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Economic Inequality During The Reconstruction Era

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During the late 1800s, because the South had been decimated by the end of the Civil War, .the Reconstruction Period was initiated to aid the South’s recovery. Although the Civil War did abolish slavery and unify the North and the South, the war not resolve racial prejudice, the South’s damage, and the African Americans’ economic instability. The Reconstruction Period was initiated in order to prevent economic instability and the structural ruin, because since slavery was abolished, and the South was completely dependent on slaves, therefore slaves could not work for the South to maintain the economy, and slaves also could not fix up the damages done to the structures done to the South during the war. By starting the Freedmen’s Bureau and passing …show more content…

The Freedmen’s Bureau was founded by Congress in 1865 to help former slaves and poor whites in the South by providing shelter, food, medical support, as well as giving legal assistance, and creating schools for them (Jordan 386). The Freedmen’s Bureau was also supported by carpetbaggers, Northerners who had readily packed up and left for the South, and scalawags, Southerners who supported former slaves and poor whites, both of whom supported the cause of freedom and equality. Thus, through the Freedmen’s Bureau, both black Americans and white Americans were receiving the same necessities, promoting equality amongst these two …show more content…

Although many attempts were made to prioritize freedom and equality for all, these values were undermined by racist Southerners who wouldn’t accept equality. In the end, Reconstruction had failed and former slaves endured another hardship akin to slavery. However, Reconstruction still could have prospered. There are multiple events that, if they had occurred, Reconstruction would not have failed. For example, had the government continued to fund the Freedmen’s Bureau, then the South would have legislated their discriminatory laws much later, if not at all. If the Freedmen’s Bureau had continued, African Americans and poor whites would have continued to receive support from the government as well as from other volunteers, such as carpetbaggers and scalawags. Over time, Southerners would begin to realize that former slaves were becoming equals to them, and slowly begin to accept it, especially since blacks would have the resources and people to enforce this idea. This would lead to America being the just and equal society citizens had wanted since the

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The Freedmen’s Bureau provided many sorts of support for African Americans such as: food, the offering of medical aid or any aid, schools and legal assistance for anything. The Bureau is considered to be “one of the most singular and interesting attempts to grapple with the vast problems of race and social condition(Colby, Ira C.).” The passing of this Bureau served as a way of distribute certain things, like the acreage that was gained and abandoned for the South by the North during the Civil War. A couple years after the Bureau was introduced, the Congress decided to authorize reorganized states that were under the Congressional Reconstruction to be dropped from the care of the Freedmen's Bureau. By the end of 1868, eleven states that were passed the Congressional requirements, and they were no longer part of the Freedmen's Bureau.

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This bureau was designed for newly freed slaves or homeless white men to take shelter after the war. The bureau acted at a ‘early welfare system’ which allowed these people to receive food, shelter, and medical aid if needed. They were also allowed to offer people farms that had been confiscated after the war however this was demolished after Johnson took office and pardon the initial land owners from any wrong doings which caused many of these farms to be repossessed ad given to their initial owners. However, one of the biggest accomplishments of this bureau were the 3,000 schools they opened for blacks which resulted in as many as 200,000 blacks getting an education until they no longer received funding from the government which occurred in

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The Reconstruction Era of American history was plagued by many problems. One of the most important problems being the recently released from slavery Freedmen. Freedmen were in a tricky situation in which they had just been released from their owner and had nowhere to go, but the Federal Government made many successful attempts to help them out. The Government helped alleviate all the problems Freedmen had from their finances to basic needs and rights, and in doing so, made the period of reconstruction more helpful than harmful for Freedmen. The events of reconstruction were helpful to freedmen as they were not only freed from slavery, they were given rights directly from the federal government.

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Although slavery was declared over after the passing of the thirteenth amendment, African Americans were not being treated with the respect or equality they deserved. Socially, politically and economically, African American people were not being given equal opportunities as white people. They had certain laws directed at them, which held them back from being equal to their white peers. They also had certain requirements, making it difficult for many African Americans to participate in the opportunity to vote for government leaders. Although they were freed from slavery, there was still a long way to go for equality through America’s reconstruction plan.

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After 4 years of a brutal war that ended in the Union's favor, the U.S. faced a new challenge rebuilding our country. Reconstruction lasted for 12 years and during that time we attempted to put our nation back together. Reconstruction's goal was for whites and blacks to live together in a non slave society. However the Southern states were not welcoming to this idea because they still believed in slavery and they believed it was the only way to live in peace. Despite the intentions of the Reconstruction era, the failure to address equality ultimately led to the idea of white supremacy and the oppression over African Americans.

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Post civil war and reconstruction era was supposed to be a time to strengthen the country and finally create a home for all genders, races, religions, etc. However, the treatment of newly emancipated slaves did not change. Strict codes and laws were implemented to keep them enslaved. Specifically, Jim Crow Laws and Black Codes made it harder for “free” African American people to live a life that America once promised. These harsh environments led to the philosophies of Washington and DuBois.

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During the Reconstruction Era, efforts to reunite the United States after the confederacy's defeat in the Civil War occurred. This period can be marked as a stage from which the federal government would begin to target its powers toward formally succeeded southern states to help develop civil rights for African Americans who were slaves. The Civil War was a result of northern and southern states having disputes over slavery, and with the South defeated the federal government would work to reconstruct the social foundations that states were under. As the federal government weighed in on creating political reforms significant political, social, and legal changes would occur.

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Who killed Reconstruction: The North or South? Following the civil war, the south killed the reconstruction of the United States. (Reconstruction was putting the country back together after the Civil War) There are many reasons why, the south slowed down the reconstruction of the United States, the main reason was freedmen were not seen as equals to the white.

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The Bureau could not provide African Americans with land, but it did contribute to education. Formerly enslaved African Americans were educated with the help of Northern charities. This was a positive outcome during

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The Reconstruction Era occurred in 1865, it was was a period after the Civil War in which America was focused on rebuilding the broken South. In 1867, the Radical reconstruction gave former slaves a voice in government. During this era, formers slaves gained a platform in the government, with some blacks as Congressmen. However, not everyone supported the idea of Reconstruction. Less than a decade after the Reconstruction period, a small group composed of democratic ex-confederate veterans, white farmers and white southerners sympathetic to white supremacy joined forces together to form the Ku Klux Klan.

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Even though slaves were now freed, “African Americans in the West still faced racism” (Settling the Great Plains). Despite being declared free, their equality was still taken from them. By being discriminated against, the African Americans lost opportunities for jobs and to earn money. However, not only the African Americans, but white people suffered also. Those who moved to urban areas from their agricultural jobs left to find job opportunities with high wages.

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515 Words | 3 Pages

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’”.

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594 Words | 3 Pages

Newly freed slaves would be in support of this as they would think that they would be able to come into the society and find a job without racial discrimination. They would also be able to read and write through legal

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669 Words | 3 Pages

Reconstruction is during which the United States began to rebuild the Southern society after they lost to the civil war. It lasted from 1865 to 1877, and it was initiated by President Lincoln until his assassination in 1865. President Johnson continued Lincoln’s agenda to continue the Reconstruction. Throughout the process of Reconstruction, one of its main purpose was to guarantees for equal rights for all people, especially for the African Americans. Even though slavery was abolished after the civil war, many Southerners were still against the idea of equal rights for all black people, such as the Republicans.

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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.

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