Spencer Fox Aspen Smith History 8-2 June 2, 2023 Reconstruction: Positives and Negatives Before I begin, it’s best I explain what reconstruction is. Reconstruction, in this context, is the process of rebuilding a country, that country is America after the Civil War. Reconstruction caused many things that may have been either positive or negative, depending on how you view certain topics. For example, if you were an abolitionist, then you’ll think that the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments were good, but if you were a plantation owner, then you’d think that they were bad. This essay will be written from the perspective of someone with a modern-day education, with modern-day sources. Firstly, the positives of the reconstruction of the U.S. after the Civil War. The first few positives that I will be talking about are the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery. The 14th gave anyone born in the U.S. rights …show more content…
Some of the negatives that evolved were groups like the kkk who hated anyone who wasn’t a white man. They are, unfortunately, still around today, however, they aren’t as bad as they were then. Another negative was that the African Americans were very poor, due to not being able to make any money, so the South did something called “sharecropping”. Sharecropping is basically legalized slavery, where the person worked for a farm owner, and in return, they got a small plot of land where they had to pay rent, but because they were so poor, they couldn’t pay so they had to give up their crops. A few more things that the South did to loophole through the new amendments were the grandfather clause and the black codes. The grandfather clause simply stated that if your grandfather couldn’t vote, neither can you. This was a problem because, at the time, every African American’s grandfather was a slave, and couldn’t vote. The black codes basically took rights away from African Americans
During the period of Reconstruction, there were many positives and there were many negatives. Reconstruction was the North’s attempt to readmit the Southern states back into the Union through a set of steps or requirements. The act of Reconstruction was hotly debated on whether to treat the South with forgiveness or to punish them for starting the war. There were positives and negatives to the multiple Reconstruction plans set forth by the U.S. government, but many could agree that the positives outweighed the negatives.
The Reconstruction was unsuccessfull because of some important reasons. First, the South was still aracist part of the United States because they created the Jim Crow Laws, what means that the people who lived and administratedthe South were not intelligent. The second example is that Abraham Lincoln, who started and incentivated the Reconstruction, was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, so it made the Reconstruction process to be less efective. Finally, the last problem was the Solid South, it is a name that the South recieved because it was a solid white, solid racist and solid Democrat, what means that they were not able to support black people. Concluding, all of these examples shows why the Reconstruction was unsuccessfull
End of Reconstruction in 1877 Reconstruction means the action or process of reconstructing or being reconstructed. Today, when we hear the word reconstruction it is thought of as something that is being built or rebuilding to make new. However in 1877, reconstruction in the south was more a reformation of a way of life rather than a restoration of a building or a highway.
With the creation of the 13th Amendment, slavery was prohibited in the United States. Ratified in 1865, it stated, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime… shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction” (Document A). African Americans were officially free after this amendment was Ratified in the Constitution and the newly Freedmen were officially viewed differently in society. Instead of being held as slaves and viewed as property, now African Americans were viewed as Americans and could participate in public life. Therefore, Reconstruction was a success because slavery was one of the main reasons for the Civil War occurring; but with Reconstruction, the issue of slavery was resolved.
The United States had major development and advancement throughout these years. This era began a new chapter in American history and presented a challenge to the beliefs and ideals that had shaped the country up to that point, it had a significant impact on how the country came to define itself. The federal government's efforts to rebuild the South and promote racial equality for all Americans were highlights of the Reconstruction era. They accomplished this by approving the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments in the United States Constitution. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction”.
Maceo Cardinale Kwik Reconstruction Reconstruction was the twelve years after the civil war. Those twelve years were full of readjustment fixing the ruin the United States had fallen into. The problems that had the United states in disarray were how to, rebuild the South, reunite the states, and ensure the rights and protection of the newly freed African Americans. The civil war left the South in shambles, and newly freed slaves struggled to adjust to their new freedom. Most Southerners hated reconstruction and everything else about the North.
Some politicians, like a senator from Kentucky, turned a blind eye to the oppression that freedmen faced constantly in their homes as well as at the polls. This lack of support from the government was a downfall in the Reconstruction movement. White southerners found ways to prevent African Americans from voting by using tactics like harassment, bullying, and intimidation to scare them away from the polls. Laws like the grandfather clause and literacy tests were created to prevent many people of color from be able to vote, ensuring the Democratic Party (southerners) could regain control of politics. These actions show that people didn’t respect African Americans as citizens even under the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments.
Slaves finally got the right of equal protection leading to the 14th Amendment and the right to vote in the 15th Amendment, but the constitution was violated and it was hard for old slaves to get their way. The Jim Crows laws that enforced racial segregation in the South. The policy was to keep black and white Americans separate from one another. African Americans couldn’t use the same restrooms, water foundations, at restaurants they had to sit in the
Reconstruction was a period of time dedicated to rebuilding the nation after the Civil War. The war ended with the South being defeated and their economy being devastated. Many Southerners struggled after the war with rebuilding their land and lives. The President and Congress had to decide the terms for which the former Confederate states would be permitted to join the Union. President Lincoln’s plan for reuniting the country was found in the Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction.
This period was marked by significant political and social changes, as the United States worked to rebuild and reunify after the war. Reconstruction included efforts to rebuild the south, establish new political systems, and protect the rights of newly freed slaves. However, reconstruction was also marked by significant challenges and setbacks, including political corruption, violence against African Americans, and the rise of white supremacist groups. Despite these challenges, reconstruction played a significant role in shaping the future of the United States and laying the groundwork for the civil rights movement of the 20th
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
But, when these officials were elected to Congress, they passed the “black codes” and thus the relations between the president and legislators became worst (Schriefer, Sivell and Arch R1). These so called “Black Codes” were “a series of laws to deprive blacks of their constitutional rights” that they were enacted mainly by Deep South legislatures. Black Codes differ from a state to another but they were stricter in the Deep South as they were sometimes irrationally austere. (Hazen 30) Furthermore, with the emergence of organizations such as the Red Shirts and the White League with the rise of the Conservative White Democrats’ power, efforts to prevent Black Americans from voting were escalating (Watts 247), even if the Fifteenth Amendment to the U.S constitution that gave the Blacks the right to vote had been ratified in 1870.
Even though it granted Blacks citizenship it did not give them equality, and soon arose numerous
With the right to vote the former slaves could vote for better changes in their life. Yet, in Doc 7 it states that black people who wanted to earn a living couldn’t be political/vote or agitate white people. This reveals that the African Americans who wanted to succeed in life could not fight for change despite being given these rights after the civil war. Therefore, it was safer not to participate in government because of the white intimidation they faced like the terrorist attacks from white supremacy groups. They had no voice in government similarly to how they didn’t during slavery.
Reconstruction a Failure or Success? Throughout the years, America has gone through many different political changes. Many presidents selected with different plans for our future. Sadly, many of those objectives have failed or came to an end.