How Is Reconstruction An American Revolution

Eric Foner is correct when he describes Reconstruction as “America’s unfinished Revolution”. In the early days of Reconstruction, the main purpose was to rebuild the South, but it soon became much bigger than that. Reconstruction made way to several changes in America. Reconstruction in America is an “unfinished revolution” because during the time period of 1865 and 1877, major changes were taking place due to the Civil War and the readmission of the South to the Union. Within the time frame of Reconstruction, America was and can still be considered to have been moving in the right direction, towards equality and civil rights, while also making social and economical changes throughout the country. But due to several obstacles in the south,
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When considering a revolution, thoughts of an uprising or rebellion may come to mind. Those three words: revolution, uprising, and rebellion all describe the Reconstruction period; a time of a new favor of government or system. The federal government, during Reconstruction, became more interested in both the rights of the citizens and its control over the states. These two interests of the federal government can be seen in the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. The 13th amendment deals with the abolition of slavery. The 14th amendment regards citizenship. The 15th amendment states that the government can not prohibit the right to vote based on “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Not only did Reconstruction bring about the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, but when looking back at history it is very visible to see the impact Reconstruction made. Reconstruction provided that first glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel for African Americans, and several other social minorities to come, and their equality and civil
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Throughout the years of Reconstruction the South was constantly making it difficult to move forward. America seemed to have been going around and around in circle rather than moving forward with progress. No matter what the government implemented the South always put up a fight. For instance, in 1865 when the 13th amendment was passed by Congress the South quickly passed and enforced the Black Codes. These laws, Black Codes, prohibited African Americans from owning property, voting, crossing state lines, and from remaining unemployed. Another example of how the country was going in circles with the abolition of slavery was sharecropping. The idea that African Americans and poor whites could work on a plantation, just like when they were slaves, but instead this time they were not considered property. Sharecropping was based of the logic of “free labor”, which included employment contracts and “shared” agricultural profits. In reality sharecropping is considered as a crop-lien system, an economic death-spiral, a system of credit and debt. Sharecropping’s __process?____ African Americans have no money causing them to have to rent tools to work on the plantation, rent housing, while also securing food. By the time the african american workers are paid, they use all of their money to pay for their rent; forcing them to take out another loan. Thus the conclusion can be drawn that sharecropping is a