Presidential Reconstruction by Andrew Johnson promoted racism and injustice against the Freedmen and was one of the reasons why Reconstruction failed. “Johnson openly encouraged the South to draft its notorious Black Codes law enacted across the south by the Fall of 1865, that denied the Freedmen political liberty and restricted their economic options and physical mobility” (Blight 29). The Black Code law which was established by the White Southerners was a way to reverse the rights and freedom gained by the African Americans, during the radical Reconstruction era, rights which were very hard for the Freedmen to obtain in the first place. The Black Codes gave power back to the White Supremacists to control and manipulate the Freedmen
The History Channel lists several famous speeches on their website. Of the listings, I chose to discuss two speeches related to the Civil Rights Movement. The first speech I chose to listen was titled “A. Philip Randolph on Struggle for Racial Equality.” The second speech I chose to listen to was titled “Lyndon Johnson Signs Civil Rights Act of 1964.” I believe that these speeches are listed as some of the greatest speeches according to the History Channel because they address the long time struggle of racial inequality in the United States.
During his presidency, Congress ratified the 13th-Amendment that abolished slavery in 1865. In addition, President Johnson made contributions to the black people by vetoing bills that increased protection offered by Freedman Bureau. His vetoes also nullified the Black Codes and guaranteed full citizenship and equal rights to black people. This brought up the Civil Rights Act of 1866, an act that granted citizenships and same rights that both black and white enjoyed. As a result, the Civil Rights Act set up the basis for the 14th amendments that was also later ratified in 1866.
His campaign base was not for him to genuinely protect the African Americans, but to exploit their ever-long struggle. Americans had doubts about Lincoln’s commitment to racial equality (3). It was said that Abraham Lincoln primary means of dealing with racial problems was to attempt to colonize all American blacks back in Africa, Haiti, or Central- America. He wanted them anywhere, but in the United States. (4).
But that was not the outcome, due to the untimely demised of President Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Vice President who was sworn in shortly after the death of President Lincoln. Now that he is president, he created some unfair laws for the freed slaves. Lincoln thought it could have been practical to merge both races together by
The main action taken that affected the South after Reconstruction was the Jim Crow laws. The Jim Crow laws legalized racial segregation in everything from education to public facilities to religion. Due to this law, Black Americans struggled for racial equality. Abraham Lincoln’s Death: Abraham Lincoln’s death marked an extending time period of racism, segregation, discrimination, and fight for equal rights under the constitution. Without Lincoln there to guide the United States through reconstruction, the United States took action on the issue at hand.
You can see this in Document B, wherein 1858 Lincoln says this: “I have no purpose . . . to interfere with the institution of slavery in the states where it exists . . .” Later on in the same document he also states, “There is no reason in the world why the negro is not entitled to all the natural rights . . . in the Declaration of Independence- the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” While Lincoln was running for president, he promised to leave slavery alone in the South, but he also stays true to his personal morals through his time, that slavery
After the Civil War in the United States, the country had united once again. However, the two sides had not grown accustomed to each other, and tensions could have risen if not for the attempts to move on from the recent divide. Ultimately, the Reconstruction movement may not have purged the United States of discrimination and segregation, but it helped to ease tensions among sides, and paved the way for the Civil Rights Movement in the 20th century. Even though the intent of Reconstruction indicated that former opposition would forget the past and accept the future, the plan had complications that prevented it from reaching its truest form. For example, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln prevented his vision from carrying out as intended,
I honestly can not see or fathom why you could ever think that the Reconstruction Era was a success in helping blacks. I agree with you that it helped America unite to a certain extent, however, it did nothing to help the blacks whatsoever. Yes, slaves were emancipated and there were three amendments to help them to achieve rights and citizenship , nevertheless, the government rarely enforced any of the laws and regulations they set in place for the blacks to have equality and people worked tirelessly to make sure that any sense of freedom and rights that blacks could have were snatched away from them. What is the point of passing a law saying that black man can vote when they have KKK members trespassing in their house, beating them and ultimately
African Americans had an extremely pivotal role in the outcome and consequences of the Civil War. This group of people were enslaved, and forced to work in horrible conditions, for the whole day, without pay. Slaves were one of the main causes of the Civil War. The issue of Slavery, which resulted in the eventual economic and social division between the North and South, caused the creation of the Confederate States. African Americans did not only unintentionally cause the war, but they also effected the outcome of the war, and the eventual consequences the nation would face after the war.
Lincoln answered the spread of slavery to the territories, and had a vision of the expanding United States. Abraham was a self taught lawyer and legislator with a character as a strong rival of slavery,
However, much of their effort was met by opposition from President Andrew Johnson whose appointment was the result of Lincoln’s assassination. The President had been a major advocate for the North and what it represented during the war though his ultimate, goal was to empower the South’s white middle class and end the reign of wealthy planters. Consequently, because of his blatant bias Congress had overridden the President’s veto on both the Civil Rights Bill and the Civil Rights Act of 1866, which defined rights for all individuals born in the United States (extending to African Americans). Also, establishing the Freedmen’s Bureau which was an agency that provided aid to newly freed
Throughout history a lot of historical things went on in the United States, and one is racism throughout the year 1900 or even more years back people treated African Americans poorly everywhere even baseball and other sports and one guy named Sam Lacy , Lacy was born in 1903 and died in 2003. He was born in Connecticut and stayed there for a lot of his life playing sports and then went to college at Howard University. When he was born there was racism going on whites treated blacks very poorly and didn't let them do a lot of things. Lacy father was the first black cop and he helped his son do a lot of things through his life his father was a star to lacy and he wanted to show his father he could change people. Baseball players and Writers
The African Americans had a big impact on the Civil War. They had to have all of these laws and papers wrote because of the slavery deal. They had the role of the debate for slavery. They were the slaves and they wanted to have their freedom. The Declaration of Independence said that, “All men are created equal”, but the slaves were not free.
According to www.history.com/topics/charles-sumner ”He saw Reconstruction as the opportunity to establish civil rights for blacks, first in the South where Congress had explicit authority and gradually in the North. In 1865 he insisted that suffrage be granted to all black males. At the time of his death, Sumner was still vainly agitating for federal legislation repealing all discriminatory laws.” Finally, there was President Andrew Johnson. After Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, just as the South surrendered in April 1865, and then Andrew Johnson inherited the problem of Reconstruction.
