The Successes And Failures Of The Reconstruction Era

From this letter you can see Tourgees clear use of the word “another” meaning that other Republican men were targeted and killed by the KKK all because they fought to have the South follow the same rules as the North. It was as though the KKK felt personally battered so they enjoyed doing to same to men that caused such emotions. Politics within the white community was not the only issue. As mentioned before African Americans did not get the political freedom that was actually granted to them not only because of their race and low standing but they were “ ‘unfitted for the proper exercise of political duties… blacks needed a period of probation and instruction’ “ (Document D).

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.

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.

Turner killed more than 60 whites including women and children during the rebellion. Nat Turner believed he was chosen by god, and Harriet believed in god but did not think she was chosen. On the other hand Nat had no siblings and his father is unknown while Harriet had eight and her father was Ben Ross. All in all, both Nat turner and Harriet Tubman besides them both being slaves had many differences and similarities that affected many people good and badly.

What were the Black Codes? Answer: Black Codes were a tactic created and supported by Southern states to restrict African American freedmen from gaining enough wages to support their families. Although it granted them the right to marriage and owning their own property, they could not testify against whites or even vote. Punishments against African Americans were ridiculously unfair compared to the ones white landowners received for far greater offenses.

When the Ku Klux Klan was formed, they tried to cease the African American from participation in the political process. “We would state that we have been law-abiding citizens, pay taxes, and in many parts of the state our people have been driven from the polls, refused the right to vote. Many have been slaughtered while attempting to vote.” [Doc. 3] Southern States deprived the right to vote from the former slaves because of their race and color. “Their (Mississippi, South Carolina, or Louisiana) framers intended and did disfranchise a majority of their citizenship [deprived them of the right to vote] because of “race and color” and “previous condition”..”

Because of the abolishing of slavery, it created for a lot of discrimination and racism against people of color. In some southern and northern states did not agree with slaves begin freed especially Johnson. Because he did not agree it created for “moderates and radicals” to come together to pass black only laws. These black only laws returned some “freed slaves back to servitude”.

Abolitionism had been quite a popular idea after the Revolution, but started to fade in the early 1800s. It wasn’t until white abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison resurged the movement with release of his newspaper, The Liberator. He and many others, including Frederick Douglass, demanded equal rights for African Americans, and condemned slavery as a sinful practice. They sought immediate emancipation, but many were opposed to their cause (mostly the South). Garrison founded a couple organizations to expand the movement, but his efforts were futile.

Did you know that Betsy Ross maybe the one who made the flag. The flag is meant to make people proud about their county, for freedom, and to be grateful for it. I am proud of our county and its people for creating a great county. And how its people grow to believe in each other. Freedom is when you can grow up to be anything.

The mutiny, “Deepened the schism between slaveholders and free-soilers” (history.com). Nat’s actions led to, “ending the organized emancipation movement in that region.” ( History.com). “The state legislature of Virginia considered abolishing slavery, but in a close vote decided to retain slavery and to support a repressive policy against black people, slave and free “ ( Pbs.org). Because of the rebel people considered abolishing slavery but because so many people died, the cons of the attack outweighed the pros.

The ideas came from the declaration and its authors: Thomas Jefferson, John Jay, and Benjamin Franklin who supported these rights. Free press- Free speech and press was outlined in the 1st amendment of the constitution. The founders saw free speech as a means of gaining truth, scientific advancement, and cultural development. Up until 1798 there were no bans against free speech other than defaming another person, which was not protected under the constitution.

In fact, due to the Constitution’s lack of addressing the Indian situation the U.S. was forced to fight and win the Battle of Fallen Timbers which led to the Treaty of Greenville in 1795. In the treaty, American Indian tribes ceded most of Ohio and Indiana to the United States in exchange for yearly grants of federal money- which only subjugated the tribes further as they are now dependent on the Federal Government. This does not promote social happiness.

Reconstruction, between 1865-1877, allowed for the South to take control and was ultimately a failure. Although Freedmen’s Bureau was helpful in providing care for the recently freed African Americans, but it ended up being a failure when it was vetoed by Andrew Johnson in 1866. The Freedmen’s Bureau was meant to provide the former slaves with the necessities of life. Andrew Johnson in disagreement with the radical republicans vetoed the bill destroying any chance for integration into society for the African Americans. The 13th amendment was a success because it allowed African Americans to be freed from the bonds of slavery, but it did not allow for healthy integration into to everyday society.

The Civil War was the most destructive battle in American history. The hurricane of a battle lasted for four years and is responsible for 785,000-1,000,000 Union, Confederate, and slave casualties. The battle was fought for the overall emancipation of slaves, and the Union succeeded in fulfilling that goal. You would think that after that war and after slavery was abolished once and for all, everyone would be happy and everyone would join together and sing Kumbaya; however, that's not exactly what happened. The Reconstruction Era was more destructive for slaves than the war itself.

The first African slaves arrived in the new world during the 1620’s and the institution of slavery lasted for 245 years until 1865. Slavery in North America lasted longer than the United States itself. For this reason, when Abraham Lincoln decided to emancipate slaves during the Civil War, then pass the 13th amendment he was putting an end to a social order that was the fabric of American society. The period Reconstruction after the end of the Civil War represented an upward battle for revolution, the “forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favor of a new system”, due to the racism and prejudice that was entrenched in American society. However, the spread of education and tools for African Americans to fight oppression, the end