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How Did Reconstruction Successful

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Many historians disagree over the success of the Reconstruction of the United States following The Civil War. There are various factors to take into consideration while trying to determine if the Reconstruction was successful. People have argued over this topic for over a century, all coming to different conclusions. William A. Dunning offers the main opposition of the Reconstruction but men like W.E.B. Du Bois continue to argue how Reconstruction was successful. Historians all have a different views of the true success of the Reconstruction. William A. Dunning wrote one of the most famous pieces about the Reconstruction titled, “Reconstruction, Political and Economic,” in 1907, where he makes it clear he strongly opposes the Reconstruction. …show more content…

Foner continues saying that during this short time of freedom black men used it to rebuild and strengthen their community. Leon Litwack agrees with Foner in his work, “Been in the Storm So Long,” stating that former slaves acquired a special independence during the Reconstruction. He goes on to mention how the former slaves strengthened their community and created a new labor system that ultimately gave the freedmen more …show more content…

Dunning and Beale focused on how the Reconstruction was morally corrupt and disagreed with the freedom the former slaves had received. The majority of other historians to reevaluate the Reconstruction came to an almost unanimous conclusion of it being beneficial for the former slaves to have had this freedom. While there are minor differences in opinions of those writers, more people saw how that small independence for the blacks helped shape the civil rights movements for decades after. Overall, I agree with both general ideas of the Reconstruction being morally corrupt in a business sense and also that the freedom the former slaves received was beneficial for society as a

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