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How Did The United States End Reconstruction

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The End of Reconstruction The U.S. needed time to rebuild itself and come back together after the Civil War. The South’s factories and railroads were demolished in the War Between the States. The southern states went from providing 30% of the nation’s wealth and income to only providing 12%. The United States were also learning to accept freedmen into society. Reconstruction was taking place. Thesis: The South ended Reconstruction because of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), the extreme lengths they went to, and the rest of the South just letting it happen. After the Civil War, the United States of America was in desperate need of a reunion of the states. The South was in a bad condition after 4 years of fighting, more than a million casualties, and $337 million spent. It was imperative that some control was established so the Nation could be preserved. This is where Reconstruction came in. It was founded on the idea that “the …show more content…
We have evidence that the KKK offered bribes to Reconstruction supporters. In Abram Colby’s testimony, he says “they offered me $5,000 to go with them and said they would pay me $2,500 in cash if I would let another man go to the legislature in my place.” In the 1870’s, $5,000 was worth “$98,039.22 in 2015” (Manuel 1). This shows how much the KKK was willing to pay. This organization terrorized to make the country fearful. They hoped that fear would end Reconstruction. We can see this in John W. Stephens’ death. “He was stabbed five or six times, and then hanged on a hook in the Grand Jury room,” Albion Tourgee states in a letter to Joseph Carter Abbott (511). This very public and gruesome act left many people fearful for their lives. We can also see that the KKK was cruel and violent with Abram Colby’s whipping. They left him for dead after beating him for hours with a whip (Colby 513). The South was going to harsh lengths and would not easily

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