ipl-logo

Reconstruction Of African American History Essay

465 Words2 Pages

The end of the Civil War was one of the greatest turning points in the United States history that changed the way the nation ran politically, socially and economically. The Union defeating the Southern Confederacy put forth an interracial democracy, united all states into a single nation and most importantly - abolished slavery. This gave birth to Reconstruction, a period that followed the Civil War focusing on the integration of African Americans into a society that was previously dominated by white people. Reconstructionopened a pathway to educational and economical opportunities, citizenship and freedom, and the establishment of beneficial laws and amendments for equal rights. However, the unsettling years that followed turned out to be …show more content…

In addition to fresh opportunities, African Americans also gained freedom from being considered property and had the benefit of becoming citizens. This provided them with what was seemingly equal access in all different areas such as public transportation and facilities. To reassure they receive these accesses, the Civil Rights Act of 1875, hinging upon the 13th Amendment and 14th Amendment, guaranteed “to protect all citizens in their civil and legal rights” and “recognize the equality of all men before law” (Sumner). Accompanied with the act, the Freedmen’s Bureau in 1865 helped provide commodities such as food, housing, medical aid and legal assistance for freed blacks(Lincoln). This created stability and security that they lacked prior to Reconstruction, improving their living standards. As well as that, the Emancipation Proclamation, declared on January 1st 1863, provided that all slaves “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free” (Lincoln). Although the proclamation was declared unconstitutional later on, it was a huge turning point for African Americans because it provided them with hope, was a backbone for the abolishment of slavery, and was a catalyst for

Show More
Related

  • Reconstruction Dbq

    491 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Essay On The Effects Of Reconstruction On African Americans After The Civil War

    422 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Civil War and the period of Reconstruction brought significant political, social, and economic changes to American society, and these effects continued into the 20th century. Post Civil War (After the Civil War – The period after the Civil War) - President Abraham Lincoln and Congress were determined to rebuild the nation. Lincoln wanted to restore the Union by readmitting the southern states that had seceded, as well as provide African Americans with more rights. Period of Conflict -

    Read More

  • How Did The Changes After The Civil War Imperialism

    1202 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Civil War and Reconstruction period, Gilded Age, Imperialism, and World War I all brought challenges, expansion, and transformation to this nation and it’s people. These periods would change the nation, “In the years following the Civil War, formed and their white allies, North and South, would seek to redefine the meaning and boundaries of American freedom” (Give Me Liberty 555). The Civil War split apart the nation due to slavery differences between the North and South. The historical narrative from 1865 through World War I involves the challenges faced with inequality and violence resulting in the transformation of geographical space, cultural landscape, and political institutions. The Civil War exacerbated existing racial discrimination

    Read More

  • Emancipation Proclamation Dbq

    840 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Emancipation Proclamation is one of the most historically significant executive orders ever given by a President of the United States of America. The proclamation would change the nation’s history and help end the nation’s Civil War. It called for the freedom of slaves in the ten states that had rebelled from the Union. It was issued as a preliminary on September 22 1862, warning that if the states did not end their rebellion, then he would order it to go into effect on 1 January 1863. As none of the southern states budged, the proclamation was signed and issued.

    Read More

  • Emancipation Proclamation Dbq

    441 Words  | 2 Pages

    January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamationon. The proclamation said, "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free" and "that all persons held as slaves are, and henceforward shall be free." The Emancipation Proclamation was limited in many ways even though the expansion of wording. It applied only to states that had removed themselves from the United States, leaving slavery untouched in the loyal border states.

    Read More

  • Emancipation Proclamation Dbq

    1485 Words  | 6 Pages

    Issued by President Lincoln and put into place on January 1, 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation states "that all persons held as slaves are, and henceforward shall be free" (National Archives). When most Americans think of who freed the slaves, they think of President Lincoln. Although he was ultimately the one who freed them, we should not forget about the other people who also fought for African Americans. Many American fought long before Licoln's presidency.

    Read More

  • The Emancipation Proclamation Changed The Way Of The Civil War

    924 Words  | 4 Pages

    Michael Johns Mrs. DeRiggi US History 1 Honors 24 April 2015 The Emancipation Proclamation The Emancipation Proclamation was forced on January 1, 1863 by Abraham Lincoln. It was one of the most important documents of American history. The document stated that slaves residing in Confederate territory and not under Union army occupation were free. The Emancipation Proclamation changed the way of Civil War by connecting the Union cause to fight, with the liberation of slaves.

    Read More

  • African American Experience With Reconstruction Essay

    671 Words  | 3 Pages

    Peter Schroeder Dr. Christopher Marshall Modern United States History 2/2/17 Writing Assignment 1: The African-American Experience with Reconstruction Reconstruction among the south refers to the point in time which the United States was attempting to establish a relationship between the union and the rebels. The Union had won the civil war, so the next step was to begin to mend the broken relationship between the north and the south. Though historians cannot agree on when it began, there is merit in saying that it started before the end of the Civil War. After victory, had been solidified for the Union, attention of President Lincoln turned towards reconstruction.

    Read More

  • Most Important Events During The Reconstruction Era

    701 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Reconstruction After The Civil War Essay

    645 Words  | 3 Pages

    The American civil war led to the reunion of the South and the North. But, its consequences led the Republicans to take the lead of reconstructing what the war had destroyed especially in the South because it contained larger numbers of newly freed slaves. Just after the civil war, America entered into what was called as the reconstruction era. Reconstruction refers to when “the federal government established the terms on which rebellious Southern states would be integrated back into the Union” (Watts 246). As a further matter, it also meant “the process of helping the 4 million freed slaves after the civil war [to] make the transition to freedom” (DeFord and Schwarz 96).

    Read More

  • Essay On Failures Of Reconstruction

    835 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Essay On African Americans After Civil War

    473 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Civil Rights act of 1866 was also supposed to give newly freed African Americans most equal rights as whites. The other Civil Rights act (Civil Rights act of 1875) attempted to give African Americans equal accommodation rights, as well as trying to make racial profiling illegal and an arrestable crime. The Civil Rights acts made an attempt to give African Americans a lot of rights on par with whites. Lastly, the Bureau of Refugees was also created in order to aid the rights the African Americans now held. It was created in 1865 to aid slave and freeman migration from the South to the North.

    Read More

  • The Successes And Failures Of The Reconstruction Era

    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’”.

    Read More

  • Atlanta Compromise Address Ethos Pathos Logos

    1690 Words  | 7 Pages

    It was rough for African Americans in the 1890’s, and though they tried to live a normal easy life they always had obstacles that got in the way. They had thought everything was going good for them with the 13th and 14th amendment being announced. Also The Emancipation Proclamation which stated, on January 1, 1863, "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free" was a speech that actually came out before the 13th and 14th amendment which was the whole reason why those amendments had came out. The 13th amendment stated that "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”. This was such a big deal since

    Read More

  • Impact Of Racism On Reconstruction

    1533 Words  | 7 Pages

    Racism’s Impact on Reconstruction While the issue of slavery evidently contributed to the divide that resulted in the American Civil War, it is debated whether prevailing ideals of racism caused the failure of the era following the war known as Reconstruction. With the abolishment of slavery, many of the southern states had to reassemble the social, economic, and political systems instilled in their societies. The Reconstruction Era was originally led by a radical republican government that pushed to raise taxes, establish coalition governments, and deprive former confederates of superiority they might have once held. However, during this time common views were obtained that the South could recover independently and that African Americans

    Read More

More about Reconstruction Of African American History Essay

Open Document