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Was Reconstruction A Success Or Failure Essay

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To judge the Reconstruction’s success or failure, we need to examine the purpose of the Reconstruction in the first place. Reconstruction was the period in which the South was being readmitted into the Union and end of slavery. Another goal was to protect the rights of African Americans in the South. I share the view of many in which they view Reconstruction falling in between success and failure. It was able to implement some of the things it set out to do but with great difficulty. Three major groups stand out as either affecting or being affected by Reconstruction. The first are the Republicans of the North who took the driver seat that is Reconstruction. Their main wish was reunite the nation and to abolish slavery but also protect the …show more content…

The Wade-Davis Bill was pocket vetoed by Lincoln but they were able to create the Freedman’s Bureau which was designed to help African Americans. While there were failures, there were triumphs which included Civil Rights Act of 1866, 13th, and 14th Amendment. This was a step forward for African American freedoms but Southerners unhappy with these changes formed the Ku Klux Klan committing mass murders and race riots to intimidate African Americans. The tone of Reconstruction changed in 1867 with Radical Reconstruction and pass the First Reconstruction Act. They also passed the Second Reconstruction Act and the 15th amendment which was aimed at freedom of voting. The South did everything in their power to limit rights of former slaves and ended up passing laws called the Black Codes. During this time, former slaves were trying to readjust to their new lives but most ended falling back into the cycle with sharecroppers. The turning point of Reconstruction happened with the Depression of 1873. The Resumption Act of 1875 caused many northerners to vote for Democrats. With Republicans no longer in power, Reconstruction was on decline as Southerners were returning to power and it finally ended with the Compromise of 1877 where Democrats would give up the presidency if they withdraw the troops from the South and end Reconstruction. In the end, what Northerners got was a nation in one piece but the South resisted those changes until it was able to find the advantage and end

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