Reconstruction Of African American History Essay

This was one of the biggest attempts to help out and better lives of Freedmen during reconstruction, and it was successful. Conclusively, The Reconstruction Era was a constructive time for Freedmen. Government officials implemented many amendments and laws to help them out, and most of them did work. Not only were they released from slavery, but given citizenship and rights only white men had at the time. They even enforced a whole system just to give Freedmen their basic needs after slaver.

It altered the course of the war, led to the impartiality of all blacks, and changed the future for the posterity. The Emancipation Proclamation altered the course of the war for the better. It was now moral responsibility to triumph the Confederacy and unbind the millions of African Americans held in subjugation (Bodenner). This document also changed the Civil War from a war of troubles to a campaign of human freedom (Emancipation Proclamation History.com). Amongst the Civil War, General Patrick Cleburne had mentioned how, “slavery, from being one of our chief sources of strength," had evolved into "one of our chief sources of weakness" (Bodenner).

This gave black people hope for a new better life in the Northern states where those laws weren’t enforced. This renaissance was a cultural party that helped expose black writers, musicians, poets, artists, etc. This changed the culture forever and the talent started to spillover within the black community. Art was pushed to its limits and was a form of a statement and representation.

The course begins with the year 1877, which is when Reconstruction “ended”, even though it stilled occurred for years after, but not at as great of capacity. I believe that this is the best place to start this course because there is a different name to the United States after Reconstruction, and to see how much progress was made after the Civil War. Many important events occurred during Reconstruction, such as the creation of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. These amendments legally allowed for African- Americans to have rights in the United States. African American men were now legal United States citizens due to the Fourteenth Amendment, and had “equal protection of the laws” compared to white citizens during this time era, and

One important person is, Abraham Lincoln, who helped end slavery in, 1863, by issuing his memorable Emancipation Proclamation that declared freedom of slaves within the Confederacy. This particular event has changed the lives of many slaves whom lived throughout any state in the United States. Although it took time to declare freedom for slaves, now many years later, slaves are free to become anyone they want to be. Not only did this event affect the lives of slaves, but it affected the lives of everyone living in the United States because now our society has a diverse culture. Therefore, allowing a person to love who they want, whether the person is of a different ethnicity.

The Reconstruction left behind good results as splendid and failure. And one splendid part that made the Reconstruction was that the federal government outlawed slavery with the 13th Amendment, gave citizenship and stated to protect all Americans with the 14th Amendment. As to Freedman’s Bureau and the Civil Rights Act, gave African Americans the opportunity to take part equally in society. Black men could now participate as governors and senators.

If I have to pick one event that really captivated my attention was the fight of African-American slaves to recover their rights and the conditions they used to live. They fight knowing that they will be punished or even lose their life’s, demonstrating that a correct course of action can take the history to a “happy ending”. Also this event created a domino effect that activated other necessary movements like the women vote or right to work in “men” positions. This is a meaningful event that we see today as freedom and is in my opinion the greatest change in history.

In 1860, Abraham Lincoln became the first republican to win an election. During the civil war which took place in 1863, Abraham Lincoln was against slavery in America and he said that after January 1st all slaves that where on rebel territory shall be free people. Then in 1865 slavery had not existed anymore. After two centuries slavery was abolished in 1865, when the 13th amendment to the united states constitution had ruled out slavery.

“My fellow Americans: I am about to sign into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964. I want to take this occasion to talk about what that law means to every American.” This is how President Lyndon Johnson speech starts out. This speech was a monumental change within the Civil Rights Movement. This was the last step for African Americans to have the same rights as any other American within the United States.

Black men and white men fought alongside each other. The war brought a much stronger federal government while the state governments still had rights over themselves. The federal government had to get control again over the major issues and topics. Since the Emancipation Proclamation, it gave freedom to all African Americans. African Americans were not forced to slavery.

The creation of the declaration of independence gave unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. At first with the passing of the declaration of independence human rights was unfortunately still not extended to all men, only white men, and not to women. Human rights did not change much through 1776 and 1790. However these rights created by the declaration would lead to the mass change of rights to women and slaves in the 18th century. The evolution and spread of human rights to women and slaves was a positive thing as it made them pertain to all humans now as it should.

Emancipation Proclamation declaring all slaves free in the rebellious states as of January 1st, 1863. 1865 was a big year for civil rights in America, the Civil War ended this year along with the assassination of abolitionists President Abraham Lincoln. Also in 1865 the 13th amendment passed which stated "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime…”. The 13th amendment was a huge step toward racial equality nevertheless African Americans and abolitionists were nowhere near done fighting. 14th and 15th amendments soon followed the 13th with 14th amendment giving slaves freedom from slave owners and the 15th amendment giving African Americans the right to vote.

African Americans were freed from slavery in 1865 and were granted civil rights in 1875. However, In the 1950s and 60s African Americans were restricted under Jim Crow laws, these laws segregated African Americans into “Separate but Equal” facilities and prohibited them from doing things we do normally today. On August 28th, 1955 a young African American boy was kidnapped, tortured and murdered for allegedly whistling at a Caucasian store owner. This young boy was known as Emmett Louis “Bobo” Till. Emmett Till’s murder outraged the African American community and aided the push for desegregation and equality amongst all Americans regardless of race on a national level.

Langston Hughes' "When the Negro Was in Vogue" brings light to the issue of racial inequality and cultural appropriation. These topics remain relevant in our modern society, and are present in current cultural trends. Racial inequality is a problem that has always been around it seems; white is portrayed as "good" and black (and every other color for that matter) is portrayed as "bad." The title "When the Negro Was in Vogue" makes the point that during the time of the Harlem Renaissance, it was actually "good" to be black; that was because white people liked what black people were accomplishing and creating at the time. This is something that continues to be an issue, even today.

In history growing up I learned that slavery ended when president Lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation. After this law was passed, African Americans were embarking a new journey, Radical reconstruction. The end of slavery was only the beginning. It was the beginning of and unjust, corrupted system. Reconstruction was a brief period following the Civil War in which an attempt was made by the federal government to disenfranchise the former slaveholding oligarchy and to improve the economic, educational, political, and human rights conditions of poor whites and blacks in the South (Feagin, Feagin 2011).