americans moved to the North to pursue a life more successful than they’d have in the South. Little did they know, segregation and race relations has spread throughout the country and some people still didn’t treat them as equals.
The Reconstruction Era, sparked by the conclusion of the devastating Civil War, was a crucial period in American history that aimed to transition the divided nation to a more unified one. However, reformers and political figures faced significant political, social, and economic changes which they were unable to adapt to. President Lincoln’s role was replaced, after his assassination, by corrupted officers that didn’t prioritize Reconstruction. The United States government was faced with challenging dilemmas in this period that they only overcame with controversial policies. Lastly, white Southerners enforcing racist policies unforeseeably succeeded in preventing African Americans from gaining Civil Rights.
The Reconstruction, in my opinion, was a failure for it did not freed every man of color even though the Thirteen amendment formally abolished slavery; in the antebellum years and with the assassination of President Lincoln, the road to Reconstruction took a different road. Moreover, the Southern states were required to take a bow of loyalty to the Nation and abolish slavery before being readmitted to the Union. However, in the mid-west states black codes were stablished to regulate the migration of free African-Americans, while the black codes established in Southern States were an attempt to suppress the freedmen and force them into labor for low to no wages. Also, African- Americans were restricted on property ownership, business management
During reconstruction in the south the African American community was an afterthought for some, democrats, and a main priority to others,republicans. After the North's victory in the Civil war they tried to integrate the south, fix the labor system, and create a future for the African Americans in the south. During the 1900’s the conditions that the Black community faced was racially challenging. Reconstruction viewed by the white elite in the south was perceived to fail.
When the Civil War had finally met its end in the year 1865, an “era of reconstruction” came about——all with one singular purpose: give African Americans the rights we have and see them as citizens, not as property. However, although the plans for reconstruction had good intentions, not everything went as smoothly during the “reconstruction era,” not only for America but for the very people “reconstruction” was intended for, the recently freed, freedmen and freedwomen of America. And though many parts of reconstruction were to blame for the “disastrous effects” that reconstruction had on African Americans, some of the most notable topics include Radical Reconstruction, poverty, segregation, and racially based voting laws. Firstly, during the
Have you ever wondered how blacks gained their right to suffrage and how gaining that right opened a door for them in congress? The frontier of African suffrage allowed Hiram Revels and Blanche Bruce to get a spot in the U.S Congress around 1870-1881. They both represented Mississippi, and both served different number of years. As you know that this frontier of African suffrage allowed Bruce and Revels to get a spot in congress, but it also allowed Africans and other different races to gain more rights.
By granting African Americans the right to vote, the Reconstruction policies aimed to dismantle the remnants of slavery and challenge the deeply ingrained racial hierarchy of the South. This act signified a commitment to rectifying historical injustices and fostering a more egalitarian society. Through voting, freed slaves could have a direct impact on legislative decisions, leading to the implementation of laws and policies that addressed racial inequality and promoted the welfare of all
The Reconstruction for black Americans was a time for a change, it provided the once enslaved people the freedom of movement (Schultz 2014). With this freedom came wonderful things, such as the right to obtain property, the benefit of more control over their family situations, and many were able to reunite with family members. Consequently, an uncounted amount of them left the plantation life they were accustomed to where they were able to join the forces of the yeoman and working-classes in some cases. The Freedman's Bureau, established in 1865, foresaw the need for schools to be established in the South so now receiving an education became possible for black Americans (Schultz 2014). Another right they gained was voting, which was taken very
lack of education and social rights were rampant (Murphy, 1987). Despite all of this, the Reconstruction movement went forward at incredible speeds. Voting rights for the new black citizens were part of this new social change. Even in the northern areas, the new social phenomenon posed by black participation in the electoral process, was remarkable, to say the least. Much of this change in social policy can be credited to the Freedmen’s Bureau and the Union League.
Throughout Reconstruction, the African Americans progressed to gain citizenship and suffrage. African Americans faced prejudice
Reconstruction caused prejudice and inequality. To elaborate, the creation of the Ku Klux Klan and the Black Codes were both in the time period of reconstruction, which caused chaos and violence throughout the Union. One of the goals of reconstruction was to repair the economy in the South, because it depended on slavery, which was now illegal, due to the thirteenth amendment. The South’s economic system now depended on Sharecropping, which caused former slaves to be in constant debt and was unjust to the black society. The reconstruction time period, was a time of dispute between the Union.
The reconstruction period was a failure because African Americans, mainly males, were not treated with equality although the constitution said that the they were free and had the right to vote, be educated and had the right to liberty, life and the pursuit to happiness. Organizations, like the KKK, were created to harm freed slaves and their families. Laws were created such as the Black Codes restricting former slaves from their rights. African Americans endured a lot of violence over the years. “In Grayson, Texas, a white man and two friends murdered three former slaves because the wanted to ‘ thin the niggers out and drive them to their hole’”.
The Supreme Court's decision weakened Reconstruction efforts further by limiting the federal government's ability to protect African Americans' rights. The South's violence and intimidation tactics prevented Black Americans from fully exercising their newly granted rights. Finally, the period’s spread of political corruption destroyed faith the people had in the government and reduced support for Reconstruction efforts. All these issues contributied to the collapse of the Reconstruction after Lincoln